Dear Neighbours,

There is a point in most local issues where the conversation shifts — from identifying the problem to deciding what to do about it. 

We are seeing that moment across a number of fronts right now. A well-used dog park is closing and residents are asking what replaces it. A community conversation about poverty is beginning to produce concrete results. Work on housing and infrastructure is moving from discussion into coordination across governments.

The job of an effective Councillor isn't to pander or to complain; it's to get things done.

This update touches on a few of those areas — where things stand, and what comes next.

Dear Neighbours,

As we move through the final stretch of a long winter and into the early signs of spring, I want to take a moment to reflect on what has been a particularly full few weeks.

This newsletter covers a range of issues — some local, some reaching to Queen's Park, and some that are simply about who we are as a community. There is policy work underway on road salt and transit. There is economic progress that is real but still incomplete. There are residents who walked through the cold to support their neighbours, and a hospital that our community keeps choosing to invest in. And there is a 165-year-old land deed that turns out to say something important about the town we still live in today.

I got into local government because I believe that the decisions made closest to home matter. This newsletter is my attempt to keep you informed about those decisions — what is driving them, where things stand, and what I think needs to happen next. I hope you find it useful, and as always, I welcome your thoughts.

I was asked to speak at the Bradford West Gwillimbury Historical Society’s meeting about the Stoddart family deeding the land that now houses our courthouse, treasury building and a park. Here’s what I said:

Dear Neighbours,

February has been a month of real progress in our community — supporting vulnerable residents, advancing long-awaited projects and continuing important governance work across our region.

Here’s what’s happening.

Dear Neighbours,

January has been an important month, with significant conversations about governance, environmental protection and the year ahead.

Here is a clear snapshot of what has happened and where I stand.

Dear Neighbours,

For everything there is a season…

Dear Neighbours,

December was a demanding but important month as we take action to get things done to make a positive difference. We worked through a difficult budget, saw extraordinary generosity from our community, and had necessary conversations about governance, transparency and long-term planning. Here’s a clear snapshot of what happened and where I stand.

Every year, a municipal budget forces us to answer the same underlying question: what kind of community are we trying to build?

This year, that question feels sharper.

The Mayor will table his draft budget later today under Ontario’s strong-mayor framework. That means this document reflects his direction — not the collective judgment of Council. Later this month, the budget becomes ours to amend. And before I begin that work, I want to reflect on what residents have said clearly through this year’s pre-budget survey.

Nearly 200 residents responded — a strong turnout for a local survey — and the results point to a community that knows what it wants and understands the tradeoffs. They also help explain why so many people have expressed concern about the Mayor’s proposed approach.

Let’s walk through what you told me.

Over the past week, as I did my job and shared my concerns about the Mayor’s budget, a number of residents have rightly asked what I wish had been done differently in the budget process itself. That’s a fair question, and after this cycle, I think there are lessons worth reflecting on.