My Plan for Mono

What I would work toward

• Following a long-term road maintenance plan that prioritizes work based on condition, safety, expected lifespan and value for taxpayers.
• Preventive maintenance that extends the life of roads and infrastructure before deterioration becomes a much more expensive repair.
• Safe and reliable winter maintenance, culverts, bridges, signage and other road infrastructure residents depend on.
• Practical, evidence-based responses to speeding and traffic concerns, using traffic and speed data to understand the problem before deciding on the solution.
• Fair consideration of road and infrastructure needs across all of Mono — neighbourhoods, rural roads and the connections residents rely on every day.

How I would approach it as your councillor

I would start with the evidence.

Mono already assesses the condition of its road network and uses long-term planning to identify maintenance and capital needs. I would use that information, together with staff expertise and resident concerns, when deciding where limited road dollars should be spent.

When residents raise concerns about speeding or traffic safety, I would want to understand what the data shows before deciding on a response. Different problems may require different solutions — enforcement, signage, road design, education, traffic-calming measures or cooperation with another level of government.

I would also keep asking whether maintaining something today can prevent a significantly larger bill tomorrow.

What I would work toward

• Growth and development that respect Mono’s rural character, farmland and natural environment.
• Making sure infrastructure, roads and services are considered alongside development — not as an afterthought.
• Listening to neighbouring residents, farmers, landowners and local businesses when planning decisions affect them.
• Considering the long-term financial impact of development, including infrastructure and services that may eventually become the Town’s responsibility.
• Supporting appropriate opportunities for local farms and businesses while respecting surrounding properties and Mono’s planning framework.
• Working constructively with Dufferin County, neighbouring municipalities and the Province on planning issues that extend beyond Mono’s boundaries or authority.

How I would approach it as your councillor

I would judge each planning decision on its own merits rather than beginning with a predetermined “for” or “against” position.

I would read the application and staff reports, understand what the Official Plan and provincial planning rules allow, consider infrastructure and environmental impacts, visit the area when appropriate, and listen to the people directly affected.

I would also ask what the decision means 10 or 20 years from now. Will the necessary roads and services be there? What costs could eventually fall to taxpayers? Does it fit the surrounding community? And does it protect the characteristics that make Mono a desirable place to live, farm and do business?

Where Mono has discretion, I would use it carefully. Where the decision is constrained by County or provincial policy, I would be straightforward with residents about what Council can — and cannot — control.

What I would work toward

• Reliable internet and cell connectivity across Mono, particularly where residents, farms and businesses still experience service gaps.
• Continuing to advocate and cooperate with telecommunications providers and other levels of government where the Town does not control the infrastructure directly.
• Using technology where it can make municipal services easier to access, more efficient or less expensive.
• Making Town information and services easier for residents to find and use online, while maintaining options for residents who prefer traditional ways of communicating with the Town.
• Looking ahead at how changing technology, infrastructure and demographics may affect the services Mono will need in the next 10 or 20 years.
• Evaluating new technology based on practical benefit — not adopting something simply because it’s new.

How I would approach it as your councillor

I don’t believe technology is an end in itself. The question should always be whether it solves a real problem for residents or helps the Town operate more effectively.

On internet and cellular service, I would continue gathering information about areas where service remains inadequate and work constructively with providers, Dufferin County and other levels of government. I would also be clear about what the Town can influence and what it cannot directly control.

When new technology or digital services are proposed for the Town, I would ask what problem we’re solving, what it will cost, whether it will actually improve service, and how we will protect privacy, security and accessibility.

Mono doesn’t need to chase every new idea. But it shouldn’t be afraid of good ones either.