Justin Towndale

1. Executive Leadership Style & City Hall Culture: As Mayor, you serve as the chief ambassador, chair, and political head of Council, directly influencing workplace culture, administrative morale, and public trust. How would you describe your leadership style, and what specific steps will you take to foster a collaborative, transparent, and high-performing environment between the Mayor's office, City Council, and municipal administration?

My leadership style is collaborative and encouraging. When an issue arises, my first step is to educate myself the on the matter at hand, learn about the issue and gather as much information as I can. Then, I speak to the CAO, followed by the appropriate department head. From there a solution can be looked at. When I make decisions, I do so after hearing all sides of an issue, digesting the information, and then asking for opinions on what course of action should be. I do encourage staff to take on different responsibilities and more challenging roles. Should staff want to spread their wings and pursue opportunities outside of the City, I think that we should encourage them. When it comes to our front line and unionized staff environments, we need to ensure that our staff have safe, productive and encouraging environments in which to work. Where ideas are heard, and opportunities are given. We need to conduct yearly assessments of senior management and identify challenges and plans to address those challenges. We need to conduct annual surveys of all employees to hear where their concerns are and look to address them. We've already taken steps for better employee recognition when it comes to the Annual Long Service and Retirement Dinner and the newer annual summer BBQ and winter cooker. While there has been a lot of change in management with the City, there have been some net positive changes. Today, we have two more female General Managers than we previously did last term. We have a General Manager of Human Resources who comes from the public sector and unionized environment for the first time in at least 12 years. We have a Treasurer who has a financial designation for the first time in 18 years. By having the right people in the right spots, with the right skills, and providing the right environment, we can ensure a positive workplace where everyone feels safe and appreciated.

2. Top Strategic Priorities: In order of importance, please outline your top three overarching strategic priorities for Cornwall over the next four-year term.

Housing Housing still remains the top priority for me. We need to continue our investments into housing directly, as a municipality. Since 2022 we have committed over $49 million. Massey Commons is still under construction, Pitt Street North should be starting shortly, and we recently purchased the former Parsien Manor. To date, we've partnered with a number of developers to support the building of affordable apartment units by providing tax increment grants. Examples include the The Pitt and Second project and the 160 unit building at Montreal Road and Belmont and the 64 unit building at the former Poirier Furniture site. These agreements will result in at least 192 units which meet the CMHC definition of affordable. We have received funding from the higher levels of government for housing and will continue to pursue all partnerships and funding opportunities. We've also moved over 99 people into safe and secure housing, and have worked to reduce the overall number of encampments, despite the number of individuals experiencing homelessness increasing across Canada. The purchase of Parisien Manor is one part of this plan, where the additional spaces can provide the City's warming and cooling centres, along with space for supportive organizations to come in and work with clients. Doctors The second issue remains access to primary care and doctors. While healthcare is a provincial responsibility, the City has to compete for doctors and have recruitment programs in place, or we will lose the opportunity to recruit more doctors to our area. This term, we helped recruit 11 new doctors via our relocation program and 3 new medical students via our medical scholarships. I also formed a Mayor's Task Force to look at Medical Recruitment, and how to improve our offerings. The task force met with the experts: doctors and medical professionals to hear a variety of input and suggestions on how to improve our offerings and what doctors and other allied medical professionals are looking for. These recommendations include new funding streams to attract and support foreign trained doctors, target the recruitment of nurse practitioners, and establishing a Community Improvement Program (CIP) exclusively for medical offices, among some other recommendations, which were all approved by Council. Previously we only offered the relocation and scholarship streams, but by increasing our offerings, and hearing from the experts, we are able to pivot and make our community more attractive. At the 2026 AMO Conference, we met with representatives from the Ontario Medical Association, and were able to present them with our final report. The feedback was positive, and they commended us on our efforts saying all municipalities should be looking at the recruitment efforts we're undertaking. Every year, I've also had the opportunity to meet with first year medical students from the University of Ottawa as they participate in their community week here at the Cornwall Community Hospital. It is a chance to engage with the next generation of medical students and understand their needs, concerns and what they are looking for. This past year the students who participated indicated Cornwall was one of their program's favourite cities to visit for community week. We hope this translates to them choosing to practice medicine here. Moving forward I would like to see greater collaboration between Cornwall, SD&G and Akwesasne. There are some great efforts already underway, but I would like to see us go a step further and pool our resources and undertake even more projects together. Affordability Right now affordability is affecting all of us. Since before the pandemic we've seen construction costs increasing. Since the pandemic, costs across the board have increased substantially. Regrettably, the City is not immune to this. We do have to change the way that we do business and plan for budgets in order to be more efficient but also to plan better when it comes to budgeting. This year we heard that our financial policies were 15 years out of date, and that can limit us in how we conduct business financially. Newer options and technology might not be covered or allowed. We need to update these policies. Tied into this, is how we can invest our reserves and funds to ensure that they are safe, secure, and also generating interest, which can help the City increase revenues. By growing the tax base, we can increase city revenues by having new houses, new businesses and new industry contributing, reducing the burden on the existing tax base. When it comes to capital, we need to change the way that we plan for capital projects. Right now, projects are put forward in a single year, as a single item, with a single cost. This way of budget poses a couple of challenges, notably that once a project is approved, it cannot be halted, and any cost overruns cannot be anticipated or mitigated. By planning our projects in phases, we can try to address both of these challenges. By phasing projects over the course of several years, we can ensure that we budget for them more accurately, anticipating real costs instead of estimates that are years old. We can also pause between phases if a particular year looks unfavourable. The added benefit is that once the design phase is complete, the City will have 'shovel ready' projects ready to go, which can benefit from grants from higher levels of government. This could further alleviate funding challenges. We also have to shift our mindset on how we are looking at our key areas. Downtown and Le Village need work. The prevalent mentality has been to wait for decades and do a big project all at once. With rising costs, this is becoming increasingly out of reach. We need to undertake preventative maintenance, along with smaller repairs. When upgrades become necessary, we need to plan accordingly over multiple years. When it comes to business licensing and building permitting, we have to change our style to a customer service model, like our neighbours, where we help, provide guidance and advice, and walk people through the entire process. I've said this before: Small businesses are the backbone of our community. When local businesses succeed, we all succeed.

