A Strong Platform for Your Strong Voice
In the past 30 years, I have seen Aurora grow considerably. It is my goal to ensure that moving forward, growth is considerate, controlled, and that our infrastructure will grow to accommodate the people who already and will soon call Aurora home. I am focused on making Aurora town council more transparent and democratic while acting as your personal advocate.
Transparency
I believe in council transparency, accountability, and public engagement. All of council should be able to answer the hard questions. We should not hide when uncomfortable questions are asked. We should not avoid public confrontation on important matters. Public engagement is key when going forward with expensive decisions that could affect tax rates. Aurora residents should be answered in a timely manner when asking relevant, pertinent questions and not have their questions ignored, deleted, or blocked by council members. It is our duty as elected members to be available to our constituents.
Growth
I believe in considerate growth in housing, intensification, commercial development and industrial expansion. I am passionate about municipal resilience, sustainable growth, and maintaining funds to allocate to infrastructure repair and replacement. It is a necessary expenditure that the Town of Aurora needs to plan for. I believe in managed budgets that do not overspend on vanity projects that lead to higher taxes.
Democratic Governance
I believe that every member of a municipal council should have a voice. Your vote for your councilor should matter. It gives you a voice about the concerns of your neigbourhood. Our municipality needs democratic governance going forward.
Inclusivity
Decisions made by council need to ensure that long term residents are not adversely affected by new development, but also that new residents will find a place in Aurora and feel welcomed into their new neighbourhoods. New community projects approved by council should appeal to a wide age range of Aurora residents. Large expenditures for community projects should have extensive public engagement, and the input of all members of council in the decision making, as ward councilors can make their constituents concerns heard.
Community
Safety
Everyone wants to feel safe in their home and in their community. I will work to ensure that concerns about safety from my ward will be addressed through council and with local law enforcement.
Natural Areas
Aurora is a unique town. We are blessed with many streams, ponds and natural areas. Our trail system is extensive and enjoyed by many residents. Stream management, storm runoff and protecting natural areas need to be a town priority going forward to ensure future resilience and for the enjoyment of future generations. Recent storms have decimated the tree canopy in some areas. Replanting should be a priority to diminish the heat island effect that can occur in built up areas.