Vision and purpose - I would lead with intent and vision for a sustainable and thriving Prince Edward County that builds and maintains a strong community.

Decision maker: I am committed to making the right decisions. They will be based on fact and evidence-based research and analysis so when we move ahead, we do so with confidence in the decisions and the implementation.

Communication – My goal is to inspire citizens to have confidence in Council decisions through clear language and engagement to build community support and trust.

Honesty and integrity – I hold to the basic principles and convictions of respect and fairness. I have a strong commitment to adhere to a personal and professional code of ethics which will always be rooted in what’s best for our community.

“The County is carrying more services and assets than it can afford.  Prince Edward County is a unique municipality with a broad and complex service mandate. The municipality delivers services across a geographically large rural area with multiple settlement communities, (small population/tax base), aging infrastructure, significant tourism pressures, and growing community expectations.”   Prince Edward County Service Delivery and Organizational Review Final Report, June 2026, Municipal VU Consulting Inc.

As mayor, I will: 

Work to develop a long-range financial plan to ensure that capital and operating decisions allow for necessary investments, maintenance of healthy financial reserves, and enable asset renewal and maintenance planning. This would reverse the trend and risk of short-term decisions that focus disproportionally on minimizing annual tax increases.  

Review municipal services to clearly distinguish those required as legislative requirements, including infrastructure, such as roads, bridges and sidewalks, or discretionary categories, such as grant requests and affordable housing, to ensure the services delivered are financially sustainable. Develop and implement a sustainable service delivery model that includes rationalization of services and realization of actual operation efficiencies.

Seek new and expanded revenue opportunities to offset demands on tax increases.  Review Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) rate to better offset infrastructure costs associated with tourism.  Advocate for adjustment of MAT funds to increase allocation to municipal finances versus marketing.  Focus on other fund opportunities such as grants or strategic partnerships such as public private partnerships.

Review the relationship between service cost and revenue streams to ensure that fees are consistently applied across departments and services (e.g. recreation fees, facility rentals, waste management fees).  User fees and charges need to be tied to actual service costs, to ensure the user pay principle is respected.   

Finalize asset management plans to ensure the County’s asset planning strategy is operating within a sustainable long-range financial plan.  Ensure service levels and capital priorities do not exceed financial resources, ensuring decision makers have a viable plan enabling strategic long-term decisions.

Land Use Planning

Prince Edward County is, and will continue to be, an attractive rural community for people of all ages and abilities to live, work, visit and play. The County is a welcoming, healthy, prosperous, safe and cohesive community with a strong, open municipal government. Sustainability - environmentally, growth-related and otherwise; agriculturally focused; diverse cultural and economic fabric; and healthy, livable, complete communities are the lenses through which the County will make decisions that protect and enhance the quality of life and quality of place that have made it successful and attractive.  Prince Edward County Official Plan 2021 -Vision for the Future

 

As Mayor, I will:

Utilize the Official Plan to guide land use planning decisions and set the tone for  proposals and development applications to change land use.  New development must reinforce the County’s desirable quality of life and quality of place and strive to be compatible with surrounding land uses  and context. 

Model the review and council approval of urban development such that the lands can be serviced strategically in a logical manner in terms of infrastructure extensions.  Promote intensification of urban areas to minimize urban sprawl and make use of existing infrastructure.

Ensure that the County natural features and areas are the focus at planning pre-consultation stage such that planning files are not presented for approval without proper acknowledgement of the approved County Environmental Protection and Enhancement policies. 

Review rural land use planning applications with a view of protecting or maintaining the rural character and landscapes of the County.  Support planning staff in their efforts to adhere to provincial planning policy to minimize conflicts between agricultural operations and rural housing and to protect agricultural areas for long term use.

Encourage the promotion of employment areas and economic development by being receptive to proposals to diversify the economic base and support a range of economic activities.  Work with staff and council to facilitate timely approvals of viable proposals to ensure proponents are not overburdened by bureaucracy.

Asset Management – Transportation - Roads

With an extensive road network and limited resources, the County faces an unsustainable backlog – one that cannot realistically be addressed without either significantly increased funding for roads maintenance and rehabilitation or accepting a reduction in overall service levels.

