This month we have been getting a huge amount of snowfall and cold temperatures, and our roads have been struggling. I’ve been hearing frustration from a lot of residents, and I get it! I drive a Camry and live on a Priority 2 road (the ones struggling the most), so I am living this too. I appreciate all the questions and feedback I have received. Hearing about resident experiences is how we are able to make our systems better.

City crews are working through the weekend. Additionally, the removal cycle for non-priority residential roads is being paused so that contractors can be re-tasked to Priority roads. Work is underway to get the main roads through neighbourhoods into better shape. You can learn more about the shift happening heres://cityofgp.com/culture-community/news-events/news/transportation-and-parks/city-and-contracted-crews-redirect.

I appreciate this change in approach. However, we should’ve switched contractors over to Priority 2 roads sooner. I recognize the hard work of our front-line staff and acknowledge that management was carrying out the Council-approved plan for snow removal. But Council should update its Snow and Ice Control Policy to allow for greater flexibility during months like this one when we see unusual amounts of snowfall. I’ll explain more on that below.

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But while that sounds like great news, it’s only half the story. The RATE is heavily influenced by rising home values, not just City spending.

Rates have gone down partly due to hard work by Council and City staff to become more efficient and reduce low priority programs. But they have also gone down in part because house prices have gone up.

And because property values are climbing, we could freeze the RATE and still see a massive 10% tax hike—something the City doesn’t need and residents can’t afford.

This is why I don't focus on tax RATES. They are a poor measure of performance and tell you very little about the actual bill residents pay.

I don’t see the value in comparing our high RATE to other cities without acknowledging that our lower property values are the primary driver of that difference. A house being more affordable here doesn’t mean a firetruck or a road crew costs any less.

The number we should be focused on is the tax AMOUNT. So, how has that changed over time?

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Nominations have closed. No one else can put their name in. There might be a few forms being processed now, but pretty soon we should know what the full ballots will look like. There are currently 8 names for Mayor and 25 for Councillor.

I occasionally get asked who else I want to see elected. Since I have to (hopefully) work with whoever gets onto Council, I'm not comfortable telling people who to vote for. However, I'm happy to share what I personally consider when deciding on my vote:

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Below is something I have included in my Platform under my Affordability section. I thought it is an important enough topic that I also wanted to get it posted here.

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