Explanation of the budget allocation tool

The Budget Allocation Tool provides you an opportunity to express your views on how residential tax dollars will be used in the 2020 Budget and to see the impact of the decisions that City staff and Council face when developing and approving the annual budget.

The tool depicts what Ottawa residents spent on city services in 2019 based on $1,000 in property taxes. The spending section allows you to increase or decrease the amount of money that is spent on various city services according to what you think the allocations should be in the 2020 budget.

The simulation is based on urban residential tax rates and does not reflect other tax classes. For more information on the different tax classes please visit our website.

Some of the categories and sub-categories cannot be adjusted as these rates are fixed and City Council has very limited or no control over these items (Provincial Education, Conservation Authorities, Municipal Property Tax Corporation, Capital Financing). Additionally, water, Wastewater and Stormwater Services, which are paid through your water bill, are excluded from this exercise.

As one component to the City’s overall budget public consultation process, feedback and results from this budget simulator tool will be provided to Council up to the time that the draft budget is tabled on 06 November 2019.

Thank you for your participation!