After two hours of debate, city council approved a motion today to have another debate over the city’s poverty reduction strategy within the next six months.
The motion directs city staff to gather information about the city’s $3.5-million strategy to meet the province’s goal of reducing child poverty by 25 per cent.
Council unanimously approved the strategy but vigorously debated two components that will actually cost the city money.
Fourteen councilors voted in favour and seven voted against debating the implementation of a living wage for city employees and contract workers.
The living wage would require all city workers to be paid at least $13.50 an hour, 30 per cent more than the provincially mandated minimum wage.
The other source of debate was the proposal to re-invest money the city will save, due to provincial uploading of social services, back into social programs in the city.
Ottawa has lobbied the provincial government for years to resume their financial responsibility to fund social programs that were downloaded to municipal governments in the 1990s.
Some councilors however think that putting the money back into social programs is hypocritical.
“This tells the province that we had the financial wherewithal all along to fund social programs and that the uploading is unnecessary,” said Cumberland Ward Coun. Rob Jellett, who opposed the motion.
Gloucester-South Nepean Ward Coun. Steve Desroches said he opposed the proposal because it doesn’t make sense to support social programs with funds raised using a regressive tax system like municipal property taxes. Instead, he said the city should address poverty with lower taxes and transit fares.
The other councilors supported the motion, saying the strategy not only makes prudent business sense but is part of the city’s moral obligation to its poorest residents. Bay Ward Coun. Alex Cullen said that lifting residents out of poverty reduces the burden on social programs and creates productive taxpayers.
“These are working people we’re trying to help, not welfare recipients,” said Cullen.
Scores of supporters from the anti-poverty group, ACORN, were present to support the living wage initiative.
They have 5,000 members citywide and have been knocking on doors and hosting events to promote the benefits of a living wage
ACORN member Michelle Walrond said she wants people to know that this is not just about lifting people out of poverty but about creating a better city for everyone.
“They try to pit the middle class against the poor in situations like this. People need to realize that we should work together on this,” said Walrond.
She said the 30-per-cent wage increase, while just a few dollars, would change people’s lives.
“For someone who earns $60,000, an increase like this would mean an extra vacation, but for these people it means walking to the store for milk and bread.”
City staff will present council with the costs and benefits of the poverty reduction strategy by summer. Once council receives the information they will be able to vote on adopting the anti-poverty policies that have been in the works since 1997.
There are 120,000 people in Ottawa below the poverty line and 50,000 earn minimum wage.