Ottawa MP and cabinet minister responds to Sutcliffe's transit funding request
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Ottawa area Liberal MP and cabinet minister Jenna Sudds has responded to Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe's request for financial help to support the city's flagging transit system.
Ottawa area Liberal MP and cabinet minister Jenna Sudds has responded to Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe's request for financial help to support the city's flagging transit system.
Sudds, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, put out a statement on social media Friday afternoon, saying the City has a responsibility to manage the tax dollars it already receives.
"We must remember that there is only one taxpayer. The residents of Ottawa have paid their property taxes and they've paid their federal tax with the expectations that we manage their money well and spend it wisely," Sudds wrote. "We at the federal level take this responsibility seriously, especially at a time when the people of Ottawa are watching their pocketbooks, and the City of Ottawa is not exempt from this responsibility either."
Sutcliffe held a news conference Thursday to declare a "transit crisis", saying the city needs help from other levels of government to cover a $140 million per year gap in transit funding over the next three years. Transit ridership levels have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels and they continue to be below expectation, leading to revenue shortfalls. Remote work, particularly among federal public servants, is getting the blame for a significant chunk of lost revenues.
"When you lose your number one customer, when passenger traffic drops significantly, there is no easy solution to that," Sutcliffe said.
He warned residents that unless the federal or provincial governments come through with cash, Ottawa residents will face significant tax hikes or drastic service cuts.
"I appreciate the City is in a difficult financial situation," Sudds wrote. "Like many cities, the impacts of Covid still linger on all government's budgets. Our government is doing our part, just as we outlined in this year's budget, by sticking to our responsible fiscal targets."
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