I’ve spent more than 12 years closely following the City of Oshawa, learning their policies, by-laws, and helping citizens reduce red tape to attain permits, by-law resolutions, and improve City processes.
I’m ready to work for you on Day 1.
It’s time for positive change.
Straight talk.
Results.
Council members reported to the Strategic Plan consultant in 2023:
During one-on-one interviews with Oshawa Councillors and workshops, the following were noted as the biggest challenges facing Oshawa today:
Current Challenges
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Perception about Oshawa's image, particularly the downtown area.
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Housing, including affordability and the need for various housing options.
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Support for people experiencing homelessness.
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Social issues such as substance use (including opioids) and mental health.
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Managing growth, infrastructure, and redevelopment of existing neighbourhoods.
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Aging infrastructure, maintenance, safety, and accessibility concerns.
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Geographic challenges related to expansion, service provision, and connectivity.
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Tax concerns and ensuring fiscal sustainability.
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The need for active transportation and multi-use paths.
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Expansion of affordable services along with service improvements.4
These ‘challenges’ continue to exist today, mostly unchecked, and serve as the basis to my election platform.
1. Downtown & Community Safety
The core of our City, historically and economically.
The growing unaffordability, homelessness, addiction, open drug use, redevelopment and intensification, lack of parking, and struggling business environment are creating the poor perception of Oshawa and in particular our downtown.
Many of these issues are City wide, but appear to be especially prevalent downtown.
Here are my platform goals to address not only Downtown, but our entire City of Oshawa:
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A motion for an immediate declaration of emergency on homelessness, putting pressure on the Region of Durham, Province of Ontario and Government of Canada to step up with funding real and immediate solutions.
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A resolution of Council to all levels of government for all social services funding to be ‘results based’.
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Investigate a ‘self cleaning washroom’ like what has been installed in the Rose Valley Park area for our unhoused population and look at possible locations to best serve the community.
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Create an Advisory Board of Council that implements a coordinated approach between service agencies to address root problems of homelessness, addiction, and mental illness in more simplified approaches – break down the funding into separate groups so that homelessness is not the last to be funded.
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Lobby the Region of Durham to move forward immediately on the Ritson Rd. School property and produce the promised 400 units of housing.
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Lobby the Region of Durham, Province of Ontario, and Government of Canada to fund, build, and administer at least 100 additional addiction recovery beds in Oshawa within the next 4 years.
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Lobby the Region of Durham and DRPS to enforce open drug use and trespass to property crimes. No more finger pointing at the justice system as an excuse to not enforce the laws.
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Lobby the Provincial and Federal governments to increase access to Mental Health and wellness services, and to consider legislation for involuntary treatment in only the most severe situations of personal harm.
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Empower the City through their Economic and Development Services department, Events staff, and partners such as Oshawa Tourism to promote events in our City and Downtown that promote safe community events, promote local businesses and entrepreneurs, and build a Tourism Plan with measurable outcomes.
2. Community Growth, infrastructure and Affordability
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Commission a report to Council on incentives to build auxiliary units to promote granny suites, garden suites, tiny homes, and other appropriate forms of affordable housing on existing residential properties.- appropriate infill.
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Commission a report to Council on “inclusionary zoning’ that considers the positive goals of requiring every development over 20 units to include a set percentage of affordable and deeply affordable units.
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Commission a report to Council on appropriate zoning amendments to facilitate easier access to as of right units, addiction recovery facilities, transitional housing, and affordable housing units with a goal to create 500 new affordable housing units within 4 years.
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Bring forward and promote new industrial and commercial development that brings new well paying jobs, tax revenues, and increased positive exposure to the City of Oshawa, such as an Enroute on Hwy 407 employment lands, a container shipping and receiving yard through the Port of Oshawa/HOPA, and commercial flights to our Oshawa Executive Airport.
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Lobby the Region of Durham and Durham Regional Transit to create efficient routing within Oshawa that increases frequency, provides safe transfer points, and utilizes a north-south/east-west grid pattern for major routes.
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Mandate and empower our Planning Department and policies to incorporate suitable commercial space, trails and MUP systems to create connected communities with appropriate emphasis on physical abilities.
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Commission a report to Council on comparative Lakeshore Municipalities and their use of Development Charges to attract Industrial and Commercial development with the goal that development pays for development.
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Ensure that any Development Charge deferral or waiver programs protect the taxpayers from default.
3. Taxes and Sustainability
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Encourage Council to approve a zero-based budgeting process that looks at every item with a critical eye on NEED, COST, and alternatives.
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Reinstitute the infrastructure levy contributions to build our reserves to help balance the infrastructure deficit that has ballooned to $1.6B for the next 10 years.
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Move a motion that the 2027 Operating Budget find a minimum 3% efficiency savings in every department without affecting services levels.
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Move a motion that the 2027 Operating Budget does not exceed the rate of inflation.
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Move a motion to freeze all executive salaries above the title of Director at 2026 levels until a full review of staffing levels, salaries, and comparative municipalities is conducted.
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Move a motion to freeze Council remuneration at 2026 levels.
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Tie all CIP and Increased Assessment Grants to ‘sundown clauses’ that require project completions on a specified timely basis or loss of incentives.
