Roundup: What you may have missed in the municipal election campaign last week

Municipal election day is exactly two weeks out, on Oct. 26.

It was a busy time for mayoral candidates last week, as they revealed a total of nine releases collectively, outlining their plans for an Ottawa under their respective leaderships.

The Ottawa Citizen wants to help readers make an informed decision on voting day. Here is a roundup of the promises made in the past week by the four leading mayoral candidates: Neil Saravanamuttoo, Mark Sutcliffe, Jeff Leiper and Alex Lawson.

Mark Sutcliffe unveiled his five-pronged comprehensive economic platform Monday. The plan, at its core, is meant to help Ottawa businesses navigate tariffs and economic disruptions by cutting red tap and attracting new investments throughout “every part” Ottawa.

If re-elected for a second term, Sutcliffe promises to strengthen and diversify Ottawa’s economy, create jobs in suburban and rural communities, “continue to” revitalize downtown and they ByWard Market, protect affordability for businesses and residents, and invest in quality of life “to attract talent visitors and mayor events.”

His plan also includes creating various opportunities across the city:

• In Orléans, Sutcliffe promises to establish an Eastern Economic Council and create a “special economic district around the Orléans Town Centre.”
• In Barrhaven, he says he will develop a plan for a new town centre around the future LRT station.
• In Kanata North, he says he will support the work of a development corporation to build on the success of Canada’s largest technology park.
• In Riverside South, Sutcliffe pledges to “protect and expand” employment lands.
• For rural Ottawa, he says he will support villages, agricultural businesses and rural main streets through a new “Main Street Beautification and Heritage Rehabilitation Program.”

As for downtown and the ByWard Market Revitalization Plan, Sutcliffe says he will activate vacant storefronts and increase the Ottawa Art Gallery’s base funding by $200,000 annually.

“His platform will make downtown safer through additional policing, alternative response teams, and a dedicated Downtown Safety Plan.”

For small businesses, Sutcliffe promises to “designate a single point of contact for
permits, licensing, zoning and other City processes,” and fast-track temporary-use and event permits for pop-up shops, seasonal markets, food trucks and special events.

Neil Saravanamuttoo, Monday, announced his plan to defend gig workers against big tech companies. His measures include fair pay and accountability by updating Ottawa’s Vehicle-for-Hire By-law with a fair minimum rate, which accounts for waiting time and costs of operating and maintaining vehicle for app-based workers.

Saravanamuttoo promises to require platforms operating under municipal licensing rules to establish clear deactivation policies, provide reasons for suspensions and “offer a meaningful process to appeal decisions.”

For airport drivers, the mayoral candidate says drivers waiting for passengers need suitable places to rest and access washrooms. “Saravanamuttoo will work with the Ottawa International Airport Authority to establish … indoor waiting space, washrooms and appropriate staging areas,” his platform reads.

At city hall, Saravanamuttoo’s Gig Workers Advisory Council promises to “provide drivers and delivery people with a regular forum to raise concerns, share experiences and make recommendations to City Hall.”

While Saravanamuttoo says city hall can’t solve all gig-worker-related problems on its own, it can still use regulatory powers and relationships with other organizations to make a difference.

“The City cannot create statutory union rights or compel a company to recognize a union. However, it can help connect workers with unions and other organizations that have experience in collective representation and provide information about available options.”

Jeff Leiper‘s plan to strengthen rural Ottawa includes a new “Rural Secretariat” in the Mayor’s Office to give rural residents a “direct line” to the mayor and “ensure rural perspectives are represented in City Hall decision-making.”

Leiper promises to create a rural infrastructure plan that publicly tracks priority repairs to roads, bridges, culverts and drainage, alongside a dedicated rural road-safety program.

His plan includes a formal voice for farmers and rural businesses in the city’s planning. Leiper promises a rural village growth plan meant to support new housing and infrastructure while protecting farmland, village character and rural landscapes.

The rural service review under Leiper’s rural Ottawa will establish “clear service standards” for roads, infrastructure, policing and other municipal services that rural residents rely on.

“Rural Ottawa shouldn’t have to choose between growth and preserving what makes our communities special. We can do both, with a plan, with the right infrastructure, and with rural residents at the table. That’s what a City that works looks like,” his plan reads.

Alex Lawson says as mayor he will allow businesses to report red tape online or through 311. The report will be acknowledged within five business days and tracked publicly.

“Only Toronto and Red Deer have a dedicated channel today,” he wrote. “If it’s slowing you down, City Hall should hear about it.”

Lawson says his three-part “Open for Business” plan will “help Ottawa compete with Toronto after a C-minus from CFIB.”

