City of Ottawa plans $3.76 billion 2020 budget, with $150 million investment in roads, sewers, community facilities

0
2237

Ontario Construction News staff writer

The City of Ottawa has released its draft 2020 budget, with increases in infrastructure and housing investments.

The proposed operating budget is $3.76 billion, representing a $136.8-million increase over 2019, a city news release says. The three-per-cent tax increase amounts to an extra $109 for an average urban home, or about $9 a month.

“With increased support for infrastructure maintenance, the City would close the infrastructure gap – the difference between what the city spends and what it needs to spend annually to maintain infrastructure in good repair – in seven years, rather than 10 years,” the statement says. “Without adding new debt, total investments to maintain and renew assets like roads, sidewalks and facilities would increase by $22.5 million, bringing the city to $151 million invested in 2020 – an increase of 18 per cent over 2019.”

In 2020, the road resurfacing budget, including rural-road upgrades and road-surface preservation treatments, would be $51 million – an increase from the yearly average of $35.5 million during the previous three year council term. For Ottawa’s rural communities, $44.5 million in infrastructure is budgeted for 2020, an increase from a four-year average of $39.7 million.

The draft budget adds $15 million to the city’s affordable housing investment, while maintaining funding of $31 million for local agencies that offer housing and homelessness supports and services.

The proposed budget also includes investments in the environment, including $17.5 million to rehabilitate the city’s wastewater treatment plant, $3 million to improve energy efficiency at City buildings, $3 million to rehabilitate water pumping stations and $2 million for enhanced corrosion control at the two water purification plants. The budget includes $1.5 million to plant about 125,000 trees.

The budget includes an array of projects to upgrade recreation facilities, such as sports courts, parks, theatres, outdoor rinks and museums. On top of that, it also includes $100,000 per ward, to be used at the discretion of the councillor, to enhance recreation or park facilities. Councillors would also guide spending on $50,000 of traffic-calming projects for each ward.

The draft budget assumes a 1.5-per-cent increase in property assessment growth, worth an estimated $24.9 million.

The proposed spending plan will be considered by city council on Dec. 11.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

I accept the Privacy Policy

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.