We lost at the Transit Commission
On November 18th the Transit Commission voted to increase transit fares as of January 2021 by 2.5%.
About a dozen people signed up to speak at the meeting. Their presentations were profoundly moving and evocative. Many talked about their personal experiences and the high cost of transit, especially for low income residents. Many pointed out the unfairness of shifting the burden of paying for the pandemic from people who can afford it (homeowners) to people who cannot (transit dependent riders).
Kudos to our own members for turning out.
Kudos to Courage Ottawa and CAWI (City for All Women Initiative) for getting so many of their members involved.
Councillor McKenney proposed studying an option of raising the transit levy but the Commission has a rule forbidding any discussion of tax increases so the motion was ruled “out of order”. We appreciate the councillor’s effort.
The eight councillors who voted to increase transit fares are:
Allan Hubley (Ward 23 Kanata South)
Jean Cloutier (Ward 18 Alta Vista)
Glen Gower (Ward 6 Stittsville)
Riley Brockington (Ward 16 River)
Jenna Sudds (Ward 4 Kanata North)
Tim Tierney (Ward 11 Beacon Hill-Cyrville)
Anthony Carricato (citizen councillor)
Michael Olsen (citizen councillor)
The three councillors who voted against are:
Theresa Kavanagh (Ward 7 Bay)
Catherine McKenney (Ward 14 Somerset)
Sarah Wright-Gilbert (citizen councillor)
The budget will be voted on by the whole city council on Wednesday December 9, 2020. You can contact your own councillor to encourage them to raise concerns if you like. Click here for a list of city councillors
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