Ask John A Questions

During my 19 years as a Milton councillor, I have helped several thousand Miltonians with their municipal problems. My financial, people and government management experience, as well as my deep commitment to and understanding of our community is now needed more than ever.

If you have questions for me regarding my platform or political issues involving the Town of Milton, please submit a message with your contact information and I will get back to you shortly.

Sincerely, John Challinor II

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405 Gowland Crescent
Milton, ON
L9T 4B9

Ask John A Question

If you have questions for me regarding my platform or political issues involving the Town of Milton, please submit a message with your contact information and I will get back to you shortly.

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Community Questions

Questions Submitted By Our Local Ward 2 Voters

Public Safety

Q: How will you ensure police funding keeps pace with population growth while maintaining accountability?

A: Funding for Halton Regional Police Services has increased 35.7% over the last four years, while the population across the Regional Municipality of Halton has grown just 7%. The HRPS budget was 22% of Halton Region’s total operating budget in 2026. The seven-member Halton Regional Police Services Board includes three members of Halton Regional Council, which makes it less accountable to Halton taxpayers than it should be, given that they are funding its $252.4 million budget. If elected as the Regional Councillor, Ward 2, Town of Milton, I will be requesting that four members of Halton Regional Council be appointed to the seven-member Police Board, giving Halton taxpayers the accountability they should have on that Board.

Q: What are your priorities for improving community safety across the region?

A: According to Halton Regional Police Services, the overall crime rate in Halton dropped 4.8% in 2025. Auto thefts dropped 22%. Property crime dropped 7.2%. The rate of violent crime dropped. However, in my view, the roads, sidewalks and pathways across Halton Region all became more dangerous because of speeding vehicles, illegal use of motorcycles, e-bikes and scooters and too many poorly-trained drivers. In Milton, Council and staff have supported my recommendations to introduce urban shoulders (white lines) on neighbourhood streets, which slows traffic; upgrade all school crossings to pedestrian cross-overs, many of them lighted; make u-turns at most arterial road intersections illegal; introduce proper left-turn and right-turn lanes on those streets that don’t currently have them, where possible; introduce a public safety communications/education program; request the federal and provincial governments to reduce the legal decibel maximum for vehicle exhaust systems; request the province to participate with the Town of Milton in a noise camera pilot program; and reduce neighbourhood speed limits to 40 km/h. If elected as the Regional Councillor, Ward 2, Town of Milton, I will be encouraging Halton Regional Council to implement these safety measures on all regional roads across Halton.

Q: How will you support bylaw and police coordination on issues like illegal motorized scooters, e-bikes, and dirt bikes?

A: In November 2025, Town of Milton Ward 4 Local Councillor Sarah Marshall brought forward a motion to Council, which I helped to author and fully supported when it came forward, which called for a coordinated effort across Halton Region in dealing with illegal e-scooters. Unless a municipality opts into the Government of Ontario’s e-scooter pilot program, they are illegal on its roads, sidewalks and paths. They are currently illegal in Milton, for that reason. However, until the Government completes its pilot program and passes legislation dealing with e-scooters, all Ontario municipalities and all Ontario police forces, are hard-pressed to restrict them because the authority to legislate them rests solely with the Province. If elected as the Regional Councillor, Ward 2, Town of Milton, I will be encouraging Halton Regional Council to advocate to the Government of Ontario for legislation immediately that deals with e-scooters, e-bikes as well as motorized bikes, scooters and smaller motorcycles.

Transportation & Transit

Q: What is your plan to improve regional transit for commuters and families?

A: The responsibility for regional transit in Ontario rests solely with Metrolinx. Historically, while Halton Regional Council has supported improvements to GO Transit, it has not suppported the establishment of a transit system that serves commuting requirements between municipalities within Halton. If elected as the Regional Councillor, Ward 2, Town of Milton, I will be encouraging Halton Regional Council to review that decision, set a time-table for regular reviews (every five years) and begin discussions with the primary funder for such a system in Halton — the Government of Ontario and its regional transit agency — Metrolinx.

Q: How will you reduce commute times and improve connections between communities?

A: Until Halton Regional Council agrees that a regional transit system within Halton is a priority and the Government of Ontario commits to funding it, improved commute times and connections between communities can only come about through optimally designed and functioning major arterial regional road systems. The regional road network in Halton can be greatly improved, so there is a viable way to reduce commute times and improve community interconnectivity by investing in this area. If elected as the Regional Councillor, Ward 2, Town of Milton, I will be advocating for the fast-tracking of the construction of major arterial roadways across the width and breadth of Halton, particularly those that are north-south in their orientation.

Q: What transportation projects should be prioritized over the next four years?

