A GREATER SUDBURY. My plan to guide this city

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1 A GREATER SUDBURY My plan to guide this city

2 A GREATER SUDBURY Sudbury is at a crossroads. It is poised to be the Centre of Northern Ontario, an economic hub and the nucleus of all northern communities. Sudbury; the centre of commerce, education, health care, the arts and culture and the best place to live in Ontario. We need a clear and common vision! Sudburians care about the future. They want to ensure it s a bright one. You need someone with a strong plan, aimed to do just that. We must have a plan structured from a vision of what we want. FOR US. SUDBURIANS. A place where we can live within our means, where our beautiful natural resources are respected, where our seniors are treated with dignity, respect and can stay in the comfort of their homes and with the availability of services and assistance to keep them well. And we need a lifestyle that can be enhanced with recreation, arts and culture. This may sound idealistic but it is realistic. We need to continue to have Sudbury grow and prosper. A thriving community where jobs are available, allowing our youth to stay in Sudbury, to have meaningful careers and raise their families. You need someone who will get things done for you with all of these things in mind. A person that can inspire Council to do better, to be better, and to serve all of you. My vision of Sudbury has it all. A place for business to thrive, protected lakes and resources, healthy outdoor living and a vibrant community that attracts tourists, culture, arts and newcomers. This will not be easy. Some difficult conversations will have to happen to get us here. But you can count on me to do this. You have my commitment to work with you and for you along side a council that shares the same values. Here is how I will Take Back Sudbury for you!

3 FOCUS, DEDICATION AND RESPECT A City Council Coming Together to Lead We all know that value based living is important. We teach it in our families, schools and churches and we need it in our daily lives. Why wouldn t we expect it from our Council, too? We need this as we work on behalf of the citizens we represent. It can only lead to better decision-making. Each ward elects a Councillor they want to represent their interests. These people have put their names forward to work in the best interest of their constituents, and they have an obligation to do so. They will form the Council for To inspire and lead our City, our new councilors will be asked to embrace a value statement, the Sudbury Charter of Rights and Responsibilities. This pledge will attest to the conduct, respect and ethics expected by our citizens of our higher officials. It will unite our council together to focus and work always in the best interest of Greater Sudbury. With this commitment our Council will operate with the highest level of integrity and transparency. That s my promise to you, and my first item of business as Mayor. Within two months of being elected, each member of our Council will be provided with training to help be effective representatives while at the Council table. I will also institute 30 minutes of open microphone after each council meeting for citizens to have their say because your views are important. I will ask Council to take record of each question and respond in due course. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT City Hall needs to reconnect with the people who are the heart of this great City. It s important and needed to foster that engagement once again. I propose to have a conference entitled Vision 2025 to build a city that reflects the interests of all of its citizens. In order to do this I will invite all interest groups, businesses and citizen organizations to provide input into the future of Greater Sudbury.

4 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Spurring Growth in Sudbury We have maintained a solid community through boom and bust economic times. It s now time for our City to grow, as we ve had static growth for the last 15 years. Diversification of our industry base is essential. I want to support our entrepreneurs and businesses who are looking to grow in Sudbury small, medium and large. We will encourage our provincial and federal partners to contribute to their success and innovation. Sudbury has been built on the determination of hard working people. We are known abroad, but we can do more. I want to help them take their goods to new places in Ontario and Canada, but also showcase them on the world stage. We have specialized knowledge about mining, machinery and parts manufacturers, construction and developers. We should leverage this knowledge to attract new business in Sudbury. We should also expand our research facilities at our University and Colleges, invest in our world class health sciences facilities and develop new exciting opportunities. I will work with City Hall to identify new opportunities to grow and leverage the spaces in which we continue to excel. Our mining manufacturers and suppliers can become a primary industry and a driving economic influence in our City. Using global demand for mining technology and technical advancement, Sudbury can be the export capital of mining technology. International demand for our products will grow bringing with it the stimulus of growth and employment. Building on the success of our mining technology, Sudbury has the potential to develop a high technology economic sector as well as a centre for arts and culture. What does it need? Sudbury needs a leader that cares about the future and will invest in these opportunities. I will be that leader. TAX FREEZE! Our first year in office we will institute a tax freeze. Why? A new council needs time to align our budgets with our vision for a greater Sudbury. We will NOT reduce services or cut employees. We can find everything we need to continue to operate our City. We will be 100% accountable to the people of this great City.

