Mayor of Ottawa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mayor of Ottawa
Municipal logo
Incumbent Mark Sutcliffe since November 15, 2022
City of Ottawa Office of the Mayor
Style	His/Her Worship Mayor (informal)
Member of	Ottawa City Council
Seat	Ottawa City Hall
Appointer	Direct election
Term length	Four years; renewable
Constituting instrument	Municipal Act, 2001 City of Ottawa Act
Inaugural holder	John Scott (historic) Bob Chiarelli (post-amalgamation)
Formation	September 11, 1847 (historic) January 1, 2001 (current)
Salary	CA$198,702

The mayor of Ottawa (French: maire d'Ottawa) is the main leader of the Ottawa City Council. Think of them as the head of the city's government. The mayor is chosen by the people of Ottawa in an election.

This election happens every four years, usually on the fourth Monday of October. There's no limit to how many times someone can be mayor. When someone is mayor, they are often called His/Her Worship.

Mark Sutcliffe is the 59th and current mayor of Ottawa. He started his term on November 15, 2022, after winning the 2022 city election.

What Does the Mayor Do?

The mayor's job is explained in a special law called the City of Ottawa Act. This law was first made in 1999. It describes the mayor's role as the leader of the city council. More details about the mayor's duties are in a city rule called Municipal By-law No. 2022-410.

In 2022, the province passed new laws, like the Strong Mayors, Building More Homes Act, 2022. These laws gave the mayor even more power.

Leading City Council Meetings

As the head of the council, the mayor makes sure meetings run smoothly. They can add new topics to the city council's meeting plan directly. This means important issues can be discussed faster.

The mayor is also automatically a member of all council committees. This is called an ex officio membership. They lead the Finance and Corporate Services Committee and the Debenture Committee. The mayor can also suggest who should lead other city committees. They also recommend who should be the deputy mayor. The city council then gives the final approval.

If the mayor agrees, another council member can take their place on a committee. The mayor is also in charge of declaring a state of emergency in the city. This happens during big events like floods or storms.

Mayor's Special Powers

Some of the mayor's powers can only be used to help with "provincial priorities." These are goals set by the province, like building more homes. The Strong Mayors Act gives the mayor special power to add items to the council's agenda for these priorities. This can happen even if the council's usual rules are different.

The mayor also has a special power called a veto. This means they can stop a city council decision if it doesn't match a provincial priority. However, the council can overrule the mayor's veto. They need a two-thirds majority vote to do this.

Another law, the Better Municipal Governance Act, gives the mayor even more power. They can pass a new city rule to help a provincial priority. They only need support from one-third of the council members for this. The provincial government decides what these priorities are.

Deputy Mayors

Ottawa currently has three Deputy Mayors. Their role is explained in Municipal By-law No. 2023-11 and the Municipal Act, 2001.

Since 2023, the Ottawa City Council has a new system for Deputy Mayors. The position rotates between three different councillors every six months. This means more councillors get a chance to serve in this role.

Mayors Since 2001

Ottawa's city limits have grown a lot over time. In 2001, several nearby towns and communities joined with Ottawa. This created the larger city we know today. Here are the mayors who have served since this big change in 2001.

No.	Photo	Mayor	Terms of office	Took office	Left office
57		Chiarelli, BobBob Chiarelli	2	January 1, 2001	December 1, 2006
58		O'Brien, LarryLarry O'Brien	1	December 1, 2006	November 30, 2010
—		Bellemare, MichelMichel Bellemare (acting)	—	May 2, 2009	July 8, 2009
—		Thompson, DougDoug Thompson (acting)	—	July 8, 2009	August 6, 2009
56		Watson, JimJim Watson	4	December 1, 2010	November 15, 2022
59		Sutcliffe, MarkMark Sutcliffe	1	November 15, 2022	Incumbent

See also

• Ottawa City Council