Latest news with #ProvincialOffencesAct
CTV News
28-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Ottawa rolling out new system to deal with parking ticket disputes. Here's what you need to know
A parking ticket is seen on the windshield of a car in Ottawa, Ont. (CTV News Ottawa) Ottawa motorists soon won't have to go to court to fight their parking tickets, as the city proceeds with a new system to deal with ticket disputes. The City of Ottawa will be rolling out its new administrative penalty system in June to manage and adjudicate parking ticket infractions, with plans to extend it to photo radar and red-light camera tickets in the future. Screening and hearing officers appointed by the City of Ottawa will deal with ticket disputes. Under the system, drivers who receive a parking ticket can either pay the fine or request a review by the screening officer. Following the decision by the screening officer, the offender can request a review by a hearing officer. CTV News Ottawa looks at what you need to know about the administrative penalty system. What is the administrative penalty system? The City of Ottawa says the administrative penalty system (APS) changes how 'certain bylaw violations are handled.' 'APS allows the City to manage the ticket review process independently without relying on the Provincial Offences Court.' What is the difference between the administrative penalty system and the Provincial Offences Act? Under the current Provincial Offences Act, parking, red light camera and photo radar camera tickets are handled in provincial courts. Provincial judges and staff manage the dispute process, and the city says there are 'long wait times' for ticket reviews. Under the APS, tickets will be handled by screening officers and hearing officers employed by the City of Ottawa. The city says the new system will be 'faster, more flexible scheduling.' According to the city, the administrative penalty system will reduce the delays in the provincial court system, speed up ticket reviews and 'frees up provincial court time for serious cases.' A city report last year said the new administrative penalty system will see disputes over tickets heard within a few weeks or months and lower municipal costs by 35 per cent. How does the system work? When you receive a parking ticket, you will have two options under the administrative penalty system. Pay the ticket online, by mail or at any Client Service Centre or Administrative Penalty System Service Centre Request a review of the ticket. Within 15 days of the ticket being issued, the vehicle owner can request a review with a city screening officer by completing a request form. When you submit a request for review with a city screening officer, the city says you should provide a written explanation and supporting documentation to demonstrate that either the offence was not committed or 'they are experiencing undue hardship.' Screening Review The screening review will be conducted by screening officers employed by the City of Ottawa. '(They) have been carefully trained to conduct the 'screening' review of the penalty by following standardized, consistent, and pre-established criteria in keeping with the bylaw that governs the APS program,' the city says. The screening officer has the authority to uphold, reduce, extend the time to pay the tie, or cancel the penalty based. 'This decision will be informed by the backup documentation from both the vehicle owner and the Parking Enforcement Officer,' the city says. Final review by a hearing officer The city says if a vehicle owner disagrees with the decision by the screening officer, you may request a final review with a hearing officer, who is appointed by council. The hearing officer will have 'previous experience' in the field of law, adjudication and/or in the interpretation and application of legislation, the city says. A request for a final review by a hearing officer must be submitted with 15 days of the initial screening review's decision date. 'An in-person hearing date and time will be issued to the vehicle owner,' the city says on its website. 'The hearing officer's decision to either uphold the penalty, reduce the penalty, extend the time to pay the penalty, or cancel the penalty is final. Neither the ticket holder nor the city can appeal the decision.' An in-person hearing will be held at the Provincial Offences Act and Administrative Penalty System Service Centre at the Mary Pitt Centre on Constellation Drive. Ottawa plans to appoint 10 hearing officers per year, starting in 2024, 2025 and 2026, with a total of 30 hearing officers available five to 10 days per month.
