In the proposed 2019 Ottawa City Budget, Innes Ward will see overdue funding increases for key road and transit infrastructure pieces that, amongst other things, put a focus on:
- Improving area transportation
- Renewal and recreational pathway connections to improve mobility and connect our neighbourhoods
- The construction of new parks and renewal of older parks in established neighbourhoods
The draft budget caps the overall residential property-tax increase at three per cent. The proposed increase, including the transit levy, amounts to $113 for an average urban home, which works out to less than $10 per month.
The City’s draft 2019 budget includes:
- $15 million to create more affordable and supportive housing, the largest investment in housing in Ottawa’s history. This investment is in addition to the $111 million the City currently provides toward housing and homelessness, such as social housing, housing subsidies, support services and homelessness initiatives. This housing funding would allow the City to start construction on about 125 new affordable units in 2019, with a focus on building near transit and light-rail stations.
- The proposed budget would increase spending on infrastructure, including roads, sidewalks, buildings and bridges, by eight per cent, or $9.8 million. With this base funding increase, our investment would climb from $118.7 million to $128.5 million. This would close the infrastructure gap Ottawa has been facing within the next five years, twice as fast as previously planned. Eighty percent of the planned 2019 capital budget is for infrastructure renewal.
- The proposed budget includes $7.8 million for OC Transpo to buy additional buses. It also commits $3.4 million in 2019, and $5.1 million on an annual basis thereafter, to expand transit service. The budget proposes $55.2 million to replace 79 old buses and $22.4 million to refurbish buses.
- $5.7 million to support resident care and quality of life in the City’s long-term care homes, including the hiring of 46 additional staff.
- $38.6 million to renew and maintain our buildings, parks, swimming pools, splash pads, fitness spaces and outdoor courts.
- $1.49 million annually to plant 500,000 trees through this Term of Council and regenerate Ottawa’s forest cover across rural, suburban and urban communities
- Funding for 14 new paramedics, with associated equipment, to improve response times across the city.
Innes Ward investments in the 2019 draft budget include:
Improving our transportation and infrastructure
- $1.7 million to conduct an environmental assessment to extend Brian Coburn Boulevard and the Cumberland Transitway to the west, and for transit-priority measures along Blair Road from Innes Road to Blair Light Rail Transit Station
- $8.5 million to resurface roads, including:
- Anderson Road from Renaud Road to Russell Road
- St. Joseph Boulevard from ramp 54 of Ottawa Regional Road 174 to Youville Drive
- St. Joseph Boulevard from 100 metres east of Jeanne D’Arc Boulevard to Prestone Drive
- Resurfacing St. Joseph Boulevard from eastbound off-ramp 54 from Ottawa Regional Road 174 to Youville Drive
- Pagé Road from Montpelier Place to Innes Road
- Eastpark Drive in Blackburn Hamlet
- Designing and implementing traffic-management measures along Belcourt Boulevard and Renaud Road
- $364,000 to renew the sidewalk along St. Joseph Boulevard from 100 metres east of Jeanne D’Arc Boulevard to Prestone Drive
- $234,000 to renew the south sidewalk along St. Joseph Boulevard between Jeanne D’Arc Boulevard and St-Jean Street
- $85,000 to renew the south sidewalk along St. Joseph Boulevard from 80 metres west of Napoléon Way to Duford Drive
- Designing a connection between the Prescott-Russell Recreational Trail and Innes Road and Stonehenge Crescent
- $50,000 to replace hydro poles
- $29,000 to repair streetlight cable faults
- $5,000 to replace streetlight poles at 2954 St. Joseph Boulevard
- $8.3 million to improve intersection control measures, including at Mer Bleue Road and Décoeur Drive
- $8.5 million to construct the Chapel Hill Park and Ride
- Rehabilitating the Delorme Sewage Pumping Station
Improving our greenspaces and recreational facilities
- $2 million for upgrades at the Blackburn Arena
- $1.3 million to replace:
- Training centre roof at Fire Station 54
- Roofing system and fire alarm panel at Ottawa Public Library – Orléans Branch
- New play structures and equipment at Ruisseau Park
- $1.2 million to build the new Trailsedge East Park
- $1.1 million to build the Spring Valley Trails Community Park
- $529,000 for a new gym at Mouvement d’implication francophone d’Orléans
- $407,486 to build the new Orléans Village Park (Caivan)
- $7,500 for soccer field fencing at Carriere Park
- $2,000 for a bulletin board at Patrick Dugas Park
- $321,000 for a playground and shade shelter at Notre-Dame-des-Champs Park
- $169,000 to renew the playground at Champagne Park
- $126,000 for a baseball scoreboard and batting cage at Heritage Park
- $4,000 for bulletin boards at Blue Willow Park and Silverbirch Park
I want to thank everyone who shared their suggestions and priorities for the budget with me. Whether it was during the two Innes Ward budget consultations held last month, or directly with my office, the feedback received was instrumental in identifying the community’s priorities. I would encourage you to read over the draft budget information above or the more in-depth version at ottawa.ca and provide any comments or feedback to me at Laura.Dudas@ottawa.ca.
As always, you can also attend any committee or board meetings to share your thoughts about the budget. The list of committee dates can be found on Ottawa.ca.
The budget goes to Council for approval on March 6, 2019. I look forward to hearing your thoughts in the coming weeks.
Sincerely,
Laura
