The City's page about him says Jeff Leiper was first elected to Council in 2014 and represents Ward 15 Kitchissippi. CBC News calls him a three-term councillor and reported on June 25, 2025 that he chairs the Planning and Housing Committee, that he had been an executive at the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, and that he had been president of the Hintonburg Community Association. On that day he told CBC News he was planning to run for mayor. The City's list of certified candidates shows his nomination for Mayor dated May 1, 2026, the first day nominations opened. CBC News reports that he cannot run for mayor and councillor at the same time.
Council's minutes of December 10, 2025 record his votes on the 2026 budget. He voted against the motion that adopted the 2026 budgets, which carried 21 to 4. The other three councillors against were M. Luloff, S. Devine and A. Troster. The same minutes record him voting for the 2026 Ottawa Police Service budget, which carried 20 to 5. CBC News reported that the budget raised property taxes by 3.75 percent. CBC News also reports that he opposed the Lansdowne 2.0 project and led an unsuccessful effort against reducing how often light rail trains run.
His campaign website says he has spent 11 years on City Council and is running because Ottawa 'should be a city that works'. It lists plans for transit, housing and an open City Hall. Those are the campaign's own statements. On August 4, 2026 he told CBC News that he has 'voted against bad budget after bad budget from both Watson and Sutcliffe' and that he is running because he believes he can be more effective as mayor. voche.me checked only the December 10, 2025 budget votes against that statement.
CBC News reported on May 1, 2026 that he promised 1,500 new non-profit homes each year, a City fund to buy rental buildings at risk of being lost to affordable housing, a refusal of donations from developers, no use of the strong mayor powers (the extra powers Ontario gives some mayors to override council), a weekly published mayoral schedule and wider use of ANCHOR, the City's crisis response program that offers an alternative to police for some calls about addiction and mental health. On August 4 he presented a transit plan with five points, and said he is not promising a fare freeze or lower fares. On September 15 he proposed a 1 percent property tax levy (an extra charge on property tax bills) to repair roads, sewers and other City assets. He told CBC News the levy would cost the average homeowner $28 a year and bring in $25.5 million a year. City finance staff earlier estimated $46 a year for a 1 percent levy, and Leiper used a different calculation from the 2026 budget.
On the main tax question he has not named a total increase. At the October 2 debate he said 'I don't want to pay more tax' and described the increases he would accept as 'modest'. In a statement to CBC News, Mark Sutcliffe accused him of 'continuing to push for higher taxes during the election campaign'. Leiper replied that Sutcliffe was trying to frighten voters. voche.me found no complaint, finding or court case about Leiper in the sources it opened.
