5 Questions With Somerset Council Candidate Robert Dekker

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 Robert Dekker.

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

My name is Robert Dekker, I have more than 20 years of community involvement and have gained extensive experience in municipal planning, governance, community engagement, and collaborative problem-solving. Through leadership roles with the Centretown Community Association and Daybreak Housing, I have worked with residents, city staff, and elected officials to address neighbourhood concerns, navigate planning issues, and build consensus on complex decisions. I work for a Member of Parliament listening to constituents and helping to resolve their issues. I will do the same as Councillor for Somerset Ward. These experiences have given me a deep understanding of how City Hall works and prepared me to be an informed, effective, and accountable city councillor.

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?

Ottawa residents need a transit system that is reliable, accountable and focused on the people who depend on it every day. The priority should be to stop changing direction and start measuring results.

OC Transpo General Manager Dan Leary has released a Customer First Action Plan. I would support putting that plan into action, setting clear performance targets and reporting publicly on whether those targets are being met. Council should not abandon a plan before there is evidence of what is working and what is not. Where the results fall short, Council must be prepared to act. However I will listen to the residents of the ward and take their feedback directly to OC Transit Leadership to seek immediate resolution and action on their concerns.

The same evidence-based approach should apply to the Bank Street Bus Lane Pilot Project, which will not begin until 2027. There is currently no data to demonstrate how the pilot will perform. I attended the public consultation and heard the Centretown Community Association’s Transportation Committee advocate for extending the pilot into Centretown. That option should be seriously considered once the evidence is available.

Para Transpo also needs immediate attention. Riders who rely on accessible transit deserve a service that is dependable and responsive. Improvements promised through the Customer First Action Plan must translate into measurable results for Para Transpo clients.

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?

My priority for housing in Ottawa is to increase the number of supportive housing units so that homeless individuals seeking a home will have the necessary supports for a healthy and clean lifestyle, leading to independence and their own home.

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?

As councillor I will seek a seat on the Police Services Board and support a budget that makes our streets and communities safe. Over the past four years crime has increased and residents’ concerns have risen with it. OC Transpo needs to increase efficiency, ridership and trust in the service to reduce the deficit. My aim as councillor is to take concerns from Somerset Ward directly to the OC Transpo General Manager for action.

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

I am running for councillor to reverse the decline the ward has seen in the last four years. Crime is up, Somerset has the highest crime rate in the city and we must have a councillor who addresses this. Crime affects everyone in the ward: residents and business owners. We need to see more police on the local beat, visible in our community preventing theft, stabbings and assaults. Everyone in the ward deserves a community where they feel safe and comfortable. If elected I will seek a seat on the Police Services Board to ensure the voice of Somerset Ward is front and centre in the effort to reduce crime in Somerset and across the city.