‘People will be very pleased’ by city budget, Watson says

When the 2014 budget was tabled four years ago, Mayor Jim Watson surprised many with a 1.9-per-cent tax increase — a lower rate than what had previously been suggested. It was something positive he and other council members seeking re-election the next year could take to voters.

But the mayor, who’s already announced his intention to seek a third term, wasn’t saying Tuesday whether there would be a similar election-year treat in the 2018 budget, to be tabled Wednesday.

Indeed, Watson kept his budget comments brief Tuesday. Of all the budgets he’s introduced since being elected in 2010, he’s most proud of this one, he said.

“People will be very pleased. We’ve listened to a lot of people that participated in the budget consultation process,” he said, in addition to one-on-one meetings with each councillor and breakfasts with community leaders from each ward. “People will see a lot of what they were advocating for reflected in the document.”

If the 2018 budget fails to adequately address the concerns and priorities of residents, councillors up for re-election may hear about it on the doorsteps of their constituents, said Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Leiper. “I think this budget is going to highlight the limitations of that two-per-cent increase,” he said. “If the budget doesn’t meet residents’ expectation, they may raise it in the 2018 campaign.”

Watson would be breaking a big promise if the budget included anything above a two-per-cent tax increase, which has been a hallmark of his terms as mayor — even as some city councillors continue to suggest more tax revenue might allow the city to provide more and better service to residents.

“I can’t see the mayor going above,” said Cumberland Coun. Stephen Blais.

Increases to transit fares and the water rate have already been determined. Water and sewer rates are projected to rise 5.5 per cent next year, with annual increases in that ballpark expected until at least 2027. Meanwhile, transit fares and the transit levy are both expected to increase by 2.5 per cent in 2018.

In May, city council added $2.5 million to its road-resurfacing budget and an additional $400,000 for pothole repair.

Now some councillors hope the additional funds will become part of the public works department’s base budget.

“It has to become part of the base budget and it has to be bolstered,” said Leiper, quickly naming several roads in his ward he says are in rough shape.

“We’ve heard loud and clear from the public they want us to do better when it comes to road construction and road maintenance, and that will be reflected in the budget,” Watson said.

Even though the budget exceeds $3 billion, most of those dollars are spoken for. Only about $20 million in spending can really be influenced by councillors, says Leiper, based on his discussions with senior city officials.

So the question is how the city prioritizes what the money will be spent on and what councillors have put on their wish lists for consideration by Watson and city manager Steve Kanellakos.

“They’ll be able to meet some of these demands and others they won’t within that two-per-cent tax increase,” he said.

He and his fellow downtown councillors — including Somerset’s Catherine McKenney, Capital’s David Chernushenko, Rideau-Vanier’s Mathieu Fleury and Rideau-Rockcliffe’s Tobi Nussbaum — raised some common priorities.

They included “bolstered” spending for climate changerelated initiatives, a $500,000 addition to the social services budget to support fledgling programs not currently receiving city funding, and money to improve sidewalk plowing.

As for arts and culture funding, Leiper said, “We’re not going to see a large increase in operational funding for arts groups.”

However, he’s “encouraged” some “modest spending” could materialize to support the development of the city’s music strategy — which Leiper has cheerleaded.

Gloucester-Southgate Coun. Diane Deans will be looking for how the parks, recreation and culture department plans to cover the approximately $1.6 million it needs for provincially mandated minimum wage hike.

In initial talks with department officials, Deans said she was told some user fees might climb as high as six per cent — a move she resisted.