---
title: "Ottawa police ask for $44 million more from taxes in 2027, putting pressure on Sutcliffe's 2.5% cap"
description: "The Ottawa Police Service told its board's finance and audit committee on November 5 that it needs an extra $44 million from the tax levy next year, an 11 percent increase, to hire 50 officers and cover wage and equipment costs."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/on/ottawa-2026/news/ottawa-police-budget-2027-november-2026"
last_updated: "2026-11-06T02:26:21.286Z"
---

The Ottawa Police Service presented its 2027 budget approach to the police service board's finance and audit committee on Thursday, asking for an extra $44 million from the City's tax levy, CBC News reported. The request would raise the taxpayer-funded portion of the OPS budget by 11 percent, from $415 million to $459 million. The service's total 2026 budget is $484 million, with the rest coming from fines and other revenue sources, according to CBC.

The $44 million increase breaks down across five areas, CBC reported. Hiring 50 new officers would cost $10 million. A collective agreement wage increase adds $14 million. Overtime accounts for $4 million. Year two of the body-worn camera program costs $4 million. A new training centre carries a $5 million price tag. Modernization work, including tools using artificial intelligence and drones, accounts for $1 million more.

The service also expects to receive $6 million from assessment growth and find $2 million through internal savings, CBC said.

The request puts direct pressure on Mayor [Mark Sutcliffe](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/mark-sutcliffe), who has said he wants to hold the City's overall tax increase to a maximum of 2.5 percent. His re-election campaign included a promise to hire 200 more police officers over four years, which works out to 50 per year. The 2027 request is consistent with that pace, but the cost sits well above what a 2.5 percent city-wide cap would allow, according to CBC's reporting.

Sutcliffe's promise to hire more officers and his budget commitments are tracked at the [Ottawa promise tracker](/on/ottawa-2026/tracker).

Councillor [Steve Desroches](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/steve-desroches), who sits on the police board, told CBC the request arrives against what he described as a difficult backdrop for affordability. He warned that decisions on the police budget will involve trade-offs with other City services.

The police budget request will come back before the full board in December, CBC reported, as part of the City's budget directions process. City Council is expected to approve a final budget in February 2027.

This is not the first time a large OPS request has been trimmed at the board stage. In 2026, the service sought a 10.6 percent increase and received approval for 5 percent, CBC noted.

The service also laid out a longer-term projection. If the annual 50-officer hiring plan continues at the requested pace, the tax levy increases could reach as high as 13 percent in some years before settling to 4 percent annually by 2032, CBC reported.

The December police board meeting will give the public a full look at the 2027 budget directions, and City Council is set to vote on a final budget in February 2027. The City's public meetings at pub-ottawa.escribemeetings.com list upcoming agenda items for the board.

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