Top Priorties:
Please read below for an overview of my top priorities if elected as Councillor for the City of Brockville. These priorities reflect my commitment to responsible leadership, a strong and thriving community, and ensuring that Brockville continues to move forward in a thoughtful and accountable way.
01
Infrastructure Maintenance
Preventative Maintenance: I fully appreciate the City has an existing Ontario Government mandated Asset Management System. However , I feel that all departments not just Public Works need to fully embrace this concept. My position with respect to capital spending will be that no new infrastructure should be built until existing infrastructure is maintained. If new infrastructure is required, the city must ensure that funds will be available and allocated for regular routine maintenance. Far more priority must be given to ensure we have the resources to properly maintain exiting City assets. The current state of infrastructure along King Street is a prime example. This being one of major feature that makes Brockville a tourism destination has been left to deteriorate.eg flaking paint streetlights dangerously crumbling interlocking paving stones etc. This clearly demonstrates the lack of priority given to preventative maintenance. Had an annual maintenance been budgeted the life span of this infrastructure would have been extended by decades saving taxpayers millions of dollars. The same could be said with other assets such as the Pavilion at Hardy Park which is reaching a point of “demolition by neglect"
02
Economic Development
A key area of my focus is economic development, especially as it relates to tourism. I strongly believe that Brockville has the potential to become a top tourist destination. We should aim high. With Brockville’s historic and cultural heritage combined with the incomparable beauty of the St. Lawrence River we should be a premier destination like Niagara -on-The Lake, Stratford and Prince Edward County. We have a first-class Arts Center, The Arts Hub, The Railroad Tunnel, Brock Trail beautiful waterfront, festivals like the Tall Ships and more recently the St. Lawrence Writers festival. If elected I will be focused on these priorities because I truly believe that the two combined will bring in much needed economic benefits to our community and make our community more vibrant. The City has taken over responsibility for tourism and need to step up their game . A prime example is the Tourism Info Office not being open this past Labour Day weekend.
03
Improving Council and Staff Accountability
It has been my experience which has been reenforced by feedback received during the campaign that residents expect major improvements to how City Council and Staff respond to taxpayers concerns .In many cases Councillors do not respond to citizens email. I pledge that if elected I will respond to all correspondence and not hide behind bureaucratic processes. I appreciate that some measures have been recently implemented to address this problem such as the new portal for reporting problems and submitting requests. Although this is a good step the City must make sure that such systems are very user friendly.
04
Unhoused and Mental health
As with all municipalities there will always be social issues such as homelessness, mental illness and drug addiction. The city must continue its efforts to fight homeless, however it is now up to senior levels of government and the County to step up and provide increased resources to complete the mission. The City of Brockville must remain focused on core responsibilities and assure service levels are delivered efficiently .