5 INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT Building our city from the ground up Infrastructure development has almost become part of our everyday language, if nothing certainly part of our everyday spending at City Hall. Being such a big expense we must find ways to maximize every dollar. We need good roads, affordable housing, beautiful and safe neighbourhoods and efficient public transportation. BUT we simply cannot burden our future with incurring a large amount debt to fix things when they break. We must be prudent and live within our means. FIXING OUR ROADS! Fixing our roads must be a priority. And they must be fixed right the first time. No more rip and tear right after repair because a pipe or water main has burst. We have seen this all too often. We need to fix the pipes first. As Mayor I will ensure that whenever a project requires a major road upgrade or repair, the pipes will be fixed as well. This means that various departments will start communicating with each other. This alone will save vast amounts of money! The roads must be built properly; constructed according to the engineering specifications. I will personally ensure that this is done. Beautiful parts of our city, many in the outlying areas have not had the service levels required to maintain or fix their roads, this is not fair. All areas of our city will be treated with the same level of service and priority. Snow removal is a very important part of our road safety and maintenance program. It often does not meet the expectation of those who travel our roadways and sidewalks particularly in the outlying areas. The quality of snow removal and maintenance will be a subject of review by our council. Finally, a total review of all procurement processes will be conducted. Fairness and uniformity will prevail with all contracts. Our council will enact the necessary bylaws to level the playing field and ensure our citizens are getting the best service for every dollar that is spent.

6 A PLAN FOR OUR SENIORS Caring For Our Most Vulnerable Our seniors have built this City, with their years of hard work and paying taxes. Now is the time to plan a future that embraces our seniors, a future that allows our seniors to live a vibrant life in their communities. Affordable housing is a priority to enhance the lifestyle of seniors in our City. To encourage this, our council will waive development charges for the construction of any seniors designated housing facility in this City. Our harsh weather in Northern Ontario and the vast distances between our communities can cause some service gaps related to home care. Our Social Services department will be directed to put forward a proposal to Council which will address current gaps in service currently provided by agencies such as the Community Care Access Centre. Funding for available assisted living accomodations is critical and will become a dedicated focus. I will be a vocal advocate for these necessities with our provincial government. They must understand this is important to Sudburians that they serve and ensure that there is available funding. Helping seniors remain active is vital. I will encourage our seniors to be engaged in the activities of our community by recreating a leisure and service guide with specific details just for seniors. Seniors will also be able to take public transit free of charge during non-peak hours, allowing them to get where they need to go more easily. The establishment of convenient healthcare labs and services will be encouraged to avail services in outlying areas of the City to reduce the need to travel. I will also work towards harmonizing services to the elderly in their homes so they are not overlapping and seniors get the services they need where and when they need it. PIONEER MANOR Our City s home for those we care so much about must stay within the fold of our community. It s a model of pride and ownership and has been a flagship of our heritage for 60 years. It is an important part of life here in Sudbury.

7 PROTECTING OUR PRECIOUS NATURAL RESOURCES Environmental Stewards of Tomorrow We must create a vision for tomorrow and a legacy for our children and theirs. Leaving our world in a better place than we found it should be our guiding principle. Sudbury has done a great job of improving the quality of our air, and land, but there s more to do. We want to regreen and regrow Sudbury, encouraging residents to grow backyard gardens or participate in community gardens. This will spur a rebirth of interest with students and the elderly alike. I want to a make this a focus for our City. Seedlings, seeds and mulch to be provided for local greening initiatives. I will assist in encouraging the growth of our tree canopy for energy savings, beautification and creating a more inviting city. This will increase property values. It requires a renewed focus on tree planting initiatives throughout our city, well beyond our land reclamation efforts. Greater Sudbury is home to over 330 lakes. I want to ensure that these lakes are healthy and vibrant, allowing us to enjoy their beauty. When elected Mayor, I will ask staff to provide a recommendation on how to keep them in the most pristine condition, addressing the issue of blue green algae. As Mayor, I will encourage citizens to use public transit. By improving the service levels to less city-centred communities, more efficiently mapping the routes and making usage more attractive to users such as seniors, Sudburians will become less dependent on our own vehicles. As Mayor I will ensure that bus routes and schedules will be reviewed and revised for convenience and efficiency. Strategically located transit hubs to provide better transit services for all will also be revisited.