Since taking office in 2022, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe has brought a bureaucratic-led managerial style to Ottawa City Hall, in stark contrast to the divisive tone that characterized his predecessor’s tenure. Supporters argue that Sutcliffe has done what he promised—lower the temperature, keep taxes manageable, and steady the ship. But more than halfway through his term, it is worth asking if managerial competence is enough to meet the moment, or does Ottawa need bold vision and action?
One of Sutcliffe’s most notable successes has been his ability to restore a sense of cohesion with the City Council. The infighting and dysfunction that plagued the Watson years have largely subsided under his leadership. Council meetings are more civil, and decision-making appears to be more collaborative. This shift has created a healthier political climate, one that some say was long overdue and necessary for progress.
Another key achievement has been fiscal restraint. Sutcliffe campaigned on a promise of responsible budgeting, and he’s largely delivered. He proposed a 2.5 percent property tax increase in 2023, and a 2.5 percent increase again in 2024. For 2025, he’s proposing a 3.9 percent hike—higher, but still modest compared to rising inflation and budgetary pressures faced by other Canadian cities. His approach reflects a desire to avoid burdening homeowners while keeping the city’s books in reasonable order.
Sutcliffe has also been vocal in calling out the federal government for what he sees as unfair treatment. His “Fairness for Ottawa” campaign zeroes in on the shortfall in federal Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILTs)—payments made by the federal government to municipalities instead of property taxes for buildings like federal offices. According to Sutcliffe, Ottawa receives less per capita than other major cities with large federal land footprints. The mayor argues that this inequity forces the city to shoulder more than its share of infrastructure and service costs, a message that has gained traction among local taxpayers.
He has also made efforts to remain visibly engaged with the community. Whether it’s serving food at Shepherds of Good Hope or attending grassroots events across the city, Sutcliffe has projected an image of approachability and compassion. For many residents, this personal touch helps reinforce the sense that the mayor is in touch with their daily realities.
While these accomplishments reflect competent day-to-day management, they echo the routine functions of city government that have existed for decades. What is missing is a bold, forward-looking vision to confront Ottawa’s deepening challenges head-on.
OC Transpo is in serious disarray—both financially and operationally. With an annual fare revenue shortfall of $141 million and ridership still 29 percent below pre-pandemic levels, the system is far from recovery. Yet city officials have failed to deliver a clear, credible plan to fix it. Instead, OC Transpo’s leadership has become increasingly evasive, dodging accountability and tough questions about repeated failures. What was once a transit system admired as a model for mid-sized cities has devolved into a costly, mismanaged liability—now overseen by a leadership team that has repeatedly demonstrated an inability to diagnose problems or implement effective solutions. Riders are left with unreliable service, while the city struggles to plug the financial gap with cuts and compromises elsewhere.
Another glaring failure of Ottawa’s leadership is the continued deterioration of the ByWard Market—once the city’s crown jewel of tourism and culture, now a cautionary tale of neglect and mismanagement. Despite the city pledging $129 million for its so-called “revitalization,” the Market today feels more like a crisis zone than a revitalized destination.
Public safety has plummeted. The streets are routinely littered with used needles and human waste, with aggressive panhandling and open drug use now commonplace. Residents and tourists alike have been driven away by the pervasive sense of disorder. “It’s like the set of The Walking Dead out here,” said one long-time vendor, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation. Business owners have written open letters pleading for help, citing overdose deaths, theft, and rampant encampments as daily obstacles to running their shops.
Meanwhile, the Ottawa Police Service’s response—under the oversight of the Ottawa Police Services Board and direction of City Council—has been widely seen as lacklustre and disconnected from the urgency on the ground. On any given weekend in the ByWard Market, it’s common to see groups of uniformed officers standing around in conversation or sitting in their cruisers, even as open drug use, petty theft, and public disturbances unfold just steps away. This is not community policing—it’s expensive optics.
