Title: Leiper proposes 1% infrastructure levy in Ottawa mayoral bid

Ottawa mayoral candidate Jeff Leiper has proposed a one per cent infrastructure property tax levy to address the city's growing repair backlog for aging roads, sewers, and other assets if elected. Leiper declined to specify the total property tax increase, but assured residents it would not reach "seven or eight or nine per cent." The levy would cost the average homeowner $28 annually, generating $25.5 million per year to help close a $1.2 billion shortfall over the next decade for priority projects. The proposal follows a similar 2017 effort by councillors, and Leiper has not set an end date for the levy. Rival candidates Alex Lawson and Mark Sutcliffe have not released tax plans, while Neil Saravanamuttoo has proposed zero-based budgeting instead.