Discussion Paper for Council-Staff Working Session – Asset Management Class – Roads – April 2025

The Transportation Asset category accounts for 77% of County tax supported assets of which 91% of this category are Roads (remaining 9% of Transportation assets are bridges, sidewalks, structural culverts, and streetlights).  The current financial lifecycle backlog for roads has been estimated at $266.4 million. 

Asset Management Plan for Tax-supported Assets – Final Report – November 2025,              Watson & Associates

As Mayor, I will:

Conduct a public information session and realistic discussion forum regarding the roads financial requirements and estimated impact on municipal tax bills resulting from the financial strategy in the Asset Management Plan.  The financial strategy would outline the tax levy increases required to eliminate the current roads infrastructure funding backlog over a 10 year period.  Alternately, funding strategies for a reduced service level of road standards can be proposed to offset tax increases.

Work and advocate for additional Provincial and Federal funding sources to offset taxpayer requirements to improve or sustain service levels.  Work with Association of Municipalities Ontario to base annual grants on a replacement cost funding formula from existing funding streams such as Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund and Canada Community Building Fund.

I would propose to increase the Municipal Accommodation Tax from 4% to 6% to generate more income to potentially offset roads infrastucture requirements.  Advocate strongly for update to Ontario Reg 435/17 (Transient Accommodation Tax) to amend the net revenue sharing formula from the existing 50% allocation to destination marketing program ensuring that destination marketing is adequately funded but that tourists pay their share of roads maintenance.

Work with staff to ensure there is an effective and efficient day to day roads maintenance plan and schedule.   Seek technical improvements and preventative maintenance to improve road conditions and service levels between reconstruction periods.

Rising to the Challenge of Climate Change

“The community wants the County to be a place where everyone works together to find solutions.  Residents want to engage with the County on climate mitigation and adaptation.  Taking action will help relieve anxiety that comes with an uncertain future.”

County 2033 A 10-year Community Plan, 2023

“Prince Edward County declared a climate emergency in 2019.  What it has not yet done is fully integrate climate risk into daily governance.”

PEC Climate Action Working Group, 2026

As Mayor, I will:

Advocate for continuing active membership in the Partners for Climate Protection program  to advance the established program milestones. This work includes developing and implementing a plan to meet Council approved targets of a 20% reduction in the 2019 corporate greenhouse gas emissions baseline by the year 2033.  Introduce a climate-risk lens into all Municipal decisions that treats mitigation and adaptation as parallel priorities. 

Advance opportunities within the County assets and asset renewal to achieve greenhouse gas reductions.  This includes buildings/facilities opportunities for solar or geothermal energy for retrofits, fleet optimization by consideration of vehicle type and need with a view to  transition to fleet electrification; explore and adopt innovative technologies for energy recovery or efficiency at water/wastewater plants and pumping stations. 

Ensure capital infrastructure works and renewal integrate adaptation plans to address effects of extreme weather events and undertake climate risk assessments.  This includes strategies to integrate climate change requirements within the Asset Management framework and ensuring the  required standards result in sustainable and resilient infrastructure.

Encourage planning review and approvals that promote climate change mitigation through land use patterns in urban areas including higher density development and promoting infill on existing roads and infrastructure.   Ensure protection or expansion of natural carbon sinks such as wetlands and forests. 

The sitting County council (2023-2026) has passed a by-law to add the following question to the October 2026 municipal election ballot:

Are you in favour of a third-party review of council size and related ward boundaries? Answer options:  Yes or No

For the results of the question to be legally binding on the municipality:

• At least 50 per cent of the eligible electors in the municipality vote on the question, and
• More than 50 per cent of the voters are in favour

As Mayor, I will:

Review the results of the question, binding or not, to gain understanding of voter interest and to gauge public opinion in proceeding with a review.  The ballot results will guide the decision of initiating the necessary review.  

If results indicate public desire to proceed, I will initiate a thorough review of work previously undertaken in the review of council to build on earlier (2015) research and conclusions and minimize costs.  (The estimated costs of a third-party review would be between $75,000 and $100,000 depending on the scope of the work.  Municipal Website)

Ensure any proposed council size and ward boundaries respect representation by population, parity, effective councillor representation, and geography of the County.  Provide opportunities for public input and participation to finalize council and ward composition for next term (2031-2034).