The arrival of fall means different things to different people; back to school, the leaves changing, the return of sweater weather. But at City Hall, this also marks the return of budget season.
This year, the budget direction from the Mayor is vastly different than any other budget directions that have been tabled in the past. To everyone who has followed the news in the wake of his “Fairness for Ottawa” campaign, this will come as no surprise. The transit budget portion has been completely carved out, and is being addressed as a separate piece, completely independent of the 2.9% increase that was put forward by the Mayor. To compare that to the past two years, budgets were set at 2.5% and that increase included the transit budget.
The Mayor defended this move for two reasons. The first, to make transparent the outsized impact of the transit situation on the overall budget; and second, to direct OC Transpo to develop multiple budget scenarios depending on different funding options.
In my recent newsletter, I wrote at length about the Mayor’s efforts to seek fairness in Federal and Provincial funding for transit for our city, an endeavor that received unanimous support at Council. Largely due to the decisions from the upper levels of government, OC Transpo is facing a $120-million shortfall, which must be closed. Since then, a report released by the Ontario’s Financial Accountability Office confirmed that Ottawa residents are being short changed when it comes to per-capita subsides for transit from the Provincial Government. The average per-person subsidy across Ontario was $111.16, with Toronto receiving $191 per person. This is a stark contrast to Ottawa’s $59.61 per person. To make those numbers more depressing, over the next year, the Provincial Government’s support for Toronto will increase to over $196 per person, and Ottawa’s will drop to $31.91. The Ottawa Citizen shared a helpful article regarding the report’s findings, which you can read at https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/provincial-report-backs-ottawas-claim-transit-underfunding.
This is only the beginning of the budget conversation, and it is important to not confuse that 2.9% budget direction to staff, with Council approving the final budget. It is also important to note that as we begin this conversation, there is an understanding that unless the Province and the Federal Government come forward with a commitment to address their support disparity, when the transit portion is added to the budget, that 2.9% is almost assuredly going to rise – possibly by a lot.
My objective remains unchanged from previous budget years; continue to secure investments in our community, based on our needs, and the feedback I receive from you, while maintaining a level of affordability for taxpayers. The price of daily living continues to increase, and I am not keen on shying away from difficult discussions with my colleagues on Council regarding what our City needs, as opposed to funding “nice to have” items. During a recent meeting with the Mayor, the City Manager, the City’s Chief Financial Officer, and senior staff, I stressed the need for investments in our community’s aging infrastructure, our roads, sidewalks, pathways, and parks. The need to see better services offered equally across the City. And the need to see investments in community safety.
Faced with this difficult financial landscape, I can frankly say that this is one of the most consequential budgets from my time on Council. Which is why I am eager to speak with you, the residents I serve, to fully understand your intentions for our City budget. As I do annually, I will be hosting multiple budget consultation opportunities for our Ward, as well as teaming up with my east end colleagues for a boarder session. As those details are worked out, I will be sharing them. In the meantime, if you have not already, please take my Budget Survey on my website at LauraDudas.ca/2025-city-budget-survey.
At the end of the day, it’s your priorities that I will represent and amplify during the coming budget conversations at City Hall. Your involvement in this process, as always, is so greatly appreciated and I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
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