Jeremy Rose

Background

Hello, I’m Jeremy Rose! My background is a bit a journey. My life has always been about my work and my family. I’m a licensed mechanic who traded in his wrenches 8 years ago for a mail bag with Canada Post. Since then, I’ve become the president of my union local, CUPW 522. It’s there where I found my passion for becoming an advocate for protecting rights, and serving community. I’m running for this council seat to start the next chapter on my journey, directly investing my time in shaping the future of our city.

Top Priorities

Housing Support I will support our city plan to help people who are struggling, or have lost, a place to live. Community Transit I will prioritize a further investment in transit systems that help people who can’t drive get jobs, education, and health support. Public Services I will advocate that public services stay public, and that privatization of utilities only makes the cost of living higher

1. The 2026 Budget & Property Taxes: The 2026 municipal budget passed with a 5.41% increase to the property tax levy, bringing the "average" residential property tax bill to nearly $3,270. As a City Councillor, how will you approach future budget deliberations to balance the necessity of maintaining essential city services while ensuring the commercial tax rate remains competitive enough to attract new investment?

The next council has a big job ahead of them. The cost-of-living crisis cuts both ways when it comes to city hall. Every service now costs more, and our community has less room in their budget to support it. I recognize the anxiety and instability we’re living through right now will force this council to make some pretty difficult choices.

2. Red Tape & Business Licensing: The City has been working to modernize its Business Licensing By-law to consolidate decades-old regulations and reduce licensing categories. If elected to Council, what specific steps will you champion to further streamline the permitting, zoning, and licensing processes and reduce the administrative burden on small business owners?

We’ve all been talking about reducing red tape and making it easier to build. We, as politicians, love to say yes. The bylaw department has the difficult task of saying no. To support our bylaw department, I would make sure they have enough people to answer the phones and help people with their paperwork. Online portals, simplified forms, and well-trained staff could all help with getting the work done and get projects moving forward.

3. Infrastructure Prioritization: The City's Asset Management Plan indicates a significant backlog of infrastructure renewal projects. Which specific municipal infrastructure investments (e.g., road maintenance, transit expansion, water/wastewater upgrades) will you advocate for as an immediate priority over the next four years to support local industry and residents?

Priority is a choice word when everything listed is overdue! But let’s talk transit for a minute. That is one place where we can highlight immediate revenue and savings. An improved transit system, carefully grown, gives immediate benefits. People without cars can now get a job interview further from home. People already working can cut travel costs. Anyone now has a reliable means to get to a medical appointment, and hopefully avoid an emergency visit. This means more stable tenants for housing, more shopping trips for business, and reduced strain on our emergency infrastructure.

4. The Port Lands Development: The 16-acre Port Lands, jointly owned by the municipality and the Akwesasne First Nation, is a major waterfront asset. What is your vision for the future development of this parcel, and how will you work within Council to ensure the partnership fosters mutually beneficial economic growth for the region?

I have hope for the Port Lands. There is over a decade of interest into making something both communities can be proud of. But we can’t ignore the Cornwall’s industrial history. I’ll put more in to what comes next after we finally have an idea of the cleanup needed to bring it back to buildable land.

5. Housing Supply & Affordability: Cornwall is facing a critical housing shortage across all income brackets. What specific municipal actions will you advocate for at the Council table (e.g., zoning amendments, targeted development incentives, utilizing city-owned land) to accelerate residential development and ensure a mix of affordable options?

We have a lot of new development already in place, like the new apartment buildings on Montreal Road, and the expansion of the Belfort Estates on the former Courtauld’s site. With the Antoine street subdivision, the Dev Centre development, and the Domtar site redevelopment on the horizon, lots of new housing is set to come online in the coming years. The challenge I see is whether we want to increase the density of our existing neighbourhoods versus continuing to sprawl out with construction to the edges of the city limits. If my priority is transit, then apartment buildings and condominiums are more efficient and affordable to residents. Several parts of Cornwall are due for infrastructure renewal, and this would be the right time to consider making a change. The hard part is that pushing for this disrupts the lives of the people already living there. It’s too easy to not think about it, and it’s why we’ve become addicted to trying to push our growth out into unoccupied land. My commitment is, if in the future we change to re-zoning existing neighbourhoods for density, that we will start with an incentive plan to support businesses, owners, and landlords who are affected by the change.

6. Addressing Homelessness: Complex social issues like homelessness affect vulnerable individuals and impact the downtown business community. As a Councillor, what is your strategy for ensuring the municipality effectively supports collaborative community initiatives (like The Stepping Stone project), and what specific city resources or policies will you commit to reducing the number of unhoused individuals?

