For the last several weeks we have been asking Stittsville residents to share their feedback about the 2026 Draft Budget. We’ve held three pop-up activities at local grocery stores where we talked to dozens of residents on a wide variety of topics. And close to 550 residents took our survey about their priorities for city services and spending.
The survey was voluntary so the results are unscientific, but the data does give us a good indication of what’s on the minds of Stittsville residents. A summary of the results is below. For open-ended text questions, we fed the text into Google’s Notebook LM to generate a summary of the themes and feedback.
In what service areas should the City be investing more resources?
Other service areas: Residents also highlighted the below service areas where they would like to see the City invest more resources:
- garbage and recycling
- accessibility
- climate change initiatives and environmental programs
- arts and culture
- support for seniors
- wildlife and animal welfare services
Others said that the City should be cutting services or looking for efficiencies.
What would you consider to be a reasonable property tax increase or decrease for 2026?
We received a wide range of responses to this open question. Some residents considered the proposed rate of 3.75% to be reasonable, while the majority of residents advocated for a lower rate, suggesting 2% or 3% to closely match the current rate of inflation. Other residents believed there shouldn’t be an increase at all, or that a decrease would be appropriate due to the cost of living and current economic conditions. On the other hand, some residents wanted a higher tax increase, stating that tax increases have been too low for too long.
Is there a project or service in Stittsville that you would like to see prioritized in the 2026 budget? What would you like to see improved?
Answers to this open-ended question indicate that residents’ biggest concern is the current state of Stittsville’s road infrastructure and traffic congestion. High priority is placed on the completion of the widening of Carp Road, along with upgrades to Stittsville Main Street and the extension of Robert Grant Avenue. OC Transpo service was also raised by many residents, often citing the reliability of service and a request for direct routes downtown. Residents also suggested pausing further approvals of high-density housing developments until community amenities (like public health care and recreation facilities) can adequately support the current population. Finally, several residents said they wanted more road safety measures, including increased police enforcement, as well as installing better sidewalks and active transportation routes to enhance walkability.
Here are some of the top projects/areas of concern mentioned:
- Carp Road Widening: This was the single most frequently mentioned project, described as “long overdue” and a “main concern”. Residents also want a shorter construction time.
- OC Transpo access and reliability: Improving public transportation was identified as a critical need, focusing on service reliability, frequency, and quality. Specific concerns included the need for faster and more direct bus routes downtown and post-secondary institutions, and the future connection of the LRT to Stittsville.
- Stittsville Main Street improvements and traffic congestion relief: Residents prioritized the reconstruction, repaving, and extension of Stittsville Main Street from Maple Grove Road to Derreen Avenue. Residents also suggested measures to alleviate traffic congestion including limiting parking and improving sidewalk conditions.
- Robert Grant Avenue extension and connection: This project was heavily prioritized as crucial for alleviating congestion on other roads like Huntmar Drive and Stittsville Main Street.
- General infrastructure and road maintenance/quality: Beyond specific roads, a significant number of residents highlighted the importance of improving overall road quality, maintenance, and pothole repair on existing streets. This includes the need for sound, proactive development planning where infrastructure supports growth.
- Active transportation infrastructure: Many residents requested investment in bike/pedestrian infrastructure, citing safety concerns. This included requests for sidewalks along West Ridge and Maple Grove (between Huntmar and Terry Fox), and ensuring safe crossings over and under the 417.
- Road safety and traffic enforcement: Traffic safety, speed control, and increased enforcement was frequently mentioned. Residents called for increased police presence, proactive bylaw enforcement, the use of radar and cameras, and permanent traffic calming measures, particularly near schools and on road like Hazeldean Road and West Ridge Drive.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied are you with City of Ottawa services? (1 = very dissatisfied, 10 = very satisfied)
The average was 6.17, or a C-minus.
Do you have any other comments about the City budget?
Again, residents provided a wide range of answers to this question. Here are some of the reoccurring themes:
- Financial accountability and opposition to major projects: We received several comments opposing projects like Lansdowne 2.0 and requests for fiscal accountability with major projects. (It’s not surprising that we received so many comments about Lansdowne 2.0 since the discussion at City Hall was taking place at the same time that we had our survey open.)
- Fiscal responsibility, efficiency, and tax burden: These comments focused on the structure of the budget, the affordability of taxes, and feedback about City operations. Some residents criticized the City’s approach to budget setting, noting that they should determine what needs to be spent first, rather than starting from a fixed property tax increase.
- Public transit: We received comments about the performance and costs associated with OC Transpo. While some argued that OC Transpo needs more investment, others objected to how much is spent on our public transit system because they don’t use it.
- Infrastructure and core services: These comments focused on road maintenance and traffic congestion, saying that Stittsville has an “infrastructure problem”. There were also calls to provide more funding to police and paramedics.
- Suburban growth management and service equity: These comments reflected a feeling of being underserved by the City. Some residents also expressed opposition to the amount of housing development in Stittsville, saying that our existing infrastructure is not equipped to handle the increased population. Specific local needs mentioned included a new recreation centre and more bylaw officers.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to fill out this survey or stopped by one of our three pop-up events. I will use this data and information as I continue to advocate for more funding for our Stittsville priorities and at our upcoming budget discussion at City Council on December 10.