Dreessen: Can the city spend smarter on its 'social' infrastructure?
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The dollar figures presented are eye-watering, to be sure. But they also only reflect things we rarely see until they break. Pipes for water, sewers and stormwater are critical services our city needs. They are concealed, out of sight, beneath roads and rarely do we get a glimpse of their existence unless there is some catastrophic failure, opening up a sinkhole in the middle of our commute.
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But that is only part of the picture.
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Ottawa also has $3.8 billion worth of community centres, parks, arenas and cultural facilities; most are 40 years old or more and half of them are in fair to very poor condition. These facilities are essential parts of our city, just like pipes and paving, and are critical to creating a vibrant social community.
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Then there are library facilities worth some $213 million, more than half of which are in fair to poor condition.
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Together, this social infrastructure is worth billions and needs critical investment. If we don't invest, we'll have thrown away the value of past generational investment and deprived current and future generations of the places that make a city livable.
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Prudent planning, the responsibility of every property owner, is to know the age and lifespan of the assets you own and budget accordingly. While Asset Management Plans have been prepared, our city council hasn't made the necessary difficult decisions.
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These are the direct legacy of decades of underfunding essential maintenance and repairs. They are also impossible to meet when politicians target tax increases of no more than 2 to 2.5 per cent annually and continue to waste money on inefficiencies.
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The cost of this infrastructure renewal is not covered by development charges. Meanwhile, user fees should be discouraged as they can create an inequitable barrier to the public, which has paid for these facilities and services through their taxes. To meet the funding gap, we need to raise tax revenue or take on additional debt.
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The City of Ottawa is an ardent supporter of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). Coun. Tim Tierney is the current first vice-president and Coun. Laura Dudas is on the board of directors. Mayor Mark Sutcliffe spoke at the FCM conference here in Ottawa in May. There is a strong connection between the FCM and senior leaders in the city.
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