Issue #1 – Taxation
Town of Milton Annual Budget (Operating/Capital) Increase:
2026 — 6.94%
2025 — 9.89%
2024 — 9.88%
2023 — 7.99%
2022 — 5.47%
2021 – 3.93%
2020 — 5.68%
2019 — 8.30%
With the exception of the 2021 operating budget, I have not voted in favour of the operating budgets approved by Milton Council for the last eight years. I have been amongst a small minority of councillors who have consistently expressed concern about the Town’s current financial situation, making reasonable suggestions to reduce the financial impact on property taxpayers and constructively enunciating what the Town’s operational priorities should be. I have brought motions to the table each year during budget discussions that recommended inflation plus growth level-only increases and, further, identified specifically how such a budget could be achieved. That said, I successfully brought forward an investment fund idea that would reduce the operating budget impact on property taxpayers by $1 million or 1% every budget year, from 2026 forward. I also brought forward a second investment fund notion that would reduce the capital budget impact on property taxpayers by another $1 million or an additional 1% every budget year. I hope Council permits the second fund to be implemented permanently, beginning in 2027. Finally, I brought forward a motion that would limit property tax increases to the rate of inflation plus the percentage increase in growth activity. It was rejected by Council. If approved, it would have limited annual operating budget increases to about 5% to 5.5% or 2.5% to 3%, when Regional Municipality of Halton and school board property tax increases are included. If re-elected, I will continue to advocate on your behalf for this level of fiscal responsibility.
Issue #2 – Long-term Planning & Growth
In the mid-1980s, the Government of Ontario made the decision that Milton would grow. Milton Council did not make this decision. Working with the Province, the Region of Halton, the school boards and the development community, Council and Town staff determine how growth will proceed, based on available financial resources and planning requirements. Milton has a new Official Plan that sets out how the municipality will grow to 2051. I had advocated for a new community-wide planning document when I was elected in 2018. I had originally advocated for a new plan for our community when I first ran for Council in 1991. Working as a member of Milton Council at that time, I helped to bring that Official Plan to fruition in 1997. When Halton Region recently proposed a plan that was detrimental to Milton’s future, I proposed a Made-In-Milton solution that was supported by Milton Council, Town staff and, ultimately, the Government of Ontario. It led to Milton increasing local control over long-term planning and Halton Region losing that control. At my insistence, Milton’s new Official Plan will be reviewed every five years to ensure it properly sets the direction for residential and commercial growth across our community. If re-elected, I will use my proven experience in this area to advocate to the Town, the Region and the Province for a Made-In-Milton planning approach, moving forward.
Issue #3 – Municipal Service Delivery
When I ran in 2018, I advocated for a Core Services Review, which was approved shortly after I was elected. It saved Milton property taxpayers about $750,000 and triggered automated and improved service delivery to all Miltonians, through investments in training, technology and work processes. If re-elected, I will call for another Core Services Review, as they should be conducted every eight years, in my view.
Issue #4 – Jobs
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-1990’s, 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. I will continue to advocate for residential and commercial property taxpayers in Milton in a way that creates an affordable environment for both.
Issue #5 – Milton Transit & GO Transit
It is key that Milton have an affordable and effective local transit system that is linked to a useful GO Transit system. Milton has had an independently-operated local public transit system since 1972. It has been upgraded to better serve Milton as the community has grown, including with the arrival of GO Transit in 1981. The Province and Federal governments have promised all-day, two-way GO transit service for more than 25 years. Until they widen bridge infrastructure in Toronto to accommodate more lines, that won’t happen. It’s time that fact was acknowledged and the work begun in earnest by the senior levels of government. Locally, I recommended in 2018 that Milton Transit consider alternate service delivery options like taxies, Uber and Lyft to improve the system. In 2021, an alternate service delivery program was introduced using vans. It has been a success. I will continue to advocate for delivery options that are more cost-effective and customer-friendly.
Issue #6 – Traffic & Road Safety
Over the last few years, I have been working on a number of initiatives to reduce speeding and make our roads safer. For example, urban shoulders (white lines) were introduced, beginning in 2020, and had the effect of narrowing the driving lanes and reducing the average speed (for most drivers). These lines help to identify on-street parking areas and provide informal bike lanes, as formal bike lanes cannot be introduced on all streets because the roadbed isn’t wide enough. I have also worked with Town of Milton Engineering Department staff since 2020 to upgrade school crossings to pedestrian crossovers (PXO) and, where warranted, have the Town’s 25 PXOs lighted. Maximum 40 km/h speed limits are also being introduced in all Ward 2 neighbourhoods, a program that will be completed in 2028. In 2018, I called for an ongoing public education program related to public safety on our roads, directed towards cyclists, drivers and pedestrians, called “Safe Roads Milton.” It was partially implemented by Town staff two years ago. Most recently, I successfully encouraged Town staff to deal with illegal u-turns at intersections. At my request, they are also investigating constructing proper left turn and right turn lanes in specific Town arterial roads to improve the flow of traffic. Finally, whenever you experience speeding, noisy or aggressive drivers on your street, please call, text or email me immediately. I will file a confidential traffic complaint with Halton Regional Police Services, who then may step up patrols in the area within 24 hours or so.
