Walking in the footsteps of Tobi Nussbaum

"I wish I had asked more detailed questions and requested clearer answers earlier than I did. I acknowledge this shortcoming in part because I believe we need to build a greater culture of accountability at city hall. "

Tobi Nussbaum

Who do you want to have as your councillor? What did Tobi mean when he said we need a culture of accountability? Here is a description of your councillor’s oversight responsibilities.

This is the summary of City of Ottawa Services that your councillor/ trustee must oversee. The City Must provide (is accountable for) these municipal services including:

1. employment and financial assistance;
2. long-term care; 
3. community services and libraries; 
4. emergency and protective services including police, fire and ambulance; and 
5. transportation, 
6. utilities and public works, including roads, 
7. sewers and wastewater, 
8. drinking water, 
9. waste collection and disposal.

These services are at times described as:

1. General government
2. Protection to persons and property Roads, traffic and parking
3. Transit
4. Environmental services
5. Health services
6. Social and family services
7. Social housing
8. Recreation and cultural services Planning and development

A brief description of each segment follows:

• General government consists of Council, administration, and Ontario Property Assessment.


• Protection consists of police, fire, and other protective services. These groups maintain the safety and security of all citizens by reducing or eliminating loss of life and property, by maintaining law enforcement, and preserving peace and good order.


• Roads, traffic and parking include parking, signs and signals, streetlights and the maintenance of roads and parks of the City.


• Transit services provide local public transportation for citizens. They also include other transportation services such as planning and development.


• Environmental services include water supply and distribution, wastewater treatment, and waste and recycling services. These services provide clean drinking water to residents, collect and treat wastewater, and collect and properly process waste and recycling items.


• Health services include paramedic and health services. Mandated health services promote and maintain health programs that optimize the health of residents. Paramedic services deliver timely and effective care for pre-hospital emergency care, along with medically required inter-hospital transportation.


• Social and family services include social assistance, long-term care, and childcare services. Social assistance services determine, issue, and monitor clients’ eligibility for financial, social, and employment assistance. Long-term care services provide secure and supervised health services for seniors who can no longer live at home. Childcare services provide subsidized childcare spaces and provide funding for wage subsidy, pay equity, and special needs.


• Social housing, with the partnership of 120 community-based agencies, provides a range of services, including housing, emergency shelters, outreach, search, and stabilization to people in the community.


• Recreation and cultural services include parks and recreation, culture, and libraries. Parks and recreation services develop and deliver high-quality recreational programs, and develop and maintain recreation facilities, parks and sports-fields to ensure all residents have the opportunity to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. Culture services invest in local non-profit organizations that deliver services on behalf of the City. Library services provide public library services to the citizens via physical facilities, bookmobile, virtual, and telephone services.


• Planning and development services manage urban development for residential and business interests, as well as infrastructure and parks.


• Non departmental includes equity in earnings of government business enterprise, investment income, shared lottery earnings, and miscellaneous sundry revenue

The city is the sole shareholder of :
Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. [“Hydro Ottawa”], and the 
Ottawa Community Housing Corporation [“OCHC”], 

The City also provides hydro and housing services to the residents of Ottawa. 
Ottawa Community Lands Development and the Manotick Mill Quarter Community Development were created for the purpose of promoting and undertaking community improvements in the City by managing real property.
Corporations were created for the purpose of promoting and undertaking community improvements in the City by managing real property.


Employee benefits liabilities, property tax assessment appeals, legal claims provisions, landfill closure and post-closure liabilities and liabilities for contaminated sites are estimates.

Costs to settle legal claims, based on available information if likely and reasonably determinable, are reported as an expense

Ottawa is required to provide for closure and post-closure care of solid waste landfill sites.

Ottawa Art Gallery works of art are not recorded in the City’s consolidated financial statements.

Fees and user charges relate to transit fares; utility charges; water, wastewater, and solid waste; licensing fees; fees for use of various programming; and fees imposed based on specific activities. Revenue is recognized when the activity is performed or when the services are rendered.



The “city” activities of all committees of Council and the following boards, Business Improvement Areas [“BIAs”] and entities:

1. The Police Services Board
2. The Ottawa Public Library Board The Ottawa Board of Health
3. The Ottawa Community Housing Corporation
4. Manotick Mill Quarter Community Development Corporation
5. Ottawa Community Lands Developmen Corporation
6. The Bank Street BIA
7. The Westboro Village BIA
8. The Sparks Street BIA
9. The Somerset Street Chinatown BIA The Glebe BIA
10. The Heart of Orleans BIA
11. The Carp Road Corridor BIA The Carp Village BIA
12. The Vanier BIA
13. The Manotick BIA
14. The Sparks Street Mall Authority The Somerset Village BIA
15. The Preston Street BIA
16. The Byward Market BIA
17. The Downtown Rideau BIA
18. The Barrhaven BIA
19. The Wellington West BIA
20. The Kanata North BIA
21. The Bells Corners BIA
22. The Kanata Central BIA

All interfund assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses need to be eliminated.

Hydro Ottawa and its business enterprise’s accounting policies are not adjusted to conform to those of the City, and inter-organizational transactions and balances are not eliminated.

Other comprehensive income or loss of the enterprise is recorded directly to the City’s accumulated surplus and net debt.


School boards

The taxation, other revenue, expenses, assets and liabilities of school boards are separate and the City does not control or have any involvement in the operations of school boards.


Note: from the Ottawa Citizen "the lack of urban representation on arguably the most important council committee: the Watson-chaired finance and economic development committee. That’s the committee tasked with major policy oversight for things such as LRT planning, corporate finance and real estate. Not a single downtown-area councillor will sit on the finance committee if the proposed membership passes at council meeting Wednesday. In fact, of the 11 proposed members of the finance committee to sit with Watson, nine members are either rural or suburban councillors."