Tax increase concerns south end residents
Posted Jan 29, 2010 By Sheena Bolton
Email
Print
Tweet ThisEMC News - Many Gloucester-Southgate ward residents voiced their concerns about an increase to their 2010 taxes at a recent budget consultation.
Approximately 25 residents came out to last Tuesday's meeting, with some expressing their worry of a tax increase of at least 2%, which could potentially be 3.9% or higher, and asking for additional information.
"I've been retired for a few years now so I live on a pension and I can assure you that my pension has not increased anywhere near 3.9% and I don't know if it ever will," said area resident Bill Murphy.
"I can see where, in a not too far year, I will have to sell (my house) and move out of Ottawa because I can't afford to live here."
Another resident questioned the proposed 2.5% staff compensation increase, and asked for the rationale behind this proposal.
"Part of the answer is some of the increases have been imposed on us by provincial standards. For example, with firefighters we are required to pay retention pay, even though we don't have a retention problem with our fire department, so that really artificially inflates our overall wages," explained Gloucester-Southgate Coun. Diane Deans.
"Retention pay is for places like Toronto (where there) are problems keeping people in the police force and the fire department and so retention pay is intended to add a financial incentive for those people to stay. But what happened (is the provincial government) imposed it in all other forces across the province."
Nancy Schepers, deputy city manager, also explained a lot of the increases cannot be avoided because they have come through collective agreements, made through negotiated settlements or arbitration.
Many residents voiced their concerns about the rising cost of municipal projects.
"I don't think anyone here is inspired to have a lot of confidence with anyone at City Hall," said local resident Tim Rivers. "Whether it's recycling or the bus garage, the price just keeps going up."
Transit was another issue residents expressed concern for during the meeting. Presently, the Gloucester-Southgate ward has the potential for four bus routes to be changed.
Pat Scrimgeour, of the city's transit services department, explained that if all the potential changes were accepted, only part of the Hawthorne Business Park would lose bus service.
The possible changes include the combination of routes 143 and 43 to offer feeder service into the Greenboro Station.
When asked by a resident if she would support retaining Crime Prevention Ottawa (CPO), Coun. Deans said that if the organization lowered its cost from $500,000 she would consider offering her support.
"I agree CPO has been providing services, mostly to the Vanier community ... they also had about $200,000 they were using to provide grants in the community and I don't really personally think that grants are CPO's job," said Coun. Deans.
Debate on the budget gets underway this week.
For more information on the 2010 budget, visit www.ottawa.ca/budget2010.
