A baby shower, bowling and golf outings, and Christmas meals are among the things Ottawa’s mayor and councillors spent taxpayers’ money on during this term of council. Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and the 24 councillors spent a total of $28.9 million on their office budgets between when they were sworn in in November 2022 and May 2026, the last month the office budget expenditures were available from the City of Ottawa. The mayor and councillors have discretion over their allotted office budgets, which can be spent on staff, to communicate with constituents, “support and promote activities or community groups” within their wards and represent the city at functions, events and conferences. While most of the office budgets were spent on staff salaries, websites, advertising and external services, a review of the expenses by CTVNewsOttawa.ca shows elected officials spent money on coffee, lunches, parking and other items. The mayor and councillors spent a combined $28,000 on coffee, tea, juice, creamers, and refreshments for their offices during the 43 months. Mayor Sutcliffe spent $102 in May 2025 on Golden Palace eggrolls to send to Ontario cabinet minister Stan Cho in Toronto. He also expensed $25 in 2023 for donuts for a meeting with Premier Doug Ford. In September 2025, Sutcliffe’s office expensed $191 for a baby shower for Coun. Wilson Lo. In August 2024, Coun. Jeff Leiper and Catherine Kitts each expensed $15 to their office budgets for a Pride Parade t-shirt. Coun. Glen Gower charged his office budget $28 in 2023 for Christmas necklaces for the Stittsville Parade of Lights and $30 for jingle bells for retirement home Christmas singalongs. Coun. Tim Tierney expensed $122 for glow sticks for the Beacon Hill Canada Day fireworks in 2024 and donated $45 worth of glow sticks to Robert Hopkins School for the “Glow Run” in October 2024. Coun. Laura Dudas expensed $136 in December 2023 for a Santa costume for a holiday skate party. Coun. Cathy Curry expensed $185 for Maple Leaf tattoos and candies in 2024 for the Canada Day in Kanata event, and charged $101 to the office budget in 2023 for tattoos for the Canada Day event. Coun. Clarke Kelly expensed $199 for a banner with an office logo and folding table for “future events.” The cheapest item expensed in a councillor’s budget was $2 for a bottle of water and $2 for a refreshment at the AMO Annual Conference in Ottawa. Christmas gatherings/office meetings The mayor and 24 councillors spent more than $98,000 on hospitality between November 2022 and May 2026, which includes lunches with staff and spending on community events. Sutcliffe expensed $141 in December 2023, $107 in December 2024 and $375 in December 2025 for “Office Christmas Gathering.” He also expensed $330 for a Mayor’s staff Christmas lunch in December 2025. In December 2023, Sutcliffe’s office expensed $31,477 for the Mayor and City Manager’s All City Staff Christmas Reception, while $23,411 was expensed in December 2025 for the gathering. West Carleton-March Coun. Clarke Kelly expensed $438 in December 2023 to “discuss office matters” during a team dinner at Gezellig, while $500 was charged to the office budget in December 2024 for a “team lunch” at Riviera with three staff members. In December 2025, Clarke expensed $262 for a staff Christmas dinner at Cadena Restaurant with three staff members, along with $82 for a staff Christmas party at Absolute Comedy. In July 2023, Coun. Catherine Kitts expensed $83 for a Mer Bleue Golf team event “to discuss office matters,” while she charged the office budget $138 for a dinner at Level One for “office year end staff meeting” in December 2023. Kitts expensed $139 for a team meeting at Orleans Bowling Centre in April 2024, and $83 for a team meeting at Mer Bleue Golf in August 2024. Kitts charged her office budget $67 for a “staff appreciation activity, round of mini golf” at Mer Bleue mini golf and $50 for a staff meal at Lone Star on Aug. 6, 2025. In 2025, Kitts expensed $110 for a staff meeting at Splitsville Kanata in November and $118 for food during a staff meeting at Splitsville in December. Tierney expensed $198 in January 2025 for a “team building activity” at Crock A Doodle, the paint your own pottery studio. Coun. Jessica Bradley expensed $293 for a staff Christmas lunch at Cocotte Bistro in December 2025. In 2023, Coun. Sean Devine expensed $93 for a “staff appreciation event” at MacLaren’s on Elgin, while Coun. Stephanie Plante also expensed $75 for an event at MacLaren’s on Elgin. Coun. David Hill charged $139 to his office budget for a lunch meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney at Greenfield Public House in August 2025. Tickets Elected officials are allowed to expense tickets for community events. Councillors expensed tickets for the Mayor’s Breakfast with the Ottawa Board of Trade, the special Mayor’s Breakfast with Prime Minister Mark Carney in December 2025 at Rogers Centre Ottawa, breakfast events, charity trivia events and shows during the term. The only ticket Sutcliffe purchased was in December 2023, when he spent $70 for “That’s a wrap! Ottawa Communications Holiday Mixer.” Coun. Riley Brockington expensed $1,000 in June 2023 for two tickets to the “Gold Plate Dinner” at the Hellenic Event Centre. Leiper expensed $1,000 in November 2022 for group tickets for the “Family Services Ottawa’s Music on a Mission Trivia Night.” Coun. Shawn Menard purchased two tickets for the 2023 Capital Hoops Classic at TD Place for $84. Hubley expensed $360 for two tickets to the “Farewell Roast and Toast of Mayor Jim Watson and Councillor Eli El-Chantiry” in November 2024.
