Council today approved the City’s proposed 2025 budget directions, timeline and consultation process.
The budget directions report proposes a municipal tax increase of no more than 2.9 per cent, made up of various levies for the City, Ottawa Public Library, Ottawa Public Health and Ottawa Police Service.
The Transit Services budget will be developed with consideration of funding between $0 and $120 million from the federal and provincial governments. It will consider an increase to the transit levy of between 2.9 and 37 per cent, a transit-fare increase of between 2.5 and 75 per cent in 2025, fare discount adjustments, operating efficiencies, service reductions and capital deferrals. A working group focused on the transit long range financial plan will provide analyses and recommendations for these items for the 2025 budget deliberation process.
The draft operating and capital budget will be tabled at City Council on Wednesday, November 13. Standing Committees will meet between mid-November and early December to consider their portions of Draft Budget 2025. Residents, businesses and community groups will be able to take part as public delegations and participate in Councillor-led public consultations. Council will consider and adopt the final budget on Wednesday, December 11.
Council also approved changes to City planning processes that would make the review of development applications more efficient, accelerating the construction of much needed housing across Ottawa. The changes will align the City’s processes with the Province’s recently enacted Bill 185, Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act. The City will provide a decision on zoning applications, as well as concurrent zoning and site plan applications, within 120 days while individual site plan applications would be processed within 90 days. The changes also allow applicants greater flexibility to revise ongoing development applications.
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