City of Ottawa 2025 budget: Community groups release alternative budget [Video]

A coalition of community groups is calling on Ottawa City Council to raise property taxes “to a level that sustains existing services and infrastructure,” increase parking fees, and invest in transit, community services and climate action in its 2025 budget.

City staff will table the draft 2025 City of Ottawa budget on Wednesday, outlining the city’s spending plan for the coming year.

Council directed staff to draft the 2025 budget with a 2.9 per cent property tax hike to cover city services and the policy levy, but that does not include funding to address a $120 million shortfall in the OC Transpo budget. Staff have said that unless the federal and Ontario governments provide $140 million a year over three years for transit, the city will have to look at raising fares, hiking the transit levy or other levers to keep transit moving.

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