A budget and a city that reflect Belleville.

Affordability and attainability are not the same thing — and Belleville needs both. A home you can technically rent isn't truly affordable if it leaves nothing for groceries. A home you can technically buy isn't truly attainable if it's out of reach for a young family starting out.

Too many young people are staying at home longer because ownership is out of reach. Too many renters and homeowners are spending so much on housing and bills that they can't afford food. We're seeing the result every week at Gleaners Food Bank, where use is at record highs.

• Speed up planning approvals and cut needless delays that add cost to every new home.
• Encourage a real mix of housing — starter homes, townhomes, rentals, and seniors' units — not just one type.
• Support gentle density and infill so existing neighbourhoods grow without losing their character.
• Work with non-profit and community housing providers on genuinely affordable units.

Real estate is in my bones — and I'll bring that perspective to council to push for practical solutions on supply, mix, and the cost pressures the city itself controls.

Increases of 5% to 7.2% when inflation is sitting at 2.2% are too high. The gap between what the city is asking and what families are actually experiencing has grown too wide.

I'm not promising there will never be a tax increase — running a city is a real responsibility. But I will pledge this: the budget must reflect the reality of the people who pay into it.

• Line-by-line budget review, with clear reasons given for every increase.
• Tie spending decisions to measurable results residents can actually see.
• Look for savings and shared services before reaching into taxpayers' pockets.
• Plain-language budget reporting so residents can follow where their money goes.
• I do not support the proposed 171% increase for industrial development charges.

"If families have to tighten their belts to make ends meet, so does City Hall."

These challenges are visible in our downtown, our parks, and our neighbourhoods, and they are not solved by looking away. As a director at Gleaners Food Bank, I see first-hand how quickly a job loss, an illness, or a rent increase can put a family in crisis.

• Push the province for the funding Belleville needs — our city cannot carry health and social costs on the property tax base alone.
• Support supportive and transitional housing so people move from crisis into stability, not just from one block to another.
• Coordinate closely with Hastings County, police, paramedics, and front-line agencies so services connect instead of overlap.
• Invest in prevention: food security, outreach, and mental health supports that keep people from reaching crisis.
• Keep our downtown and public spaces safe and welcoming for residents, businesses, and visitors alike.

Roads, water, sewers, and bridges are the services residents notice every single day. Deferring the work never saves money — it just hands a bigger bill to the next council and the next generation of taxpayers.

• A transparent, published road and sidewalk repair schedule so residents know what's coming and when.
• Prioritize maintenance and renewal of what we already own before taking on new commitments.
• Plan water, sewer, and road capacity ahead of growth — not after the subdivisions are built.
• Pursue provincial and federal infrastructure funding aggressively so local taxpayers aren't left alone.
• Safer streets: better lighting, crosswalks, sidewalks, and winter maintenance in every ward.

Far too many Belleville residents have no family doctor, and our emergency department carries the load as a result. Health care is a provincial responsibility, but a councillor who stays silent on it isn't representing this community.

• Back active physician and nurse practitioner recruitment and retention efforts for Quinte.
• Help make Belleville a place practitioners want to build a life — housing, child care, and spouse employment all matter.
• Advocate persistently to the province for hospital, primary care, and long-term care capacity in Quinte.
• Support community health hubs and clinics that take pressure off the emergency department.
• Work with local health partners to make services easier to find and easier to reach.