A: There are a number of transportation initiatives that need to be considered concurrently over the next 25 years, including a major north-south regional road that connects Burlington, Halton Hills, Milton and Oakville; widening of a number of current major arterial roads in Halton, complemented by the introduction of additional major arterial roads where most of the significant growth in Halton will occur; at least one north-south corridor connected to at least one east-west corridor that are public transit priority routes; connection of the current and developing active transportation networks in Burlington, Halton Hills, Milton and Oakville for cyclists and hikers that also connects them to the Bruce Trail and some Conservation Halton parks and amenities; a regional airport; a regional harbour; and an ongoing public safety program that includes communications, education, site-specific speed camera enforcement and site-specific noise camera enforcement.

Economic Development

Q: What is your strategy for attracting new employers and investment to the region?

A: The Region of Halton eliminated its economic development department in January 2025. It is now the responsibility of the four municipalities that make up Halton Region. If we want to make Milton the best place in Canada to live, work and play, Milton Council has a responsibility to create a positive environment for the business community to create jobs. As Chairman of the Destiny Milton Economic Development Task Force and the Founding Chairman of the Milton Economic Development Advisory Committee in the early and mid-1990s, I led the creation of a successful strategy to encourage commercial / industrial investment and jobs to Milton through an effective marketing plan to promote our Highway 401 Industrial Park, an outreach program to industries that would realistically consider Milton as their new headquarters and the hiring of a full-time economic development officer. In 2022, Milton Council approved a new Economic Development Strategy which now promotes, amongst other things, the Town’s Derry Green Industrial Park. Ward 2 is the ward of business in Milton. If elected Regional Councillor, Ward 2, Town of Milton, I will continue to advocate for residential and commercial property taxpayers in Milton in a way that creates an affordable environment for both, which includes controlling spending and, thus tax increases.

Q: How will you support existing businesses so they can grow and create jobs?

A: Fundamentally, the Town of Milton must have a high-functioning Economic Development department to properly support existing businesses so they can grow and create jobs. Milton Council also has to create the right environment, principally by keeping tax rates and tax increases at a reasonable level — inflation plus growth and no more. Supported by an Economic Development Strategy that is reviewed every five years, the department must schedule regular visits with the business community to understand its challenges and opportunities; be an advocate within the Town of Milton for the business community; identify grants and programs to help the local business community transform to meet future challenges; ensure that local post-secondary institutions are developing educational programs and offerings that support local workforce requirements; and network with local business organizations to understand their future needs. If elected Regional Councillor, Ward 2, Town of Milton, I will continue to advocate for residential and commercial property taxpayers in Milton in a way that creates an affordable environment for both, which includes controlling spending and, thus tax increases.

Q: What industries do you think our region should be targeting?

A: With what Milton has to offer in terms of its workforce, available lands, property tax structure and quality of community living, advanced manufacturing, communications/information systems, life sciences and transportation/logistics probably make the most sense to target.

Fiscal Responsibility

Q: What services do you think deserve increased investment?

A: The Regional Municipality of Halton is responsible for emergency medical response (paramedics), policing, public health, regional road infrastructure, social services, subsidized housing, waste management and water and sewer infrastructure and services, Fundamentally, it needs to undertake a core services review to understand where it is under-invested, over-invested and where it should divest some of the programs and services it currently offers. In my view, I think Halton Region is under-invested in regional road infrastructure and water and sewer infrastructure. If elected as Regional Councillor, Ward 2, Town of Milton, I will be requesting that Halton Region undertake a core services review to better understand the effectiveness of its core programs and services and where it needs to invest more — or less.

Q: Where do you think spending can be reduced or made more efficient?

A: In my view, Halton Regional Police Services could be more efficient. I also believe that Halton Community Housing Corporation could be more efficient. I further believe that consideration should be given to establishing a water and sewer services utility that operates independently of Halton Region. It would also fund the maintenance of current water and sewer infrastructure in Halton Region as well as fund future related infrastructure construction. Such a utility would be of greater benefit to residential and commercial property taxpayers, the development community and Halton Region itself. If elected as Regional Councillor, Ward 2, Town of Milton, I will be requesting that Halton Region undertake a core services review to better understand the effectiveness of its core programs and services and where it needs to invest more — or less.

Q: How will you balance keeping taxes reasonable while maintaining service levels?

A: The Regional Municipality of Halton, with direction from Halton Regional Council, needs to adopt a fiscal model that limits annual budget increases to the rate of inflation plus the annual region-wide growth rate. For example, the 2025 budget increase would have been limited to 4% — a 2.1% rate of inflation plus a 1.9% population growth rate. I unsuccessfully proposed this model to Milton Council in 2025. If elected as Regional Councillor, Ward 2, Town of Milton, I will be requesting that Halton Regional Council consider an annual operating budget fiscal parameter that limits budget increases to the rate of inflation plus growth.

The Future

Q: If you could only accomplish one thing during the next term, what would that be and how would you achieve it?

A: I am not running for Regional Councillor, Ward 2, Town of Milton, to accomplish just one thing. I have identified some of the initiatives I plan to achieve over the next four years, but there are more — and there will be more. Thank-you for your questions and for the opportunity to share my perspective on them.