Good municipal government requires balance. Residents expect reliable services and the investments necessary to prepare Guelph for the future, but they also expect Council to recognize that public resources are limited and affordability matters.

My three priorities reflect that balance. They are intended to guide how I would approach the decisions Council makes — what we spend, how well services are delivered, and whether decisions are thoughtful, transparent and produce the results intended.

Priorities for Ward 4 and Guelph

My Three Priorities

  • Property taxes cannot continue to rise without regard for the ability of residents to pay, particularly when many families are already struggling with the rising cost of living.

    Residents should be confident that the taxes Council asks them to pay are necessary to properly fund the services it has approved.

    Responsible Spending means understanding what is driving costs, challenging those costs Council can influence, considering alternatives and being clear about their consequences.

    Not every worthwhile idea can be funded. Council has a responsibility to establish priorities, weigh competing needs and consider affordability when deciding where limited public resources should be spent.

  • Residents should be able to expect the services Council approves to be delivered effectively, efficiently and consistently across all neighbourhoods.

    Council’s responsibility doesn’t end when it approves a budget. It should establish clear service expectations and have meaningful information to determine whether those expectations are actually being met.

    When performance falls short, Council should understand why, what is being done to correct the problem and whether those actions are working. That is accountability for results.

  • Good decisions start with being clear about what we are trying to accomplish.

    Before committing public money, Council should be satisfied that competing needs for the same limited resources have been considered and that the proposed expenditure is of a higher priority.

    Council should have confidence that alternatives have been considered, understand the reasons a preferred approach is being recommended, and understand the consequences of the options available to it .

    Timing matters too. A worthwhile project may still need to wait if other needs are more urgent or the financial impact too great.

    Public input matters. Council should listen carefully to the views expressed through public consultation, delegations and community organizations. But it must also remember that many residents will never participate in those processes. Council has a responsibility to consider their interests too, and ultimately make decisions in the best interests of the community as a whole.

    Once a decision is made, Council should expect to know whether it delivered the results intended.

    Guelph needs to be ready for growth and for opportunities that come with it.

    Preparing for the future requires continued long-term planning and investment in the infrastructure our city will need as it grows. Planning ahead also positions Guelph to take advantage of business, industrial and other economic opportunities, as well as provincial and federal funding when it becomes available.

    Those investments will need to demonstrate value, be prioritized and staged responsibly. The objective isn’t to build everything immediately. It is to know what we’re going to need, plan for it and avoid sacrificing necessary long-term investment simply to make today’s tax increase look better.

    Prepare for tomorrow without losing sight of what residents can afford today.

Responsible Spending, Reliable Services and Accountable Decision-Making are not about standing still. Together, they are about ensuring Guelph has the capacity to move forward wisely.

Guelph will continue to grow. The question is how well we prepare for that growth. A growing city needs housing, infrastructure, transportation, employment opportunities and the services that support strong neighbourhoods.. It also needs to protect its natural areas and the other qualities that make Guelph a desirable place to live.

Preparing for the future means anticipating those needs and making necessary investments at the right time — while recognizing that affordability matters today.