WOMEN'S EYES ON THE BUDGET

Women Contributing to Good City Budgets

In recent years, responsibilities are being passed down to municipal governments without adequate resources, so services are being cut. This is having a particular impact on women.

We take on more work as family caregivers and community volunteers. We see erosion in our standard of living, as it is largely women who work in these “caring” professions. We find it more difficult to access services to meet the needs of our families. Gains women have made in addressing issues of violence against women, and accessing high quality child care childcare are all threatened.

Women living in poverty, women with disabilities, women of colour, immigrant and refugee women feel these changes most. Our ideas and experiences need to be heard, and we thus need to have Women’s Eyes on the Budget (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008).

Women’s Eyes on Draft Budget 2008 (pdf - word)

Women’s Eyes on the Draft City Budget 2009

To make up for a $35 million shortfall, the City Draft Budget proposes increasing user fees, raising bus fares, cutting city programs, reducing city jobs, reducing funding for community agencies and raising taxes by 5%. This would mean the broadest, deepest cut in services in the history of Ottawa.

Why is there a funding shortfall?

Inflation raises the cost of City services each year.
Property taxes have not raised to cover this inflation.
The city planned on new money for public health and other services from the provincial government that will not be available in the 2009 budget. A recent report revealed the province will be providing funds for welfare and court security, but very slowly over the next 10 years.

While the City waits for the province to upload costs, the draft city budget proposes to “download” the delivery of services onto community organizations, our families and our communities.

What is in the Budget?

Cut funding to childcare and public health
The City proposes cutting its contribution to programs for which it shares funding responsibility with the province. This would result in the loss of 700 subsidized child care spaces and cutting public health programs for school based nutrition and nursing for long term care facilities.

Concern: Without access to subsidized childcare spaces, single mothers or working families who are living at or below the poverty level would be less likely to find or keep jobs. This could lead to more residents relying on welfare.
Concern: Children and elderly will not receive the public health care they need.

Elimination / service reductions on bus routes
Service reductions would begin in April 2009. Residents would experience increased walking distance to the nearest bus stop, affecting 4.9 million customer-trips each year. Residents would also have longer waiting time during peak periods in certain parts of the City. There would be a decrease in evening and weekend service in some areas and elimination entirely in other parts of the City.
The following routes would have reduced service: 5, 6, 16, 18, 23, 25, 43, 51, 55, 87, 97, 101, 102, 105, 116, 117, 127, 128, 131, 136, 137, 141, 142, 146, 147, 149, 151, 152, 153, 154, 156, 165, 166, 167, 169, 171, 173, 174, 178, 181, 193, 306.
The following routes would be eliminated entirely: 23, 25, 43, 51, 55, 102, 117, 153, 167, 169, 181, 193, and 306. (See attached details of services that will be removed.)

Concern: Longer waits and longer walks could place women in more unsafe situations. Service reductions would remove transit as a travel choice for some residents, especially immigrant and others working irregular shifts, who may depend on these routes as their only transportation.

OC Transpo fares increase
There will be a 7.5% increase in bus ticket in January; this raise was not to take place until July. The revenue from this extra six months will go to subsidize the cost of bus passes.

Concern: Those on low income who are more likely to use bus tickets will be subsidizing those with steady jobs, who are most likely to buy a buss pass.
Students over 24 will no longer qualify for student passes.

Concern: Many new Canadians and low-income residents going back to school at a later age would find transit fare unaffordable.

Increased sports/recreation fees and other city-run programs
Recreation rental fees would go up by 51%.

Concern: Smaller organizations without financial cushion to cover higher costs for city facilities will have a hard time providing services. Plus, youth would have less access to recreation activities as many families could not afford the costs.

Substantial cuts to arts and culture
Funding for festivals, cultural events and individual artists would be scrapped entirely; while funding for arts and heritage would drop by 42%.

Concern: Quality of life in our City would be affected and income generated from Arts would be lost.

Reduce funding to city-funded community agencies
Funds to assist 107 organizations to meet rising costs, would be deferred (not provided in this year’s budget).

Concern: At a time when community agencies are asked to do more, they have no new funds to pay program costs.

Reduce social housing spending
Cap rent supplement programs at 2008 funding levels.

Concern: This capping would reduce the total number of rent supplements available and therefore reduce the number of units that are subsidized.

Jobs cuts
230 staff positions would be eliminated, which come on top of 100 staff cuts made in 2008.

Concern: Quality of service could be affected.

