Not the full picture. Built from public records, which leave things out.Read by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date. Check the sources, and tell us if you spot a mistake. What this site can't tell you Read by hand. We read Ottawa's own documents for this site in October 2026; the Sources page lists which ones. The comparisons with other places still come from the Province's yearly reports.
A clear, checkable guide to Ottawa's budget, taxes and council decisions. Canada’s capital city, with 24 wards, one council and one mayor. Every figure links back to the public record.
$36.1 millionthe 10% contingency for the event centre and north-side stands, on a construction estimate of $418.8 million
Lansdowne Park is the city’s stadium and shopping district, run with a private partner (OSEG). The city plans to build a new event centre and new north-side stands there. The Auditor General looked again at the plan in November 2025 and said the 10% “contingency” (money set aside for surprises) may not be enough over a five-year build, and that if it runs out the city could need more debt. The city agreed to report to Council on the contingency twice a year from 2026.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 7 sources
$5.0 millionless for affordable housing ($14.4 million instead of $19.4 million) after $10 million went to parking
In November 2023 Council said part of the money from selling the air rights above the north-side stands should go to the Affordable Housing Reserve Fund. The city then set aside $10.0 million of those proceeds for the new parking, which lowered the housing share by $5.0 million. The Auditor General said this "may not be aligned with Council’s expectations" and asked the City Manager to check with Council. The city said Council would decide on November 7, 2025.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 4 sources
$41,309,146red light camera revenue from 2021 to 2024, none of it paid into the Road Safety Reserve Fund
In December 2019 Council directed that revenue from red light cameras installed after 2020 go to road safety work. The Auditor General found in November 2025 that none of it has. All red light camera revenue from 2021 to 2024 went to the city’s regular budget, with a yearly share to Ottawa Police. Management had set its own $11.75 million baseline and said money would only move once revenue passed it. It never did. The city agreed to bring a new approach to Council by the fourth quarter of 2025.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 4 sources
$80,000added to each councillor’s office budget in April 2025, with $50,000 more in January 2026
Each councillor gets a yearly "Constituency Services Budget" for office staff, events and supplies. In April 2025 Council added $80,000 to each councillor’s budget, with $50,000 more in January 2026. This followed a consultant’s review. The Auditor General’s audit found every expense it tested followed the rules. It also found that the public expense lists are shown net of "budget credits", so some offices’ spending is understated, and that almost half of the wards had more than $10,000 left unspent in 2024.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 6 sources
12.25%the effective interest rate printed for the Stage 2 Trillium Line P3 liability, against 6.47% on the Stage 1 private debt
The Trillium Line extension was built under a "P3" (a public-private partnership): a private group designed, built and financed it and will maintain it for 27 years. In 2024 the city started to show what it owes the group as a $135,759 thousand liability. Its own notes call the interest "an annual effective interest rate of 12.25%", about $106,261 thousand over the term. The city’s notes list debentures at 0.00% to 6.00% and the Stage 1 light rail private debt at 6.47%.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 4 sources
8 instructorsthe number of OC Transpo instructors the private partner was to train and certify, who then trained the train operators
In February 2025 the Auditor General reported on tips it received through the city’s fraud and waste hotline about training for the new Trillium Line. It could not see evidence that the instructors had the experience and training expected before they began teaching train operators. It found training records incomplete. It also found the city did not get the training materials it expected from the private partner (TransitNext) and had to add its own curriculum writers at extra cost. Management says the gaps were fixed before passengers rode the line on January 6, 2025.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 4 sources
7 of 10people appointed without a competition to long-term manager jobs who did not meet the posted requirements
In March 2026 the Auditor General reported on hotline tips about hiring of managers at OC Transpo between 2021 and 2025. It confirmed the allegations about appointments. It found 10 cases where a permanent job, or a temporary job longer than 12 months, was filled without a competition, and 7 of those 10 people did not meet the job’s education or experience requirement. Management agreed and said it would fix its process by the third quarter of 2026.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 3 sources
3 of 6sampled new-build files where the city could not show critical deficiencies were resolved before the occupancy permit
In 2025 the Auditor General investigated hotline tips about building permits and occupancy permits. For three of six large new buildings it sampled, the city could not show that serious open problems were fixed before the occupancy permit was issued. It also found projects with no overall occupancy permit or final inspection on file, some with partial inspections dating from 2018 to 2021. The Auditor General said it could not conclude that all checks were done, not that they were skipped.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 3 sources
$12,209,826City-wide cash-in-lieu allocated to projects in 2024 and 2025, with no formal plan for how to use it
When a developer builds, the city can take cash instead of land for parks ("cash-in-lieu"). Sixty per cent goes to an account for the ward where the building went up, and forty per cent goes to a city-wide account. The Auditor General found councillors in practice choose how ward money is spent, and several kept their own priorities after staff suggested a different order, without writing down why. It found no plan for the city-wide money and found the yearly public report is late or missing required details. The city agreed to a new policy, but not until the third quarter of 2027.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 7 sources
$741.9 millionincrease in net debt during 2024, to $4,108,957 thousand
Net debt is what the city owes minus its cash, investments and other money it is owed. It measures how much future income is already spoken for. The audited 2024 statements show net debt of $4,108,957 thousand, up from $3,366,968 thousand a year earlier. The city’s annual report gives reasons: a new $135.8 million liability for the Trillium Line, more mortgages for Ottawa Community Housing, and more government money received but not yet spent. It also lists $225 million of new borrowing against $146 million repaid.
Found by reading the city's own documents · 3 sources
Where your tax bill goes
A property tax bill in Ottawa pays for the city and schools. Only part of it goes to the city, and that part is what Ottawa council controls.
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