Leadership for A Strong Economy
Ottawa is facing significant and unique challenges as the nature of work changes. We need to take immediate action to ensure our economy continues to grow and we continue to create opportunities for everyone. A strong plan that is focused on growing our economy is also one that enhances our quality of life, for everyone in Ottawa.
As mayor, Mark will:
Create a “one stop shop” or single window of service for businesses looking to navigate permits and other paperwork at City Hall.
Target tax relief for small business, by renewing the special small business commercial property tax rate measures.
Launch a talent summit that will bring together leaders from the business community, Invest Ottawa, the Ottawa Board of Trade, Regroupement des gens d’affaires, Ottawa Tourism, colleges and universities, and other partners to enhance Ottawa’s efforts to be a community that attracts the best and the brightest minds.
Work with Ottawa Tourism, tourism leaders, and other stakeholders to create one new recurring, annual cultural event in Ottawa, and a major new cultural attraction that will bring people to the city each year and create significant economic activity.
Improve awareness of opportunities for local small businesses to do business with the City of Ottawa through a new procurement bulletin that highlights specific opportunities and more thoroughly explains the procurement process.
Why is this action needed?
Everything we cherish - our quality of life, social services, clean air and other environmental priorities, and strong, sustainable employment for current and future generations - all depends on a strong economy.
But the world is changing rapidly and Ottawa faces unique threats. With more work happening virtually, more than ever employees can choose where they live rather than be forced to locate close to their jobs.
We need a comprehensive economic development strategy that recognizes new realities and brings together our business community, educational institutions, economic development groups and others to ensure we are positioned to succeed in meeting the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
We must attract the best and the brightest talent and companies to Ottawa. And we must support their growth. We must create, enhance, and promote an environment that will inspire and sustain entrepreneurship, including entertainment, restaurants, and live music and festivals. We must stimulate economic activity in growth industries and creative areas including electric vehicles and autonomous driving, film and video production and much more. We must fulfil our ambition of being a home for some of the best technology companies in Canada.
While Ottawa is world-class in many respects, City Hall has neglected some key areas that have hurt our economy:
Our downtown is in need of a transformation and the ByWard Market has deteriorated where people who live, work and visit there often feel unsafe.
We must follow through on critical major projects: LRT, Lansdowne Park, Civic Hospital, LeBreton Flats.
City Hall is a maze for businesses and homebuilders to navigate.
We lack a coordinated economic development plan that gets all parts of our economy working together to do great things.
“I have been an entrepreneur and a journalist, and run a small business. I know what it takes to meet a payroll and I know the value of a dollar. I have chaired the Ottawa Board of Trade and the United Way and have seen how we grow, thrive, diversify and do incredibly exciting things in all parts of the city with creativity and compassion. “ — Mark Sutcliffe
Here’s what that means for you
Keeping Taxes and Fees Low and Predictable for Businesses and Residents
Target tax relief for small business, by renewing the special small business commercial property tax rate measures.
Keep fees for approvals at levels that are consistent with the rise in property taxes with no hidden charges on business.
Cap 2023 and 2024 tax increases at between 2.0 and 2.5 per cent and target those levels for the following two years
Keep user fees low and reject calls to raise parking fees or introduce “congestion charges” to come downtown.
Relax right-of-way access for on-street commerce (sidewalk sales, sidewalk patios) and pop-up service to expand outdoor dining
Supporting Tourism Jobs and Enhancing Ottawa’s Beauty
Work with Ottawa Tourism, tourism leaders, and other stakeholders to create one new recurring, annual cultural event in Ottawa that will bring people to the city each year and create significant economic activity.
Work with the federal government, Ottawa Tourism, and tourism operators to enhance the visitor economy, including bringing a major new cultural attraction to downtown Ottawa.
Make Ottawa a world-renowned, year-round cultural, historic, creative, capital that draws tourists and makes Ottawa a fun place to live
Establish and promote Ottawa as a centre for music, arts, festivals, film and culture.
Update the cleanliness standards so we go beyond simply responding to complaints as is the case today under the current Council.
Greater collaboration between Ottawa and Gatineau on tourism to promote the national capital region as a destination of choice.
Become a city that says “yes” to creative ideas rather than making permits and approvals a roadblock at City Hall.
Collaborate with the NCC and the City of Gatineau on economic development where we create more jobs in Ottawa than we gain by going it alone.
Take full advantage of the multilingual and multicultural nature and capacity of Ottawa in pursuing economic development opportunities.
Follow my plan to deliver a cleaner, greener Ottawa
Reimagine the Downtown and Restore the ByWard Market as a Crown Jewel
- Pursue my plans to reimagine the downtown and restore the ByWard Market, including:
Build more homes and get more people to live downtown through incentivizes to convert vacant office space and through intensification
Develop a federally-funded plan for a new major national attraction in downtown Ottawa, such as a museum or cultural centre.
Work with the federal government to create a vibrant Parliamentary precinct that serves as a grand national gathering place.
Expand resources in at-risk neighbourhoods to improve safety
Facilitate a Gatineau LRT connection to the downtown and Ottawa’s LRT system.
Put the ‘market” back in ByWard Market and encourage live music, street buskers, food festivals, and other performance art experiences
Increase walkways, car-free zones, and public seating to encourage people to stay in the market.
Establish a permanent ByWard Market cleaning crew to keep the public space clean and beautiful.
Working with community service agencies and the Ottawa Police Services, develop a dedicated Neighourhood Resource Team and a Storefront Neighbourhood Operations Centre to address crime, as well as mental health and substance abuse disorder in the neighbourhood.
Restore the ByWard Market as a central gathering place again and prepare to celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2027.
Helping Ottawa’s Businesses Succeed and Grow
- Create a “one stop shop” or single window of service for businesses looking to navigate permits and other paperwork at City Hall. That will also include:
Directing staff to reduce timelines for approvals from City Hall with real-time reporting on progress to ensure timelines are met.
Having the city play a leadership role in supporting entrepreneurs with approvals rather than forcing them to figure out a complicated system on their own.
Improve awareness of opportunities for local small businesses to do business with the City of Ottawa through a new procurement bulletin that highlights specific opportunities and more thoroughly explains the procurement process.
Provide the support needed to establish stronger linkages among the 19 Business Improvement Associations to make them more efficient and effective in supporting local business.
Develop a strategic, multi-stakeholder economic development plan to make Ottawa a better and easier place to create jobs. This will include the involvement and collaboration of Invest Ottawa, the Board of Trade, Regroupment des gens D’Affaires, Ottawa Tourism, Business Improvement Associations, along with colleges, universities and post-secondary institutions and hospitals. We will take full advantage of our research, training and innovation platforms to promote Ottawa as a world leader and attract and retain talent in our City.
Launch a talent summit that will bring together leaders from the business community, Invest Ottawa, the Ottawa Board of Trade, Regroupement des gens d’affaires, Ottawa Tourism, colleges and universities, and other partners to enhance Ottawa’s efforts to be a community that attracts the best and the brightest minds.
Produce a Mayor’s annual report card with full accountability to report on our performance on the environment and the economy.
Place the mayor at the top of a special working committee that promotes Ottawa and pursues investment and job creation in the city.
Of course, the best way to ensure economic growth in Ottawa is by having a truly affordable, livable, city for everyone. Read more about Mark’s plans to deliver leadership for a safer Ottawa, more affordable housing, reliable transportation and roads, and a cleaner, greener city.