It’s important to make sure we have a distinction between people who are experiencing a mental health crisis, versus people who are unhoused/homeless. While there is a lot of overlap between these two groups, how you handle it is very different. I’m committed to supporting the plan the city has already put in place. Buildings like the Massey Commons, and the former Parisian Manor, are going to become part of a transition plan growing to help the unhoused/homeless and get them into stable housing. The police service has expanded it’s Mobile Crisis Response Team to address people experiencing public, distressing mental health episodes. These departments have a good understanding of what they need, and it will be my job as councillor to make sure I support them.

7. Youth Retention & Workforce Development: A common challenge for local businesses is attracting and retaining skilled talent. How will you use your position on Council to work with local institutions like St. Lawrence College and the business community to encourage youth to build their careers in Cornwall rather than relocating to larger urban centers?

I left Cornwall to go to school, and I was gone for 12 years because I’d already set up elsewhere. I’m glad to be back, and it was only because St. Lawrence College was there to help me train for a new career. I’ve stood with the teachers and support staff who are fighting to keep our community College open. It’s a desperate moment, and we need to win if Cornwall is to attract new business and support its existing ones.

8. Industrial Expansion & Logistics: Cornwall has a strong history as a logistics and industrial hub, recently seeing investments like the Michelin Distribution Centre, but the city must remain competitive. How will you support the transportation sector and advocate for infrastructure improvements that meet the evolving needs of local industry?

We’ve taken a big hit lately with the loss of Ridgewood Industries and Northern Lights fitness equipment. These companies weren’t closed because of taxes or bylaws. Forces beyond the city limits put pressure on our businesses and our jobs. The entire country is competing for new business. Cornwall has made new space for industry, and highlighted its great logistic potential. The expansion of Nick Kaneb would be providing a relief to trucks trying to access the McConnell 401 ramp, as there currently isn’t enough room for drivers who have gone down the new Tenth Street connection.

9. Tourism, Events, & Local Initiatives: Tourism is a significant economic driver for our local hospitality and retail sectors. How can City Council better support local events, festivals, and community initiatives to drive tourism, and what municipal resources or support do you believe should be provided to ensure their success?

I’m thrilled by how many events we have in Cornwall. Weekends are filling with opportunity for us to enjoy. I’d support an investment in an advertising plan, and more effort to boost the awareness of what is happening where. The municipal investment in the renovation of the Civic Complex is nearing completion, this coupled with Lamoureux Park and the Arts Centre should be a strong 1-2-3 shot in the arm for downtown tourism.

10. Council Dynamics & Community Voice: The 2026 municipal budget was passed utilizing provincial "Strong Mayor" powers. Regardless of your stance on those specific powers, how will you ensure that as a City Councillor, you effectively represent the voice of the public and the business community in major municipal decisions, ensuring accountability and transparency at City Hall?

I’m not a fan of strong mayor powers, nor was I happy to see a reduction in Councillors. It was tough to see people so critical of the cost of City Council. These positions are the community oversight of a multi-million-dollar budget. A lot of the questions we’ve gone through today asked the prospective councillor what they, directly, would do to change the city. I keep coming back to the strength of the departments already in place. Losing community oversight and forcing decisions with absolute mayoral powers removes the ability of experienced workers to heard, and to do their job. Oversight means collaboration, support, and guidance. Can we get better at communicating that the work is getting done, and why it’s being done a certain way? Yes, but I’m less about finger pointing, and more about constructive, collaborative, and supportive changes to the plan.

11. Maintaining Decorum and Handling Misinformation: City Councillors are increasingly subject to intense public scrutiny and are often the target of misinformation or disinformation spread across social media. Additionally, this scrutiny can sometimes escalate into harassment or abusive language. The City’s Code of Conduct requires Councillors to treat everyone with respect and maintain professional decorum, even when facing hostile or factually incorrect public discourse. How will you personally handle the pressures of social media, combat local misinformation without escalating conflicts, and ensure that your interactions—both online and offline—foster a respectful, constructive environment that upholds the integrity of City Council?

I was a hockey referee at 14. I grew broad shoulders before I even grew a mustache. Though I’ll be fine with criticism, we definitely lose smart, capable people that aren’t interested in such a hostile environment. I would sooner build a world that brought those people in, even if it cost me my seat. I don’t do a ton of social media, and I can’t promise that I’m suddenly going to pivot to suddenly doing more. What I can tell you is how deeply I care about respect. I give it, openly, to anyone I meet. I expect it back, though if I don’t get, so be it. I hope that makes me a good councillor.