CTV News
24-04-2025
- Business
- CTV News
$58.8M budget surplus for London in 2024
London has a windfall of unspent money in the 2024 municipal operating budget even as the Council stares down another significant tax increase next year. According to a report summarizing the 2024 Property Tax Supported Budget, city hall posted a staggering $58.8-million surplus, representing 4.4 per cent of the gross budget. The 2023 operating budget surplus was $28 million. City staff recommend retaining $16.6 million in the Operating Budget Contingency Reserve, 'to fund statutory Development Charges exemptions in excess of budget.' It's recommended that the remaining $42.2 million (3.1 per cent of gross budget) be divided up according to the surplus/deficit policy: 60% contribution to the Debt Substitution Reserve Fund ($25.3 million) 3% contribution to the Community Investment Reserve Fund ($1.3 million) 17% contribution to the Unfunded Liability Reserve Fund ($7.2 million) 20% contribution to the Capital Infrastructure Gap Reserve Fund ($8.4 million) However, it will ultimately be up to city council to determine how the surplus is reallocated. A long list of programs and departments contributed to the surplus. The largest contributor ($28.8 million from Financial Management) is described as a 'surplus in provision for tax appeals & uncollectible taxes ($10.8 million) due to delay in property reassessments resulting in lower appeals and assessment at risk, investment income surplus ($10.5 million) from higher interest rates than budgeted, personnel & contingency savings ($5.7 million), and other miscellaneous factors ($1.8 million).' Other significant contributors Community and Social Support personnel savings ($1.8 million) Ontario Works net surplus ($4.2 million) due to higher than budgeted provincial funding and transition to London Regional Employment Services, Child Care net surplus ($2.9 million) primarily due to 2023 revenue adjustments Personnel savings ($3.0 million) Utility savings ($1.0 million) due to lower fuel prices Provincial Offences Act ($2.9 million) surplus primarily due to implementation of new accounting standard Higher than budgeted user fees primarily in W12A landfill ($3.3 million) The report goes on to warn, 'It is important to highlight that many of the factors driving the 2024 surplus position will not recur in 2025 or may not persist in future years.' The report also warns of significant financial impacts if the trade war with the United States impacts economic growth and the price of goods. 'Direct impacts would be in the form of increased costs of goods or services purchased by the city that are subject to tariffs. Indirect impacts, on the other hand, could be even more significant and result from changes in economic conditions,' the report reads. The Infrastructure and Corporate Services Committee will consider the report on the 2024 budget surplus on April 30.
CBC
10-04-2025
- CBC
97 drivers tested positive for cannabis during enforcement campaign: Winnipeg police
Results from a recent traffic enforcement campaign show more needs to be done to educate Winnipeggers about the dangers of getting behind the wheel while high, police say. Out of 207 drivers screened for drugs as part of this year's Don't Drive High campaign, 97 tested positive for cannabis consumption, city police said at a news conference Thursday. That's 47 per cent or nearly half of the drivers who were tested from January to March, which police said is in line with figures from the same time last year, when 43 per cent of the 148 drivers who got oral fluid tests were positive for the drug. "Obviously, these results are extremely concerning," said patrol Sgt. Stephane Fontaine, the Winnipeg police impaired driving countermeasures co-ordinator. "It just simply reiterates the importance of our continued efforts on enforcement, education and ultimately, the need to continue our attempt to combat impaired driving, whether it's by alcohol or drugs." Police said the campaign resulted in 86 Provincial Offences Act tickets, including 19 for improper storage of cannabis in vehicles and four for consumption of cannabis while inside a vehicle. Fontaine said one driver was also charged criminally for refusing to be tested. All drivers who tested positive for cannabis got sanctioned and had their licences suspended roadside, he said. "If you are going to choose to consume, whether it's alcohol or drugs, you really need to make a plan not to drive," Fontaine said. "That is the safest and easiest solution to this problem." Police performed a total of 302 traffic stops as part of the campaign. Fontaine said that unlike with alcohol, cannabis consumption is not focused between the evening and early morning. "People seem to think that it's OK to do this throughout the day," he said. The majority of positive tests were found between 3 and 6 p.m., he said. Focus on dispensaries The drivers who tested positive were found all across the city, but the campaign focused on traffic to and from cannabis dispensaries, he said. "There's over 103 or so dispensaries throughout the City of Winnipeg, so what I did was I made a plan to basically target those areas," Fontaine said. "The officers still have to form the proper grounds to make all of their lawful demands … but that's where they spent their time." The campaign was launched in partnership with Manitoba Public Insurance and the Manitoba government. It got $35,000 in funding from the province. Its educational component includes a social media and digital ads targeting recreational and medicinal cannabis users. Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said the campaign is as much about raising awareness as it is about enforcement. "That message of 'don't drink and drive' … continues to get through, but when it comes to cannabis, there's a lot of misconceptions," the minister said.
