Kitchener — Ward 10

It should be more transparent and accessible

Please describe one concrete example of a trade-off you would support (or oppose) when costs rise faster than revenues.candidate's own words

When municipal costs outpace revenue, I strictly oppose cutting core services for low-income residents, youth, or seniors such as subsidized recreation, community centre access, or winter footpath safety. Instead, the trade-off I support is re-evaluating corporate development incentives and deferring low-ROI capital expansions. We must stop subsidizing infrastructure connections for speculative commercial builds and high-intensity grid-draining developments. As a licensed mortgage broker, I evaluate municipal spending through asset valuation and long-term return on investment: every tax dollar must preserve core community services while keeping property taxes predictable for working families and retirees.

Would you like to provide any additional context for your views on budgets?candidate's own words

A municipal budget is not just a ledger of revenues and expenses; it is a reflection of our collective values and priorities as a community. Evaluating municipal finances through property assessment and asset management means looking at long-term lifecycle returns rather than short-term political talking points. Artificially freezing tax rates while ignoring underground infrastructure maintenance simply kicks catastrophic repair bills down the road to future generations.Our council must work collaboratively across all wards and alongside Regional partners to build consensus on fiscal decisions. When we protect essential municipal services, hold the line on utility assets, ensure growth pays for growth, and engage the community directly in financing solutions, we create a Kitchener that is both fiscally sound and deeply supportive of every resident.

If you chose "It should be more transparent and accessible", please describe how.candidate's own words

Budget documents must be stripped of bureaucratic jargon and presented with full itemized clarity down to the individual project level, rather than disguised under top-line department totals. Residents deserve to see exactly where every tax dollar goes, including consultant fees, legal expenses, and developer incentive packages. Furthermore, Kitchener should hold ward-level participatory budget sessions so working-class residents and seniors can directly review municipal priorities before final council votes.

It should be more transparent and accessible

Please describe one concrete example of a trade-off you would support (or oppose) when costs rise faster than revenues.candidate's own words

Maintaining access for subsidized recreation programming for low-income households.

If you chose "It should be more transparent and accessible", please describe how.candidate's own words

More details should be provided of actual spending in budget documents shared at council meetings, down to the individual project level, instead of top-line department costs.

It should be more transparent and accessible

Please describe one concrete example of a trade-off you would support (or oppose) when costs rise faster than revenues.candidate's own words

When costs rise faster than revenues, I would protect core services and maintaining the infrastructure we already own before adding lower-priority projects. The 2026 budget is an example of the balance I am looking for: Kitchener held the City property-tax increase to 2.2%, approximately $29 for the average household, while maintaining core services and continuing necessary infrastructure investment.

Would you like to provide any additional context for your views on budgets?candidate's own words

Fiscal responsibility is not simply about spending less. It is about getting good value for public dollars, protecting essential services, maintaining the assets we already own and avoiding decisions today that create unnecessarily large costs in the future.

If you chose "It should be more transparent and accessible", please describe how.candidate's own words

There is always more work to do to help make budgets more transparent, accessible and digestible. It is complex work that needs to be translated into very concise and clear understanding. I would like residents to be able to understand more easily what services cost, where their property-tax dollars go, how large capital investments affect future budgets, and what results those investments produce. This is particularly important in a two-tier system. Residents should be able to see clearly which services and taxes belong to Kitchener, which belong to the Region, and who is accountable for each decision.