Ottawa voters have given Mark Sutcliffe another four-year term as mayor of Canada’s capital. CTV News Ottawa declared Sutcliffe re-elected as mayor of Ottawa at 8:58 p.m. The 58-year-old Sutcliffe defeated 13 candidates to win re-election as mayor of Ottawa. At 8:58 p.m., Sutcliffe had 46.9 per cent of the vote. Sutcliffe campaigned on promises of “keeping life affordable,” improving transit and infrastructure and addressing public safety. His campaign called Sutcliffe’s 70-page platform a “comprehensive plan to build a stronger, more affordable future for Ottawa.” His promises included capping property taxes at 2 to 2.5 per cent in the first two years of the new mandate, freezing recreation fees for families and seniors and freezing new-housing costs imposed by the City of Ottawa to help keep the cost of building new homes under control. Sutcliffe’s platform included reducing the price of a monthly transit pass to $95 a month from $138.50 a month, using funding from the proposed upload of the O-Train to Metrolinx. The City of Ottawa and the Ontario government have not finalized an agreement to upload the O-Train to the province. During the campaign, Sutcliffe also outlined a $10 billion infrastructure plan to repair and expand roads, fill potholes and invest $500 million in flood prevention and climate-resilient infrastructure. Last Thursday, Sutcliffe unveiled his 10 key priorities for the first 30 days in office, including directing staff to draft the 2027 budget with a 2 and 2.5 per cent property tax hike and “hold the first meeting of the expanded program review process” to find $250 million in savings. The mayor says he will also activate the Emergency Coordination Centre to “strengthen coordination” among city departments and community partners to respond to addictions and mental health challenges facing Ottawa.
