Listen to this article
Estimated 3 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
Just hours after filing his paperwork to run for mayor, Jeff Leiper has released a big chunk of his election platform with commitments on transit, housing and public safety.
A three-term city councillor, Leiper was one of three candidates challenging Mayor Mark Sutcliffe to show up at the election office on Friday, the first day of nominations. He released a list of campaign announcements that afternoon, with transit the first item on the list
“Transit is obviously something that I’ve been hearing across the city now for months,” he said. “We need to create a transit system that is reliable, that works to people, getting the buses stabilized.”
Leiper had already previewed his transit plan — built around a transit service guarantee, more dedicated bus lanes and reversing last year’s bus service cuts — but most of the other platform planks are new.
He wants to build 1,500 new non-profit homes each year by fast tracking approvals and leasing out city-owned lands. He’s also aiming to create a city acquisition fund to buy “at-risk rental buildings” and transfer them to non-profit operators.
That latter idea failed to pass when it came before councillors in 2024.
Leiper says he will refuse all donations from developers and commit to not using strong mayor powers to override council. Sutcliffe has also made a point of not using those powers throughout his term.
Those ideas come in a section about transparency, where Leiper also promises to publish a weekly mayoral schedule and proactively disclose meetings with lobbyists.
On public safety, Leiper is pledging to “focus police resources” on community safety by relying more on alternative models for “non-core responsibilities.”
That includes expanding the ANCHOR crisis response model city wide and ensuring its funding grows in tandem with the police budget. He also wants to increase staffing for bylaw enforcement.
Finally, Leiper is making pledges to improve services by extending opening hours at city facilities, improving booking systems and tackling what he calls a maintenance backlog.
“The garbage isn’t being picked up from parks often enough, our roads are crumbling, our libraries are closed on Sundays,” he said. “The commitment that I’m making to the residents of Ottawa is to build a city that actually works, in which they can rely on the city services that they need.”
Candidates typically release their platforms in dribs and drabs throughout the campaign, but Leiper called it “wise to be transparent and open with our platform from day one.”
But he said other commitments will follow.
At least two other candidates have filed nomination papers to run for mayor in Ottawa’s municipal election: economist Neil Saravanamuttoo and home builder Alex Lawson.
Both have posted about their priorities online, though they have not been framed as campaign announcements. But Saravanamuttoo said he will have something “quite significant” to say at a campaign launch event on Monday.
“We will be making some major announcements there about what our platform is,” he said.
Sutcliffe has said he plans to run for re-election. His office said he will file his papers “in due course.”