The Ottawa Police Service Board has approved its 2026 budget, which calls for a 5 per cent increase to the tax levy for police services next year. The budget passed unanimously without any major changes from the draft budget presented in November. Ottawa police will have a net operating budget of $414.9 million in 2026. 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. The money will help pay for 25 new positions next year—21 new sworn officers and four new special constables—the implementation of the new district policing model, and the expansion of body-worn cameras. Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said the 5 per cent tax levy increase in 2026 marks the largest increase for the Ottawa Police Service in 15 years. Previous budget increases were capped, based on campaign promises by Sutcliffe and former mayor Jim Watson. The budget also includes $4.3 million in “efficiencies”, which Deputy Chief Steve Bell attributed to salary savings from having a younger workforce, savings from a review of IT software, the removal of the carbon tax and reduced outside contractors for fleet maintenance. He said the service is still looking to find $400,000 to round out its $4.3 million budgeted savings. Some new costs are coming for residents for things like record checks. A record check for vulnerable sector employment will increase by $2 to $74. The cost of a police records check for adoption will increase $4 to $122. A motor vehicle collision report under the freedom of information request will go up $7 to $222. City council will vote to finalize the 2026 draft budget on Wednesday.
