Weekly newsletter: December 17, 2024
Hi everyone!
It’s the last newsletter of 2024. The end of the year is nigh!
Strandherd/Beatrice traffic signals
Protected left signals installed and now active
Crews installed new protected left signals at Strandherd/Beatrice yesterday, which were activated shortly afterwards (there was a short hiccup last night, but that’s been fixed).
Along with the new protected left signal at Strandherd/Riocan, that rounds out the traffic signal changes in Barrhaven East this year.
Both intersections exceeded the MTO-prescribed criteria to warrant signals, particularly the reported collision data. At both intersections, collisions since 2018 disproportionately involved left-turning vehicles, and pedestrians.
At Strandherd/Beatrice, the new signals will also help residents south of Strandherd who have shared concerns about accessing their community over the last two years.
Of course, these new signals highlight many concerns I’ve also received about Strandherd/Greenbank and Greenbank/Highbury Park over the last two years.
While Strandherd/Greenbank also exceeds the required criteria, intersection modifications are required to ensure traffic waiting for the left-turning light doesn’t impact traffic travelling straight on Strandherd, especially eastbound.
Greenbank/Highbury Park continues to fall short of the criteria. Changes to the attendance area for St. Mother Teresa did not affect the results.
While processes that strictly rely on data are objective, it does factor out non-data considerations like close calls, which are not recorded as collisions. I will be engaging with staff in the new year, to see how we can (and if we can) improve the process in any way.
2025 budget approved
Proposed transit fare increases for seniors, youths, and U-Pass partially walked back. Property tax increase at 3.9 per cent.
At its final meeting of 2024 last week, City Council passed and approved the 2025 budget.
Property tax bills will increase by 3.9 per cent next year, driven mostly by the eight per cent increase to the transit levy (it’s a 2.9 per cent increase with the transit levy factored out — more on transit later).
One of the more noticeable changes in next year’s tax bill will be the way households pay for solid waste services, which includes curbside waste collection. Currently, households pay for solid waste services in two portions, a $145 flat fee, and a levy portion, based on assessed value ($56 for a property assessed at $400,000).
The two fees will be combined into one flat fee of $243, which also incorporates an overall increase to the fee for solid waste services. The fee for multi-residential households will increase to $167.
The levy portion of the solid waste fee was combined with a flat fee, as every household receives the same amount of service regardless of its assessed value.
Recreation user fees will increase between 2.5 and 3.0 per cent, depending on the service.
As for transit, residents may recall an initial proposal to scrap youth bus passes, eliminate free fares for 11 and 12-year-olds, and increase the seniors’ bus pass by 120 per cent.
After an initial downward revision of the increase to the seniors’ bus pass to 60.2 per cent was approved by Transit Commission in late-November, the increase to the seniors’ bus pass was further revised downward to an increase of about $10, to match the cost of the EquiPass (low-income pass).
Additionally, the decision to eliminate the youth bus pass was delayed until at least September 1, 2025 (with an interim increase to $104). However, free fares for 11 and 12-year-olds will still be eliminated.
As the new rates were approved by Council, that means seniors bus passes will increase from $49 to $58.25, effective February 1, 2025, and youth passes increase from $99.25 to $104, effective January 1, 2025.
The cost of a U-Pass will remain unchanged until the next school year pending discussions with the student unions.
All other fare increases will remain the same, around five per cent, and be effective January 1, 2025.
That is all on top of an eight per cent increase to the transit levy.
In the end, I still voted against the transit portion of the budget. There is still a $36 million “placeholder” for federal and provincial funding, neither of which have been confirmed. Although the Mayor and City staff have expressed confidence the province and feds will come through, it’s still a gap that makes me uneasy.
The process which led to the initial fare increase proposals was also problematic and opaque. Comprised of the Mayor and three Councillors, those initial proposals were not presented until after the draft budget was tabled.
Additionally, from the public pushback to the concerns raised by the student unions, it seems research was insufficient to ensure the proposals were rock solid. Consequently, the proposals had to be walked back, which meant there was a budgetary impact elsewhere in the transit budget.
Whether it was a tactic to upsize a moderate fare increase into a win, or to use the issue as a public wedge, it’s difficult to imagine a world where the working group was ignorant to the controversy, and public outcry the initial fare increase proposals would stir.
Honestly, it’s disrespectful to the 21 Councillors that are not on the working group, as well as the residents we represent.