Possible Alternatives To Cuts

Set a Social Services Levy (special tax) to cover inflationary increases in human services. The city has a capital levy for roads and bridges. Why not set a levy for the social services?
Do not approve increases in police budget
Ottawa Police presented a budget with 5% increase, which raises property taxes 1%. However crime rates are decreasing and Ottawa is one of the safest cities in Canada. Investing in social programs would help keep crime rates down rather than increasing police staff.
Raise property taxes above 5%
The draft budget proposes a 4.9% increase. As 1% of this increase is to cover the increase in the police budget and 1.9% is allocated to build new capital items (roads, buildings), that leaves only a 2% tax increase to cover city programs. Given that the inflation rate for the things a city purchases is closer to 4%, there must be a tax increase of at least 7% to keep up with rate of inflation.

What We Can Do: Make Our Views Known

Attend a ward consultation (Nov 5 - 28)
See Sample Questions below.
Make a 5-minute presentation and share your thoughts at Council, Dec 1 – 2
Attend Budget approbation sessions during City Council meetings, Dec 3 – 5
Write a letter, e-mail or call your City Councillor or the Mayor (remember you can leave a message)
Write a letter to the editor of local papers
Submit your views on the city web-site
Call 311 (special budget line)
Look for details on city web-site: www.ottawa.ca

Details of services that would be removed

Route 5 - Service removed east of Rideau Centre Saturday mornings and evenings and all day Sunday
Route 6 - Service removed Monday-Friday midday
Route 16 - Service removed west of Rideau Centre Monday-Friday midday and evenings, all day Saturday and Sunday
Route 18 - Service removed west of Rideau Centre Monday-Friday evenings, Saturday mornings and evenings, all day Sunday
Route 23 - Service removed entirely
Route 25 - Service removed entirely
Route 43 - Service removed entirely
Route 51 - Service removed entirely
Route 55 - Service removed entirely
Route 87 - Service removed west of Hurdman Station, Monday-Friday evenings, Saturday mornings and evenings, and Sunday all day
Route 97 - Service removed on Woodridge Crescent
Route 101 - Service removed east of Queensway Station Monday-Friday in midday and evening, Saturday all day
Route 102 - Service removed entirely
Route 105 - Service removed west of LeBreton Station (removes direct connection from O-Train to Gatineau and Gatineau to Tunney's Pasture)
Route 116 - Service removed Baseline to Nortel Monday-Friday in peak periods
Route 117 - Service removed entirely
Route 127 - Service removed east of Blair Station Monday-Friday midday, all day Saturday
Route 127 - Service removed west of Blair Station Saturday and Sunday mornings
Route 128 - Service removed Monday-Friday evenings and all day Saturday and Sunday
Route 131 - Service removed Monday-Friday evenings, all day Saturday and Sunday
Route 136 - Service removed Monday-Friday evenings, Saturday and Sunday all day
Route 137 - Service removed Monday-Saturday evenings, Saturday mornings and all day Sunday
Route 141 - Service removed Monday-Friday midday and all day Saturday
Route 142 - Service removed Monday-Friday evening, all day Saturday and Sunday
Route 146 - Service removed Saturday morning and evening, and all day Sunday
Route 147 - Service removed Monday-Friday evenings and Sunday mornings
Route 149 - Service removed Monday-Friday midday and evening, Saturday and Sunday all day
Route 151 - Service removed from Westboro Stn to Tunney's Pasture Stn Monday to Friday midday and evening and all day Saturday and Sunday
Route 151 - Service removed from Lincoln Fields Stn to Carlingwood at all times

Route 151 - Service removed from Baseline Rd to Westboro Stn Sunday evenings (would run only Lincoln Fields-Baseline/Clyde)
Route 152 - Service removed Monday-Saturday evening, Sunday morning and evening
Route 153 - Service removed entirely
Route 154 - Service removed Monday-Friday midday and evening, and all day Saturday and Sunday
Route 156 - Service removed from Meadowlands/Chesterton to Lincoln Fields Stn via Carlingwood Monday-Friday evening (would run only Meadowlands/Chesterton to Lincoln Fields Stn via Woodfield/Baseline Stn)
Route 156 - Service removed from Woodfield/Merivale to Lincoln Fields Stn via Chesterton/Carlingwood Saturday mornings and evenings and Sunday all day (at those times, would run only Woodfield/Merivale to Lincoln Fields Stn via Woodfield/Baseline Stn)
Route 165 - Service removed Monday-Friday midday
Route 166 - Service removed Monday-Saturday evenings, Sunday all day
Route 167 - Service removed entirely
Route 169 - Service removed entirely
Route 171 - Service removed Monday-Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday all day
Route 173 - Service removed Monday-Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday all day
Route 174 - Service removed Monday-Saturday evenings, Sunday all day
Route 178 - Service removed Monday-Friday in midday and evening, Saturday all day
Route 181 - Service removed entirely
Route 193 - Service removed entirely
Route 306 - Service removed entirely