Ottawa budget has good news, bad news for anti-poverty advocates

Urban homeowners will see their property taxes rise by two per cent, their transit levy hiked 2.5 per cent, and the fee they pay for garbage disposal go up by anextra $2 in 2017.

For an average city home assessed at $395,500, the homeowner will pay an additional $72 next year.

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Those increases weremostly expected. The revelations in the 2017 draft budget, tabled Wednesday morning at Ottawa City Hall,wereabout new social initiatives and it was a combination of good news and disappointing newsfor anti-poverty advocates.

Social services agencies had been looking for a $500,000 fund, in additiontotheir base funding, in order to help deal with additional and more complex cases.

In Mayor Jim Watson'sbudget speech Wednesday morning, he announced an additional $610,000 for thoseagencies, which includes a half million dollars for the fund and a slightly higher cost-of-living increase two per cent instead of 1.5 per cent to the grants that support those programs.

"They clearly indicated a will and a wish to support our organizations, so we're glad to see that," said Luc Ouellette of theOrlans-Cumberland Community Resource Centre.

Low-income bus pass to cost $57

The mayor also announced that the low-income bus pass will cost $57permonth, half the cost of a regular OCTranspomonthly pass, and that it will be offered starting in April 2017.

"This is what the city could afford, and this is why we proposed this rate," saidWatson.

The new "EquiPass"will eventuallycost the city $2.7million annually.

While the mayor had already announced the introduction of a new low-income transit pass, he did not say at the time what the pass would cost.

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"Obviously, if we had the support of the provincial government, as is the case inCalgary with the Alberta government, that price point could go down lower," said Watson.

Councillors attend morning rally

Anti-poverty and health advocateswho were pushing for a pass that cost no more than $41.75 call it a step in the right direction.

"We still feel that it's not necessarily reasonable to suggest that poor people can afford even $57 a month, but it's certainly more reasonable than $113 a month," said Trevor Hach, citing the cost of a regular adult pass as of January 2017.

Hach, who is with the Healthy Transportation Coalition, has been pushing for the pass for months, and led an early-morning rally outside City Hall before the draft budget was tabled.

CouncillorsCatherineMcKenney, MathieuFleuryandTobiNussbaumattended the rally, where about two dozen people called for a low-income bus pass at that lower price.

"Keep Ottawa great,"McKenneytold the crowd somewhat ruefully, echoing one of U.S. president-elect Donald Trump'scatchphrases.

She went on tothank activists for "pushing" politicians to act on measures like the low-income bus pass.

"It's people like you who do keep Ottawa great."

Funding for arts and festivals

Arts groups and local festivals looking for more stable, predictable annual fundingdid not see thecity recommit to a2012 plan intended to bring per capita funding in line with other big Canadian cities.

However, Watson did referto the 2017 celebration funds previously announced: $250,000 for local arts projects and$250,000 for festival marketing.

He also announced $150,000 for an"Arts Momentum Fund" aimed at showcasing local artsin the same vein asthe 2017 projectsbut to last in years beyond the 150th celebrations, as well as a 1.5 per cent cost of living increase for the grants arts groups receive.

Still, the city is not fulfillingthe multi-yearpromised operating funding of 2012.

"But it is a step forward," said Peter Honeywell of the Ottawa Arts Council, who pointed to how the $300,000 in base funding for 2017 and the indication of at least another$150,000 in 2018 is at least building in the right direction.

Bus routes, cycling and snow removal

Watson also announced the introduction ofnew suburban buses to help commuters get into and out of downtown during rush hours. The buses will start operation in late 2017, and will connect to the LRT when it opens in 2018.

The budget will also include$8 million for new cycling infrastructure, $5 million for sidewalk improvements, and $23 million for rural road resurfacing.

For the second year in a row, the city will also shovel $4.5 million more into snow removal, a department of the city that routinely runs a deficit.

Watson said $1.1 billion will be spent on capital projects includingroads, bike lanes, parks and recreation centres.

Most of these project have already been announced, or were already in the city's plans.

The draft budget will be debated at committee and board meetings over the next month, when public delegations can make presentations. Council as a whole will debate, possibly change, and vote on the budget on Dec. 14.