With the average OPS officer earning more than $130,000 annually in salary and benefits, residents are right to question whether they’re getting real value or simply funding a passive presence that fails to deter crime or protect the public. The Market, plagued by escalating disorder, is arguably the one place in Ottawa that demands an active, visible beat police presence. Yet walking the beat seems to be a lost art—replaced by part-time strolls during weekday business hours, when the real issues are far more likely to flare up late at night or on weekends.
Ottawa’s failure to enforce basic laws has emboldened a growing sense of disorder. What began in the ByWard Market—visible homelessness, open drug use, petty crime, and public health hazards—has steadily spread east down Rideau Street, west toward Elgin and Somerset, and into nearby parks and residential areas. A crisis once confined to the downtown core is now rippling outward, touching more communities with each passing month.
City Council’s response has been tepid and largely bureaucratic: more funding for harm reduction programs, more paramedics dispatched to overdose scenes, and continued delays in addressing root problems with clarity and resolve. At times, the priorities in council chambers seem surreal. During a June 25, 2024, meeting, Councillor Ariel Troster objected to the use of the word “vagrancy,” insisting on the term “people experiencing homelessness” instead arguing that the former was offensive. While respectful language matters, this fixation on semantics often eclipses any serious discussion about law enforcement, housing failures, or public safety.
Residents see the difference. They are not insensitive, they’re exhausted. As tent encampments appear in parks once filled with families, and more intersections become hotspots for panhandling and aggressive behaviour, a growing number of Ottawa residents feel abandoned by those meant to represent them. City Hall’s response has not met the scale or urgency of the problem.
It’s not compassion to overlook the destabilizing effects of unchecked disorder—it’s avoidance. Ottawa’s tent cities, clogged emergency rooms, and deteriorating public spaces are the result of leadership that seems more focused on optics than outcomes. Without a shift in priorities—from linguistic caution to practical action—the city’s decline will only deepen.
The fact is, the ByWard Market is no longer just a downtown problem. It is the most visible symbol of a city government that has lost control of its public spaces and priorities. If Mayor Sutcliffe and Council fail to act decisively, they won’t just be managing decline; they will be accelerating it.
Mayor Sutcliffe has also drawn criticism for his unwillingness to wield the expanded “strong mayor” powers granted by the Ford government under the Building Homes Act. These powers would allow the mayor to fast-track housing and infrastructure projects. But Sutcliffe has publicly rejected using them, framing his decision as a defense of democracy and collaboration. While many praise this so-called principled stance, others—particularly housing advocates—argue that his reluctance to act decisively is a missed opportunity at a time when Ottawa’s housing crisis demands urgent solutions.
Another very contentious issue in Ottawa has been the explosion in traffic enforcement cameras across the city. In 2024 alone, Ottawa’s automated speed and red-light cameras generated $38.5 million in fines. The city frames the initiative as a road safety measure, but most people see it for what it is—a stealth tax grab. Another concern is studies showing that cameras are disproportionately placed in lower-income neighbourhoods, raising questions about equity and intent. The Ottawa Coalition for Equitable Enforcement has been particularly vocal, accusing the city of using enforcement technology as a “cash grab” under the guise of public safety.
What emerges from all this is a picture of a mayor who is steady, conscientious, and well-meaning—but far too cautious for a city facing big-league problems. Ottawa is contending with an affordability crisis, a transit system that remains in freefall, and a downtown core in slow decline, a drug addiction crisis and a growing crime wave of vehicle theft and drug trafficking. While the temperature at City Hall may be lower, the pressure on the city is rising.
Mayor Sutcliffe still has time to pivot. With two years left in his mandate, he could begin to articulate a broader vision—one that goes beyond balanced books and collaborative council meetings. Ottawa requires leadership that inspires, that takes risks, and that isn’t afraid to make big moves for the long-term future of the city. Whether Sutcliffe rises to that challenge may well define not only the rest of his term, but the trajectory of Ottawa itself.
