2025 budget: Ottawa taxpayers facing 3.9% tax hike, 5% hike in transit fares [Video]

Ottawa residents are facing a 3.9 per cent property tax increase and a 5 per cent hike in transit fares, as the city of Ottawa “uses a lot of duct tape” to fill a $120 million hole in the 2025 OC Transpo budget.

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe says the $5 billion 2025 City of Ottawa budget includes a 2.9 per cent property tax hike for “most city services,” while the transit levy will increase eight per cent, which equals an additional one per cent tax hike for most homeowners.

“We must strike the right balance. This budget is a balanced approach to our residents’ needs,” Sutcliffe told reporters.

“It invests in the core priorities that matter most to our residents: public safety, public transit, roads and sidewalks, housing and supporting the most vulnerable.”

A 3.9 per cent property tax increase would raise the average urban property tax bill by $168 in …