If elected mayor, Lawson says he will raise the small business tax cut discount by 25 per cent in his first budget, with no phase in. He argues Ottawa’s small business property tax discount has been stuck at 15 per cent since 2023 and that Toronto raised its discount to 20 per cent in February.

In his plan for a community-wide strategy to address the mental health and toxic drug crisis in Ottawa, Sutcliffe promises to identify gaps in partnership with the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre.

The strategy, Sutcliffe promises, will double investment into alternative response options like the city’s ANCHOR program, the Mobile Crisis Response Team and the Crisis Intervention Team.

His plan includes adding more treatment options for individuals in crisis as well as eliminating sources of drugs such as “pill mills” from Ottawa’s streets by revoking business licences.

He will explore the “use of mandatory care in specific cases,” and increase “investment in supportive housing to build 650 new supportive housing units in the coming years, and more.”

Lawson released his “Back to Basics” fiscal plan Thursday. He plans to freeze property taxes in 2027 if elected mayor.

“Zero per cent in 2027, one in 2028, and at or below two in 2029 and 2030,” his plan reads.

Lawson would be raising property taxes by five per cent overall, he says, arguing that for the average urban home, it means $760 less than the current mayor’s plan over four years.

From the city’s budget, contract and audit records, Lawson said his plan has identified $77 million to $148 million a year in savings and growth.

“Ottawa does not have a revenue problem. It has a leaky bucket problem. Fix the bucket, put every dollar to work, and Ottawa can hold the line without cutting the services people count on,” his plan reads.

Saravanamuttoo wants downtown Ottawa to feel like the “living room” of Ottawa. He put forth his plan to revitalize the downtown core.

“The starting point for any plan to restore vibrancy and livability downtown is addressing homelessness,” Saravanamuttoo said. In a plan announced previously, he says the “tiny homes” he will build will provide people experiencing homelessness the chance to get off the street.

As mayor, Saravanamuttoo says he will implement more third spaces, a smarter ByWard Market plan and the transformation of York Street into a public square and permanent festival space.

“To bring people downtown, we need more places where people can just hang out — without having to spend money,” he wrote of his plans to create more third spaces. He points at the National Arts Centre as a model to follow.

For the ByWard Market, Saravanamuttoo says he will “overhaul” the current ByWard Market plan “so existing vendors, the heart of ByWard, aren’t kicked out, as the current plan proposes.” He says the current plan proposed by the city ignored the wishes of local businesses and residents.

His plan proposes to instead “refresh” parts of the ByWard Market Building. He also promises to keep the Clarence Street Garage and make York Street into a new public square, which would also serve as a permanent festival space.

If elected, Sutcliffe says he will make life for Ottawa’s seniors easier by improving access to city services, by taking seniors into account when building infrastructure, and by adding more public benches near retirement homes and where more seniors live.

He says creating a dedicated 311 option for seniors means the population can call the service for assistance, with trained personnel helping seniors with common questions and requests.

Sutcliffe’s plan promises to introduce property tax deferrals for seniors who downsize their homes, and to freeze recreation fees for seniors by making city recreation programs more affordable for older adults who want to stay active and connected.

He also promises additional crosswalk improvements in areas where seniors are more likely to walk and cross busy streets.

“These are practical investments that can make a meaningful difference in seniors’ ability to stay active, independent and connected to their communities,” Sutcliffe says in his plan.

He says this plan will focus on communities where 30 per cent or more of residents are 65 and older, “including naturally occurring retirement communities.”

As mayor, Lawson says he will create 200 beds on leased Greenbelt land in the HopeWorks Recovery Campus, which he says will be built with the National Capital Commission in two phases of 100 beds.

According to his “Recover First Ottawa” plan, which he says will help address the drug crisis in the city, residents who seek recovery can stay up to 10 months, train in food and agriculture, building maintenance or the construction trades, and leave with a job, a place to live and year of aftercare.

At full size, the treatment centre will serve about 240 people a year.

“The province pays for treatment, and the campus is free to residents,” his plan reads.

He says that, after the treatment, a once-a-month buprenorphine injection would be offered, ensuring that medication can’t be sold on Ottawa’s streets. This means the prescribed opioids are taken in front of a nurse or pharmacists, “not traded on the street for fentanyl.” He says police will make sure dealers don’t trade in areas where schools, parks and transit are located.

“City-funded agencies (will) report how many people they move into treatment, housing and work.”

“Naloxone stays everywhere. You can’t recover if you’re dead,” said Lawson. “But you can’t have compassion without competence.”

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