Now that the hand shaking, baby kissing and victory party are over, it’s time for Jim Watson to get down to work as the new mayor of Ottawa.

So what exactly does Watson have in store for his constituents in the short term?

“Before being sworn into office on Dec. 1, I will have to put together the mayor’s office staff and start getting briefed on various issues that are going to face our council,” Watson said.

“Once that’s taken care of, I will work with them to come up with a balanced slate of committees and committee chairs.

“There’s no doubt the biggest priority for me to deal with will be the budget,” Watson added.

“We have to hit the ground running on Dec. 1, because the process will have to get underway in terms of public consultation.”