Ottawa council votes 14-10 to cap full-time workforce for 2026 amid concerns over service delivery and tax pressures.
City limits staff growth in next year’s payroll
Ottawa City Council has narrowly approved a motion that will cap the number of full-time equivalent staff positions on the municipal payroll for 2026. The motion, brought forward by Rideau-Jock Coun. David Brown, passed in a 14-to-10 vote during the council meeting held on Wednesday, as part of budget deliberations.
Budget constraints drive decision
Council was also considering a directive to city staff to limit any property tax increase in the 2026 budget to 3.75 per cent. The workforce cap is intended to align with that directive, helping control municipal expenditures as the city prepares its next annual financial plan.
Exceptions to cap include front-line services
The approved motion includes carve-outs: it does not apply to firefighter, paramedic, police, and bylaw services, or to sectors with provincially mandated staffing levels such as long-term care and child care. Brown argued that the restraint will focus on “back-office operations … that might not be right on the front line.”
Calls for fiscal responsibility
Supporters, including Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, emphasized the need to show Ottawa residents that city spending is being managed “very, very responsibly,” especially during what he described as an affordability crisis. Coun. Brown called the motion “moderate” and “reasonable,” noting Ottawa has lost thousands of private-sector jobs recently and faces economic headwinds.
Critics warn of stretched resources
Opponents of the motion expressed concern that the city is already understaffed in key areas. Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Leiper, among others, described city staff as too often “stretched too thin,” citing delays in planning approvals, traffic calming measures and other municipal services. Bay Coun. Theresa Kavanagh urged caution, warning that without enough personnel, many files and projects won’t move forward efficiently.
What now: moving into 2026
With the workforce cap approved and the property tax increase limit also adopted, Ottawa Administration must now prepare the 2026 budget under these new constraints. How staff allocations will shift, what levels of service will be adjusted, and how back-office operations will absorb reductions are the key questions ahead. Council will need to balance residents’ demand for services with fiscal discipline.
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