Council approves 2026 City of Ottawa budget with 3.75% tax hike, pledge for more frequent LRT trains

City council held their final debate on the 2026 budget and approved a motion which would increase the frequency of LRT. CTV’s Leah Larocque reports.

Ottawa City Council has approved the city’s 2026 budget.

The approved budget includes a $5.2 billion operating budget and $1.92 billion capital budget.

The 2026 budget includes 3.75 per cent property tax increase and a 2.5 per cent increase in transit fares. The budget also contains higher recreation fees and increases for water, sewer and stormwater rates and garbage fees.

“I believe the 2026 budget is about striking a balance. Respecting affordability while investing in what matters most,” Mayor Mark Sutcliffe told council ahead of the vote.

Councillors voted 21-4 in favour of the budget.

Sutcliffe, as well as councillors Laura Dudas, David Hill, Cathy Curry, Clarke Kelly, Glen Gower, Theresa Kavanagh, Laine Johnson, Jessica Bradley, Tim Tierney, Stéphanie Plante, Rawlson King, Riley Brockington, Shawn Menard, Marty Carr, Catherine Kitts, Isabelle Skalski, David Brown, Steve Desroches, Allan Hubley and Wilson Lo voted yes.

Councillors Matthew Luloff, Sean Devine, Ariel Troster and Jeff Leiper voted no.

The largest debates in today’s council meeting centred around police and public transit.

Council approves transit budget and motion for increased LRT frequency

Ottawa city council also approved the 2026 transit budget, which includes several items covered by projected savings on the cost of diesel fuel in 2026.

The transit committee budget passed by a vote of 19 to 5. Councillors Laine Johnson, Theresa Kavanagh, Sean Devine, Riley Brockington, and Matthew Luloff voted against the budget. Councillors Stéphanie Plante, Ariel Troster, Jessica Bradley, and Rawlson King voted in favour of the budget with a dissent to a 2.5 per cent fare increase next year.

In addition to the 2.5 per cent fare increase, the transit budget also includes an 8 per cent increase to the transit levy.

• Council votes on 2026 City of Ottawa budget today. Here’s what you need to know

The fuel savings come from a change since the 2026 draft budget was tabled in November. Staff initially projected a diesel fuel price of $1.16/L in 2026, down from $1.40/L in 2025, providing savings of just over $9 million in the transit budget. On Wednesday, staff recommended a downward revision of the diesel budget price to $1.10/L.

Improvements to public transit would use more than $1.4 million from the fuel savings.

A motion calls for $510,000 to provide free transit fares for riders 18 and under on weekends and holidays, up to four free Para Transpo rides per month for eligible seniors 65 and older, and an extension of the transfer window from 90 minutes to 105 minutes between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays. The motion also calls on staff to explore the feasibility of offering free fares for riders 18 and under every night after 5 p.m., starting on July 1.

Another $340,000 would be spent to provide free transit service to riders 18 and under for the months of July and August.

“I think a youth pass is a huge win for this city and has been a long time coming,” said Coun. Shawn Menard, who moved the motion on providing free service in July and August. “The youth pass will provide greater freedom to youth as they go to after-school jobs, it will provide greater safety for youth as they will be able to hop on a bus late at night or extremely cold weather. This is a big win for affordability for families. It could cut transit costs by half or more.”

Improving Line 1 frequency would cost $620,000. The motion passed at council proposes increasing the frequency of trains on weekdays to every six minutes between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and to every 7.5 minutes between 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Currently, trains come every five minutes on weekdays between 6:30 and 9 a.m. and between 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., and every 10 minutes between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and between 6:30 p.m. and 11 p.m.

Staff said if fuel prices go up in 2027, it would not affect these items.

“Fuel pressures will still be brought forward as fuel pressures. If fuel does go up, there will be a fuel pressure, but that doesn’t mean there will be a new pressure on the youth pass or on the other headway component,” said Chief Financial Officer Cyril Rogers.

Two other motions taking advantage of the projected savings outside of the transit budget include a motion to open some splash pads in the city earlier than usual in 2026, which would use $48,400 from fuel savings. Endorsing and promoting the Play Free program, which offers free access to recreational activities for children 17 and under, would use $550,000.

Lengthy debate on police spending

The 2026 Ottawa Police Service’s budget received the stamp of approval from council, following a lengthy debate on funding the police service.

Council voted 20 to 5 in favour of the $484 million 2026 police budget, which includes a $26 million increase in funding over 2025.

Councillors Shawn Menard, Laine Johnson, Ariel Troster, Jessica Bradley and Rawlson King voted against the police budget.

“I don’t know if more money equals less crime. In terms of the less crime happening, there’s a whole bunch of factors that go into that,” Menard said during the debate on the police budget.

“It’s always a struggle for me of where you put those finite resources to deter crime. Is it crime prevention or is it this response that we have – kind of reactive, which is part of the nature of the job. There continues to be a concern for me on the total amount.”

Under the 2026 budget, the average homeowner will pay an extra $36 for police service next year.

The budget includes funding to hire 25 new officers, introduce a new district system for police response and cover salary increases. Police said the budget will also continue to rollout body-worn cameras for officers and using AI transcription to “improve efficiency and documentation.”

“I actually contemplate voting against this police budget because it’s not high enough. I truly believe we’re actually not investing enough in this budget,” Coun. Cathy Curry, a member of the Ottawa Police Services Board, said.

Coun. Steve Desroches told councillors that policing is a “core service.”

“This funding will take place on January 1, when our RIDE enforcement program is at its busiest …failing to properly resource our police will put lives at risk,” Desroches said.

“If we want our officers out in full force on day one of January 1 of next year, then we should want them out every day, equipped with the staffing, tools and support needed to keep our growing communities and city safe.”

Coun. Jeff Leiper explained why he was supporting the police budget.

“I’ve listened to residents in the urban, suburban and rural areas in recent weeks; it’s clear that they consider adequate funding for police to be important,” Leiper said. “The increase that is being proposed is largely to sustain existing services due to contractual obligations.”

The budget includes $26.1 million in additional funding to the base budget and an additional one-time $5.4 million injection of cash from the City of Ottawa’s tax stabilization reserve.

Ottawa Police Chief Eric Stubbs called the budget “responsible.”

“It accounts for two very important things for us, our contractual obligations under our agreement as well as our staff stabilization plan in advancing our district project. Those are really the priorities,” he said.

He added, however, that there will be pressures next year.

“We had asked for 10.6 per cent. That was a public meeting that we had. And here we are. So, often, you don’t always get what you request. But again, as I’ve mentioned, we are going into a long-term forecasting exercise here in the new year... We’re doing a long-term forecasting so we can get to that point where we’re happy with the service level that we’re giving.”

Stubbs also said police will be focusing on traffic enforcement in 2026 in response to feedback from councillors and the public.

“We can’t replace the speed cameras with our resources, that is not something we can do,” Stubbs told councillors, acknowledging the Ontario government has banned photo radar cameras.

“The feedback I’ve gotten from the community, from the councillors around this table – almost all that they want more traffic enforcement.”

Starting Dec. 15, police will be launching a new district traffic unit, with a sergeant and four constables in each district.

Stubbs promised councillors there would be a “a sustained presence in those district units focused on traffic.”

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Leah Larocque