Mayor Jim Watson looking at increasing taxes between 2% to 3%, if re-elected
Posted Oct 14, 2018 06:45:00 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Mayor Jim Watson has released his tax plan if he's re-elected.
The incumbent mayor would set a tax goal of between 2 and 3 per cent annually throughout the next term of council.
Watson says the increase reflects the need to bring improvements to roads and infrastructure throughout the City, a concern he's heard from residents.
“This is a recognition that we need to speed up that renewal because we've had a couple of really bad winters and the condition of the roads is something people talk to me about all the time.”
An tax increase of 2 to 3 percent could generate an additional $10.3 million compared to 2018, and Watson doesn't believe a chunk of that will be lost to Ottawa's current 3.2 per cent inflation rate.
“We've done all the number crunching and we believe this allows us to accomplish a couple of things,” Watson Said. “Continue to bring predictability to the tax system in Ottawa, number one, and secondly invest in those areas where we've fallen short.”
The additional funds would increase the City's annual investment in infrastructure and roads from $128.9 million in 2018 to $136.9 million in 2019.
