Every day I show up for our Ward 4. I’m looking forward to continuing our work together, and here are my campaign priorities:
1. Small business and local economy resilience
Ward 4 has some great commercial corridors and they are the economic backbone of East Hamilton.
76% of Hamilton small businesses employ fewer than 10 people. They are your local pizza shops, nail salons, accountants, tech companies in garages and everything in between.
LRT construction, inflation and post-pandemic recovery have put enormous pressures on local operators – and as a small business owner myself, I understand the challenges firsthand.
As a re-elected councillor, I will continue to:
- Champion for funding to mitigate business disruption during LRT construction, ensuring Ward 4 businesses are compensated for construction disruption with targeted grants
- Refine and expand Community Improvement Plan incentives to support businesses in existing business improvement areas and commercial corridors.
- Examine and implement a Kenilworth Revitalization Strategy to attract new businesses to the commercial corridor while also giving a boost to existing businesses
- Work with staff to streamline the business permit process, making it easier for entities to do business in Ward 4 and Hamilton
2. Revenue innovation and city building
With LRT investment transforming Ward 4’s streetscape, the Steelport (Stelco) Lands poised for industrial redevelopment and new multi-residential development coming to the ward, we have an enormous opportunity to shape Ward 4’s growth.
As councillor, I’ve sat at key decision-making tables for all of the City’s arms-length organizations that generate revenue for the City beyond property taxes, whether it’s Hamilton Community Energy, HamiltonTourism Development or our local Farmers’ Market.
My goals in the second term will focus on these key opportunities:
- Continue to build up the revenue-generating capacity of Municipal Service Corporations to generate incentives / revenue to offset the tax burden on Hamilton property tax payers
- Participate in Economic Development activities to attract and retain commercial and industrial investments to the city
- Advocate for a City of Hamilton to develop a Green Municipal Bond strategy, a dedicated fund for urban trees, stormwater management and climate adaptation, financed in part through developer contributions and provincial/federal climate programs; create a framework to enable debt-financing on our city-building initiatives
- Champion universal broadband and digital equity in Ward 4, working with service providers and provincial programs to ensure no household is left offline
- Support the conversion of underutilized commercial space to community uses – arts spaces, health clinics, childcare and affordable housing – through flexible zoning and partnership with non-profits
- Pursue heritage designation and revitalization support for Ward 4’s built character, protecting what makes the ward distinct while enabling the density needed to house a growing city
3. Homelessness and housing
The answer to homelessness is housing – more homes built everything from affordable to market rate, better coordination across sectors, and improved support systems.
My commitment to housing builds on previous public record and some areas of focus:
- Facilitate the Housing Master Plan and the Housing Sustainability Investment Roadmap toward long-term housing pathways with provincial and federal partners, beyond management of encampments
- Work with community partners to develop transitional housing options between emergency shelter and permanent housing – the missing middle in Hamilton’s housing continuum
- Champion investment in preventative measures: tenant support services, eviction prevention programs, and affordable housing preservation that keep people housed before they reach crisis
- Maintain transparent public reporting on encampment status, shelter capacity, and housing placements so Ward 4 residents understand what’s happening and what’s being done about it
- Support the development of non-market housing on under-utilized city assets like parking lots; enable non-profit developers to build below market or affordable housing for families in Ward 4 and Hamilton
4. Community safety and well-being
We’ve seen serious pedestrian and cyclist incidents, including fatalities, in recent years. Traffic safety is the single most immediate concern.
Safe streets are the foundation to everything else we’re trying to build in our ward. I’m committing to further action that would get us there.
- Implement a phased traffic calming actions on priority residential streets: raised crosswalks, speed cushions, narrowed entries at key intersections and improved cyclist barriers on King and Main corridors including on the Pipeline Trail
- Advocate for permanent expanded cycling lanes connecting Ottawa Street to the waterfront and integrating with LRT active transportation infrastructure
- Advocate for expanded community mental health outreach and crisis response resources in Ward 4
5. A sustainable municipal fiscal framework
Property taxes were originally designed to fund concrete services to property – think roads and parks – not housing subsidies, long-term care and Ontario Works.
No amount of property tax increase can address the structural problem: the cost of social services, housing, homelessness and public health are downloaded from the province to municipalities – to us at the local level.
As a current board member of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), I’m positioned to champion a more sustainable municipal framework, working alongside other elected officials across 444 municipalities in the province to make real change.
As a current board member of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), I’m positioned to champion a more sustainable municipal framework, working alongside other elected officials across 444 municipalities in the province to make real change.