Experience Matters

Meeting the moment requires experience relevant to the work ahead. I bring the following to this race:

Experience as a Policy and Program Analyst with the Ontario Government
A PhD in Comparative Public Policy and MA in Health, Aging & Society from McMaster University
5 years on the Board of Directors of McMaster Community Homes, a nonprofit social housing provider in Dundas

Bringing Vision to Council

When it comes to solving the pressing problems impacting residents of Ward 13 and Hamilton, experience matters. That's why I decided to bring my background in mental health & addictions, home & community care, and social housing policy work in government, academia, and within the Ward to this City Council race.

I have built on my experience with conversations at the doors of Ward 13 residents. Through these engagements, I have developed a plan to bring evidence-based policy solutions to address the challenges that the Ward and the City now face.

Protecting the Environment

From the Dundas Valley Conservation Area to Westfield Heritage Village, Ward 13 is home to a diverse array of unique environmental and cultural landmarks. With the recent influx of development interest around the City of Hamilton, I want to emphasize my commitment to supporting local efforts to protect these spaces from future threats. I believe that all of us owe it to our communities, our children and youth, and future generations to protect the spaces we currently hold dear.

As Councillor, I pledge to vote against all AI Data Center development in the Greater Hamilton Area until robust environmental regulations can be introduced to hold developers and operators accountable to sustainable practices. I will also vote against any proposed developments that would contribute to unacceptable expansion of urban sprawl or negatively impact the local character and history of Dundas, Flamborough, Greensville, Rockton, and Freelton.

Protecting the Vulnerable

Through my years in both academia and the public service as a health policy researcher, analyst, and advisor, I have learned that when leaders focus on the social determinants of health, safety, and well-being, we see better results within the community, and at a lower fiscal and moral cost.

Over the past 4 years, leadership at the City of Hamilton has failed to address the root causes of homelessness, addiction, and crime while increasing spending on expensive, reactive, and cruel punitive measures, which have caused the city's police budget to grow at an even faster rate than that of property taxes. Meanwhile, our neighbours in St. Thomas and Elgin County have cut homelessness by 50% in the past 2 years through investments in low-barrier shelters and supportive housing, while cities elsewhere in Canada have had notable success in addressing their addictions crises through innovative programs in partnership with provincial governments.

The solutions are out there. As your Councillor, I would be committed to doing the work needed to implement best practices here in Hamilton, working alongside local partners and leveraging provincial and federal funding where available. By providing the most vulnerable in Hamilton the resources they need to escape the trappings of poverty, homelessness, and addiction, all residents will benefit.

Protecting Infrastructure

Hamilton is currently facing a $5.2 billion infrastructure deficit. As the largest Ward in the City by road surface area, Ward 13 contains a high concentration of renewal and repair needs, not just to its roads, but also to essential rural drainage, ditch management, and culvert upkeep.

The City was fortunate to receive a $572 million injection of funding from the Ontario government to be allocated for infrastructure projectst. This will be of significant help, but still amounts to only 11% of the current deficit. It will be up to the next council to take a fresh approach to addressing the infrastructure deficit, and this will require a focused plan to pivot away from the status quo.

As your councillor, I will move a motion to mandate City planning staff to conduct future infrastructure planning using a 75-25 formula split between infrastructure repair/renewal projects and net new infrastructure projects. Once the repair deficit is halved, this split will shift to 60-40 until the deficit is eliminated. This approach will require difficult decisions in the future, but also ensure they are being made with a forward-thinking, risk management approach that is needed to address this deficit.

My Promises for Availability, Reliability, and Accountability

100% response rate within 3 days

No Ward resident should have to wait weeks to hear from their Councillor. I am committed to ensuring the Ward 13 office responds to all correspondence within 72 hours.

Photo of Dundas, Ontario Town Hall, landscape, stone building with clock tower, overcast sky, greens in foreground

Weekly Office Hours and Annual Town Halls with Rural Residents

I am committed to ensuring there is a minimum of 12 weekly hours of in-person availability for drop-in or by-appointment visits from Ward residents at Dundas Town Hall. I will also host annual town halls in Rockton, Greensville, and Freelton to engage rural residents in their communities.

Biweekly Newsletters

The city's business is your business. That's why I am committed to publishing bi-weekly newsletters updating the Ward on Council motions and votes. I will also publish statements explaining my decisions and votes on contentious or difficult issues.