Politics

TORONTO – The annual Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) Conference wrapped up last week (Jan. 21) and Ward 5 Coun. Clarke Kelly is calling his time there fruitful.

TORONTO – Ward 5 Coun. Clarke Kelly, the City of Ottawa’s Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) representative, is in Toronto to start the week at the organization’s annual conference.

KANATA-CARLETON – Following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s not so surprising resignation announcement yesterday (Jan. 6), Kanata-Carleton MP Jenna Sudds released a statement on the move.

WEST CARLETON – Last week’s City of Ottawa budget announcement will bring around $40 million in roads, infrastructure upgrades and other projects to Ward 5 in 2025.

CITY HALL – It was a marathon session at City Hall yesterday (Dec. 11), and at the end of it, City of Ottawa Council approved a $4.98 billion budget, although not all councillors were in favour of it.

CITY HALL – Ottawa councillors are preparing to vote on the city’s 2025 budget, which still has a $36 million gap in funding the municipality hopes will be filled by upper levels of government.

FITZROY HARBOUR – While Coun. Clarke Kelly thinks the city’s Natural Area Acquisition program is an important one, he believes the program has missed the boat on its plan to purchase a parcel of land on Ferry Road near Fitzroy Harbour.

CITY HALL – The Agriculture and Rural Affairs committee (ARAc) approved its portion of draft budget 2025, which includes more than $3.7 million in net operating funding and more than $8.7 million in capital funding.

CITY HALL – Councillors gathered at Ottawa City Hall this morning (Nov. 13) to receive the proposed 2025 budget, which suggests a municipal tax increase of 2.9 per cent, but including an increase to transit, it raises the bottom line for taxpayers to 3.9 per cent.

NEPEAN – More than 500 city residents, presumably from rural Ottawa, descended on Sir Robert Borden High School Saturday (Nov. 2) to take part in the Rural Summit – a city-organized event focusing on the unique issues of Ottawa’s many rural residents.