Priorities

Property Taxes

Barrie residents are among the most heavily taxed in Ontario. As your councillor I will work hard and transparently to eliminate waste and ensure that we are getting value for our money, minimizing tax increases as we struggle with the highest inflation rate in 39 years, while maintaining the services that make Barrie a great place to live. How will I do this? By applying industry best practices to engage all levels of staff and city partners in finding and fixing losses and inefficiencies in their daily tasks. I have thirty years of experience with this and I know what we can accomplish!

Employment and Industry

My goal is to attract industry, particularly in the tech sector, grow local businesses and create local careers. This will reduce the commute for residents, improve quality of life, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help diversify the tax base in our city.

Community Safety

While Ward Six is a safe place to be, thefts from vehicles and speeding in our neighbourhoods are common concerns. As Ward Six councillor I will liaise with police services and city operations to seek and implement effective solutions to these problems.

Traffic

As Ward Six grew, Ferndale road became a major artery. Traffic on Ferndale and Essa is now a concern, and Mapleton and Ardagh will also see more traffic with further development off of Ardagh road. Combined with the nuisance of excessively loud vehicles and the safety concern of speeding through our residential areas, traffic is a major concern in Ward Six. I will work with police services and city operations to find practical solutions to traffic concerns in our community. There’s a body of knowledge for traffic calming measures that are a helpful guide, and if it makes sense as part of an overall strategy I will support the introduction of photo radar on arterial roads and sensitive areas such as school zones.

Communication

As your councillor, I will hold quarterly Ward 6 community meetings to share the progress on city projects affecting our ward and the priorities listed here, and to get your input. I will also maintain a website sharing the same information. As your councillor, my role will be to represent the community of Ward 6, and I feel the best way to do this is regular two-way communication with all the residents.

Affordable Housing

Housing prices in Barrie are unaffordable. First, we need to increase the amount of available housing. I will work to make new housing available as quickly as possible while ensuring it is integrated into existing communities. Real estate speculation must also be discouraged, so I will examine options such as a tax on empty homes equal to 3-5% of the assessed value (Vancouver implemented this), and propose the most effective strategy to increase housing availability and cool the local housing market.