5 Questions With Somerset Council Candidate Michael Tay

The following are 5 questions that we sent out to every Ottawa City Council candidate in hopes of getting to know them better. We publish the responses exactly as we receive them, in the order that they were sent to us. Here are the responses from Somerset (Ward 14) Council candidate Michael Tay.

1. Who are you? Where are you from? What relevant experience do you have for the job?

My name is Michael Tay, and I am running to represent Somerset Ward. I was born in Halifax and have called Ottawa home for about 30 years.

For the past 17 years, I have worked in social and community services, including mental health, homelessness, youth services, settlement and immigration, and legal services. Today, I manage a large transitional housing program for newcomers and refugees and a multidisciplinary team of more than 40 staff. I have also teach at Algonquin College and serve on the Ottawa Police Service’s Community Equity Council.

My career has taught me how to bring people together, work across institutions and levels of government, and advocate strongly while still working constructively with people who may have different perspectives.

2. The city spends nearly $1B/y on OC Transpo, though many constituents remain dissatisfied with the state of Ottawa’s public transportation. What would you do as a councillor to improve the city’s transportation system?

People are paying good money for public transit and should be able to rely on it.

My priority would be reliability: accurate information about when buses are coming, timely updates when service changes, and clear standards for whether routes are actually performing well.

We also need to listen to riders, identify routes that are consistently late, overcrowded or poorly connected, and make changes based on how people actually use the system.

OC Transpo is an essential service and needs to be properly funded, but residents also deserve to know they are getting reliable service for that investment.

3. In a December 2025 poll from Abacus Data, 37% of respondents said that cost of living was the most important issue facing the city; another 19% responded ‘housing affordability.’ What would you do as a councillor to make the city of Ottawa more affordable?

Housing is one of the biggest areas where the City can make a difference. We need more housing of different types, including rental, supportive, deeply affordable and non-profit housing.

I support thoughtful densification, particularly where transit and services already exist, but growth also needs to come with the infrastructure and community services required to support it.

Affordability goes beyond housing. More residents are relying on food banks and community organizations for basic needs. The City should work with those organizations and other levels of government while also being mindful of municipal costs such as transit fares and recreation fees.

City Hall should always be asking whether its decisions are making everyday life more or less affordable.

4. Certain city services like OC Transpo and the OPS have run significant deficits in recent years. Is there anything that you would do as a councillor to try to balance the city’s budget?

Balancing the budget matters, but it cannot simply mean cutting essential services.

Services like OC Transpo need to be properly funded, while Council also has a responsibility to make sure residents are getting good value for their money.

I would support regular reviews of programs and spending, stronger scrutiny of major projects and contracts, and efforts to reduce duplication or unnecessary administrative costs without weakening frontline services.

My approach is practical: understand where the money is going, measure whether it is producing results, protect essential services and change what is not working.

5. Why are you running for Council? What do you think is the biggest issue facing your ward today?

I am running because I believe Somerset needs practical leadership grounded in everyday life.

My career has been spent working on the frontline, managing teams and bringing together community organizations, institutions and different levels of government. I believe effective leadership means being willing to advocate strongly for your community while also knowing how to work with people who may not always agree with you.

That is what Our Ward, Your Work means to me, listening to residents and then doing the work required to turn their concerns into action.

The biggest issue facing Somerset is the intersection of homelessness, substance use, mental health and community safety.

I do not believe we have to choose between compassion and accountability. We can support housing, treatment, harm reduction and frontline services while also expecting our neighbourhoods and public spaces to be safe and welcoming.

These challenges also cannot be left to Somerset alone. They require commitment from the entire city and other levels of government.