City Council has passed the 2017 budget, after a five-hour meeting.
It was unanimous, passing 24-0.
The budget will see a property tax increase of 2%, which amounts to an average increase of $72 to urban property tax bills and $60 for rural homeowners.
Water and sewer costs will jump 5% next year.
The transit levy is going up 2.5%. Transit users, other than U-Pass holders, will pay 1.25% more starting January 1st, but express fares and passes are being eliminated. U-Pass holders will see a 2.5% increase starting September 1, 2017.
The $57-per-month EquiPass, for low-income transit users, has been approved, at an annual cost of $2.7 million.
The City has also approved a new 10-year contract with Metrolinx to use the Presto card system. This will increase the per-tap fee the City pays to Metrolinx by 1% a year between 2018 and 2021. It will go up from 2% to 6%.
Among other budget items: $1.1 billion in capital spending for projects in every ward, the hiring of 24 new paramedics, 25 new police officers, and a $250,000 grant to the Great Canadian Theatre Company. The City is also renewing its $16 million a year commitment to affordable housing.
Council also approved camping at some City facilities for Canada Day 2017, allowing tourists to set up tents in places like the Nepean Sportsplex.
And the City will bid on the 2021 Canada Summer Games.
The budget did not pass without some controversy.
A motion by councillor Diane Deans to audit the land deals for Phase 1 of LRT failed, with council voting 18-6 against the audit.
Talks also stalled when it came to the $320 million police budget.
It passed 21-3, with Councillors Mathieu Fleury, Catherine McKenney, and Riley Brockington dissenting.
They expressed concerns the police budget doesn't have enough money set aside to deal with the cost of increasing violence and the rising number of homicides. Brockington also reiterated his concerns about speeding in his ward, saying speeding cars are like "loaded weapons."
CORRECTION NOTICE: A previous version of this story incorrectly said the U-Pass increase would come September 1, 2018.