WHAT IT WILL COST YOU

The city’s proposed budget for the next year would force taxpayers to dig a little deeper in their wallets than in 2019, but don’t expect major sticker shock.

If the draft budget is adopted as currently proposed, urban property taxes will go up three per cent in 2020.

That looks like $109 more for the average urban homeowner. Broken down by service, that’s $18 more for policing, $42 more for transit, and $49 more for other citywide services.

For the average rural property owner, their tax bill would go up $77 — a 2.5-percent increase. For commercial property owners, the jump would be three per cent, $229 on average.

Anyone with property connected to city water and sewer services can expect to pay an additional three per cent for drinking water and 4.6 per cent for waste water. For the average urban water bill, that looks like $10 and $14 more, respectively.

Every Ottawa landowner is on the hook for a stormwater management fee, which would go up 9.6 per cent in 2020 — a $13 increase for the average urban taxpayer, and $6 for the average rural taxpayer.

On New Year’s Day, transit fares are slated to go up an average of 2.5 per cent. That works out to about $3 more for an adult monthly pass, and five cents more for an adult single fare.

Residents can also bank on small increases to some of the fees they pay for city programs and resources.

Council is scheduled to vote to adopt the budget on Dec. 11.

Taylor Blewett