My Approach

The standard should be clear: Pembroke needs both compassion and accountability.

Supporting people who need help, enforcing the rules when laws and bylaws are broken, holding all levels of Government and Partners accountable for their responsibilities and protect everyone’s right to use our public spaces safely.

What I will do:

Ensure we have a City Hall culture that considers affordability, prosperity and safety connected.

Complete a Safety Audit (Considering the conditions during both the day and night) by engaging and building on the expertise and partnerships Pembroke has in place. Establishing the state of current conditions and the desired outcomes residents want with clear measurable actions. Establish a public safety dashboard and report regularly on progress.

Make Public wellbeing a mayoral priority and accountability to the residents of Pembroke.

Make affordability the test for every City decision.

Before adding programs, facilities, positions or major capital projects, Council should understand the full cost over the life of the decision.

What I will do

In the first year, review major operating costs, service levels, procurement, facilities, fleet, energy use and major contracts.

The question will be:

“Can we deliver the same or better service differently, more efficiently, or through partnership?”

Major proposals should clearly identify:

• the full capital and operating cost;
• the impact on taxpayers;
• future maintenance and replacement costs;
• alternatives considered;
• grants and outside funding available;
• opportunities to share services or costs with partners;
• and the measurable benefit residents will receive.

Protect core services.

Affordability does not mean allowing roads, water systems, public safety or other essential services to deteriorate.

It means prioritizing the things municipal government must do before expanding into the things we would like to do.

The principle: Take care of what we have before asking taxpayers to pay for more.

Pembroke’s infrastructure challenge is one of the most important financial issues facing the next Council.

What I will do

Ensure a strong effective 10-year infrastructure and financial plan connecting Pembroke’s Asset Management Plan directly to annual budgets. Roads, water, sewer, buildings, vehicles and other assets will be prioritized according to: condition + risk + necessity + affordability.

New infrastructure will have to pass a lifecycle affordability test. Before building or acquiring something new, Council should know: Can Pembroke afford to operate, maintain and eventually replace it?

Before asking taxpayers for more, City Hall will demonstrate that it has challenged its own costs first.

My approach will be:

Reviewing how services are delivered, contracts and purchasing, controlling unnecessary growth in operating costs and looking for efficiencies across departments.

For major projects, residents deserve to know: What did we approve? What did it cost? Did we receive grants? Is it on schedule? Is it on budget?

The objective: Increase the number and value of properties contributing to municipal revenues so the cost of running the City is shared across a stronger tax base.

My approach will be:

Putting greater emphasis on:

• vacant and underused properties;
• commercial and industrial development;
• redevelopment and affordable housing construction;
• faster and more predictable approvals;
• investment-ready municipal lands;
• and removing unnecessary obstacles to private investment.

When someone wants to invest responsibly in Pembroke, our question should be:

“What needs to happen to get this project moving?”

Partnership is not a slogan. For a city Pembroke’s size, partnership is a powerful tools for controlling costs. We already share regional services and initiatives. The next step should be to systematically ask where cooperation can go further.

My approach will be:

Share where sharing makes sense.
Partner where partnership saves money.
Maintain local control where it matters.

Every dollar Pembroke secures from another level of government for a necessary project is a dollar local taxpayers do not have to carry alone. The City should become much more deliberate about grants.

My approach will be:

To maintain a prioritized list of grant-ready projects. That means having engineering, costing, business cases and partnership arrangements considered for when funding becomes available.

And report publicly: How much outside funding did Pembroke secure this year?

Partnership should have a measurable financial return.

As Mayor, I will push for a public scorecards so residents can see whether we are accomplishing what we promised.

Major projects should be followed from approval to completion. If a project goes over budget, residents should know why. If a partnership saves taxpayers money, report it. If a grant reduces the local cost of a project, show it. Is safety improving, demonstrate it. And if something isn’t working, change course.