Over my nine years on council, I have gained a lot of experience and observed and developed leadership skills. One of the most important things I’ve learned is the importance of prioritization. If everything is a priority, that means nothing is a priority. Without priorities we cannot have progress. By focusing on three key priority areas each with three priority actions I believe I am presenting an achievable plan that can be implemented over the next four years to enable the progress we so urgently need in our city.

Thank you for considering me as your next mayor. I ask for your support on May 10th, together we can achieve great things for Saint John.

 

Saint John has many unique neighborhoods. We need to ensure livability with a variety of housing options supported by transportation options and accessibility. This includes Saint John Transit and its revitalization. A strong transit system is a critical aspect of both attracting and retaining new residents, especially younger citizens and immigrants who are often more comfortable using a public transportation system. Transit is the original “ride sharing” and it is a green option, reduces traffic and lowers pollution. We need to make our city more attractive, clean and comfortable for residents, visitors and potential newcomers by investing in beautification initiatives.

If elected to serve as your mayor, I will work with common council to:

 

• Improve access to housing for people of all socioeconomic backgrounds. We can do this by expanding the Saint John Land Bank (through the seizure of derelict and vacant buildings and, transferring vacant and underused city property), amalgamating properties for developments, and encouraging the building of affordable housing through tools such as reduced parking requirements and allowing extra units.

 

 

• Improve our transit system by investing in strategic routing and increased frequency, and reducing parking requirements for new developments along transit routes.

 

 

• Making strategic investments in areas of the city that need beautification which could include deploying staff to clean up litter, and advocating for recreational spaces that align with PlanSJ.

 

Our city cannot succeed if it can’t afford to pay its bills and fund the services and infrastructure our people need and deserve. I have been proud to serve on a council that has prioritized over both my terms under two different mayors a focus on repairing our financial foundation. The priorities I have outlined above in sustainable growth, and in vibrancy, inclusiveness and dynamism, will help to grow our population and our revenues. We must focus on the full spectrum of our city’s financial health. We need to avoid making painful cuts by making smart choices on spending more effectively and by finding better ways to use the resources both of our city and of our broader region.

If elected to serve as your mayor, I will work with common council to:

 

• Continue to carefully and objectively map and evaluate our city’s infrastructure and other assets to make investment decisions based on the greatest need after looking at the evidence and facts.

 

 

• Manage smarter by continuing to push a culture of continuous improvement where we find better ways to do the city’s work through properly measuring performance and making improvements where necessary and by finding better ways to use technology and other innovations.

 

 

• Seek better regional cooperation building on the good work from the creation of the Envision Saint John shared regional economic development agency to find similar opportunities for the communities of our region to cooperate rather than compete.