Orléans East-Cumberland Councillor Matt Luloff summarised my feelings the best during his closing comments before the budget vote:
"Staff know when something they are proposing is controversial. Have the respect for us and those we represent to work with us over the months leading up to the draft budget and not just during the four weeks after it’s presented. We are here to guide decisions, not act as a rubber stamp, and we should not merely be a last line of defence when bad ideas make their way to a public document. "
Summary of the cost of the most common fare types effective January 1, 2025:
Adult single fare: $4.00/$4.05 (Presto/cash)
Adult monthly pass: $135
Senior single fare: $3.20
Senior monthly pass: $58.25 (effective February 1, 2025)
Youth (11 and 12 years old) single fare: $2.00
Youth monthly pass: $104
Children (up to 10 years old): free
U-Pass: unchanged, pending negotiations
Vacant Unit Tax
Declaration form now active.
Homeowners can now complete their 2025 Vacant Unit Tax (VUT) declarations.
The easiest way to complete a declaration is through a ServiceOttawa↗ online account, through the aptly named “Property Tax and Vacant Unit Tax” box. Once there, click “view” for each registered property, then the “Vacant Unit Tax” tab to complete the declaration.
The form has been further simplified this year following feedback from the last two years. For residents who own multiple residential properties, please remember to complete the declaration for each property owned.
Homeowners without a ServiceOttawa online account may complete their declarations through an online form↗ on the City’s website using their property tax roll number, and the access code located at the top right corner of last year’s final property tax bill.
As the Canada Post strike is supposed to end today (December 17, 2024), mailers will be distributed to households across the City as planned in early January. The mailer includes a VUT declaration reminder and the access code for each property.
Homeowners may also complete their declarations by calling the City’s revenue branch at 613-580-2444, or by visiting a client service centre, such as the one at Ben Franklin Place or at City Hall.
I’m still opposed to the VUT overall, as it uses taxation as a punitive tool rather than the social good/wealth distribution it’s meant for.
I was part of an unsuccessful effort to scrap the VUT in August 2023, a result which I have accepted. However, making the policy better and fairer is an ongoing task.
Last month, I moved a motion at a Committee meeting, to direct staff to review all appeals submitted since the programme began, (two years of declarations, 2023 and 2024), and retroactively accept them if they meet the new exemptions.
Retroactively accepted appeals would be credited the amount in VUT paid towards future property tax bills, minus a cost recovery fee, paid out of the proceeds of this year’s VUT revenue.
My rationale behind the unconventional proposal was the substantial changes proposed highlights the nascency and the need for the programme to be improved, which means we weren’t being completely fair with our residents.
The VUT cast a huge net that caught a lot of homeowners who had all sorts of life situations that did not produce the same type of documentation, (eg. permits) required by the existing exemptions.
I proposed such a motion only because the programme is so new. The substantial changes proposed highlighted the inadequacy of the VUT as originally passed. Had the changes been introduced after five or 10 years of VUT, I would not have moved such a motion.
While the changes and new exemptions proposed this year improves the VUT, the aim of my motion was to show some fairness to our City’s homeowners.
My motion did not receive majority support at Committee. Ultimately, I voted against the VUT, but it received majority support at Committee.
Click here↗ to learn more about the changes to the VUT approved by Committee and Council.
2024, what a year!
A brief reflection, with gratitude for your indulgence.
With the end of every year, people get cheesy, look back at the highs and lows, and reflect on lessons learned. So, I’m going to do just that.
It was a weird year.
2024 started off really quiet — almost too quiet — which then gave way to an unrelentingly busy summer and autumn.
Through issues like the Vacant Unit Tax, leaking garbage trucks, transit funding, and especially the sprung structure, I got to see an engaged community that cares. I also got to see the many different approaches residents have in how they care. I’m grateful for the emails, phone calls, and face-to-face conversations about different topics.
I also reminded myself how much I missed door knocking and chatting with residents that way, something I intend to continue in the new year.
This year, I also learned what it’s like to have pneumonia for three weeks in the middle of budget season.
2025 will be a heavy year. Major citywide items to be considered by Council next year include governance, the new Zoning By-law, Transportation Master Plan, and the final decision on Lansdowne, among others.
Locally, the Trillium Line will finally open on January 6, the sortation facility might begin construction, while more development proposals in line with the Official Plan are expected at the future “downtown” and near Longfields Station.
There are also possible provincial and federal elections just to add to the excitement.
I have given my staff the Christmas and New Year’s weeks off, but the email inbox and voicemail will continue to be monitored occasionally. Please direct issues requiring immediate attention to 3-1-1.
Unless there is an emergency during the holidays (knock on wood, oh my gosh), my office will resume a normal level of operations on January 6. Lastly, the newsletter will not be published during the holidays, so the next issue will be on January 7!
Anyway, I hope you have a safe and restful Christmas holiday season. I know I can use the rest, and I hope you get to rest, too.
-Wilson