When city council meets Wednesday to finalize Ottawa’s spending plans for 2025, expect debate over contentious plans to raise transit prices for seniors and students or whether to spend more on washrooms in public spaces.
Such items are small relative to the size of the budget councillors must approve: $5 billion for operations next year and another $1.7 billion to capital projects. Much of it is locked in from one year to the next.
Some municipal watchers say transit for seniors is important, but this budget season could have seen more debate and discussion about big-picture, longer-term themes affecting a city with a budget under strain.
“Communities … feel there’s something awry,” said Paul Johanis, the new chair of the Federation of Citizens’ Associations (FCA), which represents 65 community organizations.
“For all the rosy messaging, the City of Ottawa just isn’t what it has been. What can we do to put it on a better course?”
…