Why I am seeking Re-election on October 24th, 2022
The next four years will require the Town of Milton to make decisions that will establish the community’s direction for the next 40 years.
The residents of Ward 2 need a local councillor who is clearly in their corner, one who balances the financial challenges faced by the municipality with their ability to pay, one who knows the importance of long-term planning and helps council and staff make convincing arguments to the other levels of government in a way that benefits the majority of Miltonians; and one who understands that, at its core, the Town of Milton exists to deliver broadly-based, core services to taxpayers efficiently, effectively and in a high-quality fashion.
I have consistently focused on these key matters over the last four years. I have personally helped several hundred Miltonians with municipal matters of concern to them. I have attempted to keep the residents of Ward 2 fully informed, financing and distributing to all a newsletter twice annually — the first and only time in Milton’s 165-year municipal history that this has been done by a local councillor.
I brought more motions forward on various matters that helped to improve the lives of individual Miltonians than any of my fellow councillors. That’s not a reflection on them. That’s a reflection on what I saw that needed to be done. Without their support and the support of Town staff, none of these improvements would have materialized. I have kept the promises I made to you in 2018.
As before, I will maintain my single-minded focus for the next four years.
I froze my stipend in 2019 and it will remain frozen through 2026. Why? It’s important for all elected representatives to show fiscal leadership, given the inflationary and recessionary pressure our community is facing. Milton Council is going to have to make some difficult decisions in the next budget that may have individual councillors thinking about whether or not raising their salaries and improving their benefits was a wise thing to do. In my view, it would have been better to consider Council salaries and benefits when high inflation and the recession are behind us.
I would appreciate your support on October 24, 2022, so that, together, we can continue to build one of the very best communities in Ontario with which to live, work and play.
Thank-you.
John Challinor
