Required: energy, commitment, ideas and action
to seriously take on Oshawa's tax & traffic problems!
Thank you for visiting my website. Please note all content has been written by me. Happy reading, my apologies for any typos, spelling and awkward grammar.
Please let me know ideas/suggestions/changes for Oshawa you'd like to share. Sharing ideas strengthens them! I am looking forward to listening to those with interests in Oshawa. Hope we can connect.
It is my belief that Oshawa’s elected must set an example and begin by personally adopting financially prudent habits to ensure financial stability in all areas of city business.
On this pathway I see merit in:
1. an immediate freeze on Council’s remuneration and benefits;
2. the elimination of certain perks Council members receive, such as each Councillor’s $5,200/yr gas payment, and the $4,331 and $2,166 stipends Committee Chairs and Co-chairs receive respectively.
3. an end to the City’s too long practice of having increases in Oshawa Council member’s salary and benefits linked to increases in the City’s Collective Bargaining Agreements.
4. a City policy that any tax rate increases be limited to the rate of inflation. Property tax increases higher than inflation are unsustainable when they continue to grow and be a greater and greater portion of people’s costs of living.
5. an improved Oshawa budget process that includes a re-vamp of the City's procurement process. I see flaws in a procedure that has 'bidders spending the budget', that is, when the City sends out a request for proposal (RFP) to solicit companies to bid on a project or program, the chances of receiving lower bids is diminished when budget information about how much funding the City has available for that project or program is known to the companies placing the bids.
6. keeping City expenses in check; staff hires be on a contract basis, especially performance-based contracts in economic development; improve city's control over employee benefits packages; end practice of reimbursing Hwy 407 charges; place a cap on staff overtime hours.
The time is now for the City of Oshawa to develop immediate and comprehensive strategies to:
1. address the opiate crisis in the City with solid steps related to protection/prevention and treatment;
2. have Oshawa take a leadership role in addressing the homelessness problems and implement a long term affordable housing strategy;
with Special Advisory Committees set up to prioritize what needs to be done on these issues and involve concrete commitment from the community, City Council, the Region, local benevolent organizations and agencies, as well as the Province and Federal government.
3. give serious consideration to some practices that other municipalities have found beneficial and effective in order for Oshawa to achieve results in such areas as:
Please let me know ideas/suggestions/changes for Oshawa you'd like to share. Sharing ideas strengthens them! I am looking forward to listening to those with interests in Oshawa. Hope we can connect.
It is my belief that Oshawa’s elected must set an example and begin by personally adopting financially prudent habits to ensure financial stability in all areas of city business.
On this pathway I see merit in:
1. an immediate freeze on Council’s remuneration and benefits;
2. the elimination of certain perks Council members receive, such as each Councillor’s $5,200/yr gas payment, and the $4,331 and $2,166 stipends Committee Chairs and Co-chairs receive respectively.
3. an end to the City’s too long practice of having increases in Oshawa Council member’s salary and benefits linked to increases in the City’s Collective Bargaining Agreements.
4. a City policy that any tax rate increases be limited to the rate of inflation. Property tax increases higher than inflation are unsustainable when they continue to grow and be a greater and greater portion of people’s costs of living.
5. an improved Oshawa budget process that includes a re-vamp of the City's procurement process. I see flaws in a procedure that has 'bidders spending the budget', that is, when the City sends out a request for proposal (RFP) to solicit companies to bid on a project or program, the chances of receiving lower bids is diminished when budget information about how much funding the City has available for that project or program is known to the companies placing the bids.
6. keeping City expenses in check; staff hires be on a contract basis, especially performance-based contracts in economic development; improve city's control over employee benefits packages; end practice of reimbursing Hwy 407 charges; place a cap on staff overtime hours.
The time is now for the City of Oshawa to develop immediate and comprehensive strategies to:
1. address the opiate crisis in the City with solid steps related to protection/prevention and treatment;
2. have Oshawa take a leadership role in addressing the homelessness problems and implement a long term affordable housing strategy;
with Special Advisory Committees set up to prioritize what needs to be done on these issues and involve concrete commitment from the community, City Council, the Region, local benevolent organizations and agencies, as well as the Province and Federal government.
3. give serious consideration to some practices that other municipalities have found beneficial and effective in order for Oshawa to achieve results in such areas as:
1. a phased-in approach to expanding the City’s sidewalk snow clearing, ploughing up to 100% of the City’s sidewalks by 2022 (such as was implemented in the Town of Newmarket in 2015)
2. implementing clear policy and practices for increased neighbourhood traffic calming measures (such as the City of Ottawa has developed) with Oshawa installing more ‘Your Speed’ solar radar poles, and flex poles, with specific measures for neighbourhood outreach and feed back.
3. Adding uninterrupted power supply to traffic signals at key intersections to keep lights operational during power outages