Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe has publicly endorsed the federal government's return-to-office (RTO) mandate for public servants, citing economic benefits for the city's downtown core. However, a reader question to the Public Service Confidential column asks whether this stance could alienate suburban and rural voters who have seen local businesses thrive from remote work. Columnist Scott Taymun, a former federal executive, argues the mayor's support is unlikely to cost him votes.
RTO Trend Is Broader Than One Mayor
Taymun explains that the RTO movement is a widespread trend across multiple jurisdictions, not a local issue driven by Sutcliffe. "The RTO tide is bigger and broader than the mayor," he writes. Most civil servants are now required to be in the office three to four days a week, and public opinion generally supports this shift. He notes that as early as 2022, he predicted a full return to the office due to the negative downstream economic impact of remote work on urban cores.
Economic Impact on Urban vs. Suburban Areas
While suburban communities have valid reasons to support local businesses, Taymun points out that Ottawa's urban core relies heavily on the concentration of federal employees. The hybrid model has significantly hurt downtown businesses and reduced revenues for OC Transpo. Suburban areas, however, do not have the same economies of scale or revenue dependency on federal workers. Thus, the mayor's alignment with federal RTO policy reflects economic reality rather than personal preference.
Mayor Has No Authority Over Federal RTO
Taymun emphasizes that the mayor has no jurisdiction over federal workplace policies. "Federal return to work policy is for the federal government and Treasury Board to set," he states. He prefers that mayoral candidates focus on issues within their control, such as transit, community safety, housing development, and municipal tax rates. Swimming against the federal RTO current is not a decisive factor for voters.
According to Taymun, the broader public supports RTO, and the mayor's stance is consistent with this trend. Suburban voters are unlikely to punish Sutcliffe for an issue beyond his authority, especially when his platform addresses local priorities like housing and transit.
