PROVINCIAL BUDGET FAILS TO DEAL WITH DOWNLOADING

While the provincial government has recognized that downloading is a problem, there was nothing in the 2008 provincial budget to fix the problem. All we got was a promise to continue studying the problem and take a first step towards fixing it next year.

Funding part of the cost of social housing, public health and social assistance added $670 to the average Ottawa tax bill in 2007. And these are just three areas where costs have been downloaded. Since 1995, other costs have been downloaded include maintaining many provincial highways, transit funding, and security in provincial courthouses.

Even where the province has started to reserve downloading, support comes nowhere near matching what was cut. This year, it is expected that Ottawa’s share of provincial gas tax revenues for transit will be just under $36 million.

That sounds good until you compare it to what City’s received prior to 1996. Under the formula in place, the province covered up to 17.5% of operating costs and 75% of capital costs. For Ottawa, that would have meant $55 million just for operating costs in 2008. With the expansion of rapid transit needed in Ottawa, the impact of 75% funding for capital costs would be huge.

DOWNLOADING RESTRICTS ABILITY OF CITY TO DEAL WITH INFRASTRUCTURE PROBLEMS

Snow received the blame for the budget gap that council had to close last week, but over the long term downloading is a much bigger problem. 

As council went through the final stages of approving the 2008 budget one of the most heated debates was over whether infrastructure funds from the province should be used to deal with the backlog in repairs to roads and city facilities or whether it should be used to close the budget gap for 2008. Because of problems with potholes on roads and the cost of leaky buildings, I opposed diverting infrastructure funds. However, without downloading, it is unlikely that diverting funds for infrastructure would even have been considered.

COFFEE WITH PEGGY

Coffee with Peggy will be on Friday April 4 between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. in the Food Court at Hazeldean Mall. If you have issues or problems you want to discuss informally, please don’t hesitate to stop by.

A.Y. JACKSON STUDENTS RAISE MONEY FOR SCHOOL IN KENYA

On Thursday April 10, from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., A.Y. Jackson Secondary School will be hosting a Kindness for Kenya Dinner to raise money to help sponsor students at Lwak Girls High School in Western Kenya. The school is in an area of Kenya where poverty and HIV/AIDS are a problem and that was recently affected by post-election violence. Sponsorships help cover the $500/year cost to attend secondary school. Tickets are $25 and can be ordered by calling the school at 613-836-2527.

WORKING FULL-TIME FOR KANATA SOUTH

I appreciate the chance to hear from you about issues affecting our community. You can reach me at 580-2752 (office), 580-2762 (fax), www.feltmateforkanata.com or peggy.feltmate@ottawa.ca