annyInRain
资深人士
- 注册
- 2002-10-09
- 消息
- 996
- 荣誉分数
- 293
- 声望点数
- 223
看来，明年的地税要高的吓死人了。
地税涨，房租也不得不涨，租房的人也跟着受影响。
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/C...on+transit+workers+pension/2250278/story.html
The City of Ottawa's bad budget news got worse Friday afternoon, when city councillors were told that an $8.1-million special contribution to the transit workers' pension fund next year must actually be $14.8 million.
Treasurer Marian Simulik said the city was told Thursday by its pension advisers that a planned 10-year strategy to make up for a shortfall in the transit workers' pension must be shortened to five years. The fund had investment losses of about $80 million last year.
The pension shortfall is one of the reasons why the city's transit operations are looking at a 16-per-cent increase in spending for next year.
Simulik warned councillors that the city has no choice but to make up the shortfall.
"You're stuck with it," Simulik told councillors, though she said the situation could improve for 2011 if markets perform well.
The treasurer was addressing a city council committee meeting that was hearing about various city department budgets. The city is facing an increase of property taxes and user fees of 9.6 per cent unless cuts are made.
Friday was the first day that various committee budgets were before the new audit, budget and finance committee, which is supposed to bring some financial sense to the whole process and bring budget demands to heel.
But there was no pulling back by the heads of committees. When Mayor Larry O'Brien suggested that Councillor Alex Cullen, chairman of the transit committee, head back to his committee to find some things to cut from a proposed 16-per-cent increase in its budget, Cullen would have none of it. He asked why other committees weren't asked to do the same.
Simulik assured councillors in her morning briefing that the city was generally in good financial shape. She said the city's overall debt level is quite manageable.
But the city is going into further debt with next year's budget. For instance, the $36.7-million lawsuit settlement the city has paid to the Siemens-led consortium of companies that sued the city over the cancelled north-south commuter-rail project will be placed in the city's capital budget under borrowed funds.
The city no longer has any reserve account for road maintenance if this is a bad winter. At the end of next year, the city's reserves will only be $21 million, not much for an organization with a $2.5-billion budget.
O'Brien, who was elected on a promise of tax freezes, isn't gunning for them any longer. But he is hopping to cut the increase down. He and other councillors will talk about strategies for getting a more acceptable budget figure over the next few days, then debate the motions next Friday.
"I am comfortable that we're heading in the right direction and the city is in very, very solid shape and we have a budget process that's going to make sure citizens can feel confident that we've pulled out every technique in the book," O'Brien told reporters. "This city is in very solid financial shape and we're never going to be in a position where we can't afford snow removal."
Councillor Diane Deans, chairwoman of city council's community and protective services committee, joked that "I guess we're all going to have to do a sun dance this year" to keep the winter weather good. She said the increase would inevitably be whittled down.
Peter Hume, chairman of the planning and environment committee, said he was concerned about the amount of funding that will be committed to "rehabilitating the assets that we already own" and investments in road, water and sewer infrastructure. Still, Hume said he believes he can find $2.8 million in savings in the planning and environment operations.
Councillor Eli El-Chantiry, chairman of the Ottawa Police Services Board, said he will work on some measures to reduce the tax increase, including adding parking-fine collectors and trying to shave some spending. The police budget has not yet been presented, but Chief Vern White has said the force will request a 5.6-per-cent increase, which would add just under one per cent to the overall property-tax bill.
Councillor Maria McRae, whose transportation operations have managed to make the most savings on budgets this year, said she believes some delayed programs can bring the increase to below four per cent.
"We need to make significant reductions to this budget to find 13 councillors that will vote for it. I'd like to see us get down below four per cent, if that's possible," she said.
Cullen said he expects green bins, a transit fare increase, a university transit pass and the hiring of 63 additional paramedics will be the major issues debated. He said he expects the year's transit fare increase, which the committee knocked down to about 3.5 per cent, will be reinstated to a planned 7.5-per-cent increase.
The 2010 budget includes $635 million in capital spending, including a lot on roads and transit tied to the federal-provincial stimulus program.
- - -
Where the Money Will Go
Dollar amounts are not for total spending, but rather simply for the portion levied from property taxes for operating budgets:
Public transit
16-per-cent increase
Change over 2009: $26.9M
Community and protective services
1.2-per-cent increase*
Change over 2009: $5.7M
*the city's largest department benefits in the 2010 budget from the provincial government taking responsibility for the Ontario Disability Support Program, which saves at least $13.1M.
Information Technology
6.8-per-cent increase
Change from 2009: $2.7M
Transportation
3.5-per-cent increase
Change over 2009: $4.3M
Corporate services
3.3-per-cent increase
Change over 2009: $2.8M
Planning and environment
This department's budget is being broken up this year, with a proposed switch of the charges for recycling and the new green-bin program from the tax base to the annual solid waste invoice attached to the June property-tax bill.
The tax-supported budget goes down, but fees for recycling, green bin and regular garbage collection amount to $195 for most homes, instead of $86. Those fees are the tax equivalent of a 2.5-per-cent increase.
