PRIORITIES

Algonquin Highlands is a special place, defined by its natural beauty, strong communities and the quality of life it offers residents, cottagers and visitors.

My priority is to help preserve what makes this community so valued while making thoughtful, responsible decisions about its future.

My approach is to listen first, examine the evidence, ask good questions and consider what will provide the best long-term value for residents.

1. A STRONG LOCAL COMMUNITY AND ECONOMY
A healthy local economy helps support a strong year-round community.
Municipal government should work constructively with local businesses and residents, keep its processes as clear and practical as possible, and consider where unnecessary barriers can be reduced.

That includes:

  • Supporting sensible economic development.
  • Listening to local businesses about the challenges they face.
  • Keeping municipal regulations and processes clear and practical.
  • Supporting opportunities that contribute to a strong year-round community.
  • Recognizing the importance of tourism, culture, and recreation to the local economy.

2. RESPECTING TAXPAYERS’ DOLLARS
Municipal costs are increasing, making careful financial decisions increasingly important.

Council needs to ask tough questions about spending, look for opportunities to deliver services efficiently and make sure residents receive good value while maintaining or improving the services they rely on.

That means:

  • Examining spending and investment decisions carefully.
  • Looking for practical efficiencies in municipal operations.
  • Considering both immediate costs and long-term financial impacts.
  • Maintaining or improving important municipal services while recognizing the pressures facing taxpayers.
  • Being prepared to consider better ways of delivering services where there is clear evidence they would benefit residents.

3. PROTECTING OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Our lakes, forests, waterways and natural landscape are fundamental to Algonquin Highlands.

They contribute to our quality of life, our local economy and the reasons people choose to live, cottage, work and visit here.

Protecting them means:

  • Considering environmental impacts when making decisions about growth and development.
  • Protecting water quality.
  • Supporting effective septic programs.
  • Working with lake associations and residents on shoreline and lake protection.
  • Supporting responsible development that protects the qualities that make Algonquin Highlands distinctive.

4. REPRESENTATION AND THE FUTURE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Haliburton County is considering important questions about affordability, municipal services and how local government could be organized in the future.

Any significant change deserves careful consideration.

We need to understand:

  • Whether proposed changes would provide better services and better value for taxpayers.
  • What they would mean for local representation, including Ward 3.
  • How they could affect community identity.
  • Whether residents throughout the County would continue to have the same or better access to municipal services.
  • What can be learned from previous municipal restructuring.

Residents should have meaningful opportunities to be heard before major decisions affecting their communities are made.

My approach would be to study the evidence, ask tough questions, listen carefully to residents and make decisions based on the long-term interests of Algonquin Highlands and Haliburton County.