PRIORITIES
Make Life More Affordable
Affordability is a major concern for most Hamiltonians. It impacts our mental and physical health, and our daily lives. These challenges often impact our most vulnerable community members the most.
If elected I will:
- Leverage city-owned land for non-profit builds, supportive housing projects, and co-op housing.
- Advocate to conduct a feasibility study into the creation of non-profit, municipally operated grocery stores to tackle rising food costs.
- Pursue a review of every department’s budget in 2027 to reasonably reduce spending to lessen the need to increase property tax.
- Examine ways to reduce public transit cost beyond the Fare Assist program to make it more accessible and affordable for everyone.
- Encourage the development of city run subsidized day care programs to address the shortage of affordable day care options available to families.
- Support tenant protection bylaws to preserve existing low-cost rentals.
- Advocate for the Better Homes Hamilton Program to become an ongoing city supported program to help residents save on utilities.
- Ensure public libraries receive funding necessary to safely operate and continue no-cost options for all current services.
Rebuild Trust, Transparency and Good Governance:
Trust depends on honesty, responsiveness, transparency and inclusive engagement. Residents deserve a government that
treats their tax dollars with respect and communicates clearly about how money is being spent.
If elected I will:
- Strengthen accountability measures to prevent cost overruns and delayed city projects.
- Facilitate community events in all Ward 1 neighborhoods, so constituents can directly share their concerns, issues and desires with me.
- Utilize social media, newsletters, phone calls, and a Ward 1 website to communicate with residents about issues and decisions that will impact their day-to-day lives.
- Address the misuse of tax dollars with transparent budgeting and procurement processes.
- Prioritize the use of city staff expertise to reduce excessive consulting costs.
Prioritize Infrastructure Renewal:
Hamilton’s infrastructure requires significant improvements (roads, bridges, transit, aging water systems, sewer systems, etc.).
If elected I will:
- Support fair wages, safe working conditions, and appropriate training for the skilled workers responsible for maintaining and renewing Hamilton’s infrastructure.
- Identify the areas most in need of renewal with the help of city staff and resident feedback.
- Use community and staff feedback to decide which infrastructure projects should be prioritized based on safety, asset condition, cost, environmental risk, growth projections.
- Champion long-term infrastructure planning focused on strategic upgrades to aging municipal infrastructure that align with climate strategies, fiscal prudence, and future growth.
Focus On Smart Green Growth:
Decisions about the future of our city must evaluate policies, budgets, land use, and infrastructure through the dual pillars of greenhouse gas mitigation and climate resilience. Failing to do so is short-sighted and creates additional problems.
If elected I will:
- Stand firmly in support of an interim control by-law for the development of AI data centres and to bring forward another vote on the issue.
- Advocate for industrial and business proposals that meet or exceed Hamilton’s Climate Action Strategy while offering long-term union jobs.
- Prioritize gentle density with truly affordable, sustainably built, energy-efficient housing projects within our urban boundary to avoid incurring expensive new infrastructure costs and to reduce the lifetime cost of maintenance.
- Push to pursue a feasibility study into rapidly installing solar panels on all municipal properties.
Community Stewardship and Safety:
A healthy, safe environment protects public health, supports economic stability, and makes our communities strong. As a lifelong environmentalist, ensuring that our green spaces, nature and climate are protected is something I believe to be essential.
If elected I will:
- Listen to scientists, Indigenous people, and experts for the best strategies to protect our air, water, and green spaces. These environmental assets improve our quality of life and lower healthcare costs for everyone.
- Advocate to expand environmental stewardship programs focused on increasing urban forest canopy, managing invasive species, and protecting native species.
- Support increased access for citizen volunteers to City-managed volunteer programs (e.g. community tree planting, “Team Up to Clean Up” and other initiatives).
