Ottawa's municipal election campaign kept moving last week, with the city's four leading mayoral candidates, Neil Saravanamuttoo, Mark Sutcliffe, Jeff Leiper and Alex Lawson, each rolling out new promises on everything from property taxes to garbage limits.
Saravanamuttoo takes aim at return-to-office and city spending
He also unveiled a fiscal strategy last week, promising to "open the books" at city hall and take a closer look at Ottawa's spending within his first 100 days in office if elected.
Sutcliffe pitches tax caps and cheaper transit
Incumbent Mark Sutcliffe committed to capping property tax increases between two and 2.5 per cent for both 2027 and 2028 if he's re-elected. His affordability plan also pledges to find another $250 million in savings in the city's budget over a second term.
Leiper proposes an infrastructure levy and affordable housing target
Jeff Leiper says he wants to maintain what Ottawa already owns by adding a one per cent levy aimed at addressing the city's "crumbling" infrastructure.
On housing, Leiper promises that if elected mayor, he would build 1,500 affordable homes every year, a target that would put him among the more ambitious candidates on the affordability file.
What it means for Ottawa voters
With the campaign trail heating up, the four candidates are increasingly drawing contrasts on pocketbook issues that matter most to residents: property taxes, transit fares, garbage collection and road congestion. Sutcliffe is running largely on continuity and affordability tweaks to his existing record, while Saravanamuttoo, Leiper and Lawson are each pitching sharper breaks from current city policy, whether on spending transparency, infrastructure funding or waste collection rules.
Sources: Ottawa Citizen (via Yahoo News Canada)