Together with a 1.8-per-cent levy for fixing infrastructure, the addition of police and library budgets, the total currently planned increase is 9.6 per cent. Additional increases are likely in January for water and sewer works.
地税涨，房租也不得不涨，租房的人也跟着受影响。
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/C...on+transit+workers+pension/2250278/story.html
The City of Ottawa's bad budget news got worse Friday afternoon, when city councillors were told that an $8.1-million special contribution to the transit workers' pension fund next year must actually be $14.8 million.
Treasurer Marian Simulik said the city was told Thursday by its pension advisers that a planned 10-year strategy to make up for a shortfall in the transit workers' pension must be shortened to five years. The fund had investment losses of about $80 million last year.
The pension shortfall is one of the reasons why the city's transit operations are looking at a 16-per-cent increase in spending for next year.
Simulik warned councillors that the city has no choice but to make up the shortfall.
"You're stuck with it," Simulik told councillors, though she said the situation could improve for 2011 if markets perform well.
The treasurer was addressing a city council committee meeting that was hearing about various city department budgets. The city is facing an increase of property taxes and user fees of 9.6 per cent unless cuts are made.
Friday was the first day that various committee budgets were before the new audit, budget and finance committee, which is supposed to bring some financial sense to the whole process and bring budget demands to heel.
But there was no pulling back by the heads of committees. When Mayor Larry O'Brien suggested that Councillor Alex Cullen, chairman of the transit committee, head back to his committee to find some things to cut from a proposed 16-per-cent increase in its budget, Cullen would have none of it. He asked why other committees weren't asked to do the same.
Simulik assured councillors in her morning briefing that the city was generally in good financial shape. She said the city's overall debt level is quite manageable.
But the city is going into further debt with next year's budget. For instance, the $36.7-million lawsuit settlement the city has paid to the Siemens-led consortium of companies that sued the city over the cancelled north-south commuter-rail project will be placed in the city's capital budget under borrowed funds.
The city no longer has any reserve account for road maintenance if this is a bad winter. At the end of next year, the city's reserves will only be $21 million, not much for an organization with a $2.5-billion budget.
O'Brien, who was elected on a promise of tax freezes, isn't gunning for them any longer. But he is hopping to cut the increase down. He and other councillors will talk about strategies for getting a more acceptable budget figure over the next few days, then debate the motions next Friday.
"I am comfortable that we're heading in the right direction and the city is in very, very solid shape and we have a budget process that's going to make sure citizens can feel confident that we've pulled out every technique in the book," O'Brien told reporters. "This city is in very solid financial shape and we're never going to be in a position where we can't afford snow removal."
Councillor Diane Deans, chairwoman of city council's community and protective services committee, joked that "I guess we're all going to have to do a sun dance this year" to keep the winter weather good. She said the increase would inevitably be whittled down.
Peter Hume, chairman of the planning and environment committee, said he was concerned about the amount of funding that will be committed to "rehabilitating the assets that we already own" and investments in road, water and sewer infrastructure. Still, Hume said he believes he can find $2.8 million in savings in the planning and environment operations.
Councillor Eli El-Chantiry, chairman of the Ottawa Police Services Board, said he will work on some measures to reduce the tax increase, including adding parking-fine collectors and trying to shave some spending. The police budget has not yet been presented, but Chief Vern White has said the force will request a 5.6-per-cent increase, which would add just under one per cent to the overall property-tax bill.
Councillor Maria McRae, whose transportation operations have managed to make the most savings on budgets this year, said she believes some delayed programs can bring the increase to below four per cent.
"We need to make significant reductions to this budget to find 13 councillors that will vote for it. I'd like to see us get down below four per cent, if that's possible," she said.
Cullen said he expects green bins, a transit fare increase, a university transit pass and the hiring of 63 additional paramedics will be the major issues debated. He said he expects the year's transit fare increase, which the committee knocked down to about 3.5 per cent, will be reinstated to a planned 7.5-per-cent increase.
The 2010 budget includes $635 million in capital spending, including a lot on roads and transit tied to the federal-provincial stimulus program.
- - -
Where the Money Will Go
Dollar amounts are not for total spending, but rather simply for the portion levied from property taxes for operating budgets:
Public transit
16-per-cent increase
Change over 2009: $26.9M
Community and protective services
1.2-per-cent increase*
Change over 2009: $5.7M
*the city's largest department benefits in the 2010 budget from the provincial government taking responsibility for the Ontario Disability Support Program, which saves at least $13.1M.
Information Technology
6.8-per-cent increase
Change from 2009: $2.7M
Transportation
3.5-per-cent increase
Change over 2009: $4.3M
Corporate services
3.3-per-cent increase
Change over 2009: $2.8M
Planning and environment
This department's budget is being broken up this year, with a proposed switch of the charges for recycling and the new green-bin program from the tax base to the annual solid waste invoice attached to the June property-tax bill.
The tax-supported budget goes down, but fees for recycling, green bin and regular garbage collection amount to $195 for most homes, instead of $86. Those fees are the tax equivalent of a 2.5-per-cent increase.
Together with a 1.8-per-cent levy for fixing infrastructure, the addition of police and library budgets, the total currently planned increase is 9.6 per cent. Additional increases are likely in January for water and sewer works.
