CITY BUDGETS MATTER
Women Contributing to Good City Budgets
Women in communities around the globe are taking a look at the budgets of their governments and calling for changes that will better meet the needs of women, their families and communities.
Why now?
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.
Why the budget?
The budget is not just about dollars and cents. It’s about our quality of life and our communities.
Ottawa’s city budget is a blueprint for how our property tax dollars will be spent. It spells out the priorities for the municipal services and programs that we have come to depend on each and every day.
Think about it. The water we use each morning, the bus we take, the park where we picnic, the after-school programs our kids attend, the paramedics who respond to an emergency in our neighbourhood, the local public library we visit, the public health nurse who visits, the community centre where we attend a public meeting — these are all services provided by our city budget.
Planning a City Budget - Just like at home
A city budget is like a household budget. We have to take a look at our needs, the amount of income we have, any savings put away and then decide what is possible.
A budget is made up of four parts:
- Operating Budget - This is like your monthly bills: rent/mortgage, heating, water, electricity, clothing, laundry, food, child care, medicines, car repairs – you name it!
For the city, it’s the day-to-day operations, including programs and services such as administration, policing, public health, recycling and recreation.
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Capital Budget – This is like the money you need to pay for repairs on your home, replace a car, a broken alarm clock or mend a broken fence. If you buy a home, it’s the down payment on the mortgage.
For the city, it includes the City's costs for buildings, vehicles, roads, sewer, bridges, community centres and parks.
- Revenue - This is like the total income of your household.
For the city, it includes taxes, federal funds and fees charged to use services.
- Reserve Funds – This is like your savings, pension, retirement fund, RRSP’s, if you are fortunate enough to have some. The money to fall back on when you need it.
For the city, it is their cushion to deal with unexpected expenses.
Each year, the City goes through a budget process to determine how much it will need to spend on a daily basis (operating budget), how much to repair or purchase buildings roads severs (capital budget), and how much money it has to do these things.
Words for understanding Our City’s Budget (pdf - word)
Where Government’s Get Their Money (pdf - word)
Click here to find the 2008 City Budget