3. Senior Government Advocacy & Strategic Funding: Municipalities face mounting infrastructural and social responsibilities without a matching tax base, forcing heavy reliance on provincial and federal grants. As Mayor, how will you leverage intergovernmental relationships to secure predictable, long-term funding, and on which specific provincial or federal files will you lobby hardest on behalf of Cornwall?

When I ran for Mayor in 2022, I noted that our lobbying efforts needed work. I think we've made some solid improvements this term. When I was a Councillor, I would attend municipal conferences, and the City would not have any delegations with Ministers, or MPPs as applicable. I've now ensured the City is in the practice of requesting several delegations for each conference and working together with the United Counties of SD&G on issues of joint importance. We've also had meetings with Federal Ministers on specific issues. To date this has resulted in record amounts of funding to the City, including the single largest amount for a single project ever received: $30 million for the secondary water intake. As a result of these efforts, I have built strong relationships with both levels of government, but especially the provincial level, which impacts the City the most. I would continue these relationships. We may not always agree but openly criticizing the provincial government in public can damage the relationship and directly impact the amount of funding the City receives. Raising concerns or disagreements directly, results in better collaboration. I would keep lobbying for increased funding for housing and development, improved supports for doctors including better recognition of foreign credentials, better transportation options between Cornwall and Ottawa, including provincially funded options. In addition, as our needs, issues and projects develop and change throughout the term, I would lobby for those accordingly.

4. Downloading, Healthcare, and Social Services Uploads: Critical pressures-such as physician shortages, mental health crises, and homelessness support-fall heavily into provincial jurisdiction, yet disproportionately impact municipal services and local taxpayers. What is your strategy for compelling the Province of Ontario to take greater financial and operational responsibility for healthcare, long-term care, and social support programs?

This question does not unfortunately have a simple answer. Once a service is downloaded, it is rarely reuploaded. I believe that in this case, we need to work with our partners at agencies that undertake this kind of work to ask the province together for support. To put forward viable plans to the province and request funding for those plans. Another possible path is to start programs together to prove that they work and then seek funding to grow the program in question. There are some examples of this. Our community paramedicine program receives funding from the province and helps prevent hospital visits. Our MCRT (formally VSMART) teams include social workers that assist in cases where individuals are in distress. This program also receives provincial funding. In addition, as a part of the Eastern Ontario Mayor's Caucus, Association of Municipalities of Ontario, etc, we can join together with other municipalities to advocate for changes to programs. When we join together and voice the same concerns, we are stronger and louder together.

5. The Structural Budget Dilemma & Tax Competitiveness: The 2026 municipal budget settled with a 5.41% tax levy increase alongside considerable infrastructure debt pressures. As Mayor, how will you steer future budget cycles to balance essential service delivery and capital asset renewal against the need to keep residential and commercial tax rates competitive for investment?

So, I touched on some of this under question 3, where I discuss affordability. There's a couple of steps that we need to look at. I do believe that the Strong Mayor Budget Process does provide a strong tool to help set the stage for a successful budget. To be clear, this process does not bypass the remainder of Council's ability to make changes to the budget. It does enable the Mayor to make some changes up front. This process allowed me to review contracted services which were costing more than having them inhouse. It also allowed us to take a serious look at refocussing where monies are being spent. As an example, purchasing non sustainable giveaways from China, versus sourcing locally sustainable giveaways like Ground Soap. This is a real example. I do believe that we need to look at how the City's reserves are invested and make sure that they are safe and secure, but also generating the most interest possible. That interest can be used for more projects, without negatively impacting the principal of the reserves. We also need to look at bank rates and amortization when we are borrowing. As a municipality we should be consistently searching out the best rates from all banks and not be beholden to a single bank. Tying into this, as the City carries a fair amount of debt, we should look at refinancing it to get better rates. I mentioned under question 3 that we should shift the way that we plan for capital projects and look to undertake them over the course of several years, with the planning and execution for the projects done in a way that can allow for us to budget and adjust accordingly. This also includes revisiting the strategy of maintenance vs waiting for complete replacement. If we do repairs and replacements we can potentially keep infrastructure up to date without having to rebuild it entirely. I also believe that we need to look at new ways of financing capital builds. In numerous municipalities, there has been a shift to look at leasehold type of building, where a new building, or a renovation is undertaken by the property owner and then leased back to the municipality at a fraction of what a new building would cost. A good example of where this is already in practice around the province is in regard to police stations. The RCMP and OPP currently use this model and the RCMP station in Cornwall is privately held and leased back. The benefit is that all repairs and improvements are the responsibility of the landlord so there are no additional surprise costs. This model can save tens of millions of dollars over the course of an expected lifespan of a building. We also need to look at the number of capital projects and if they are needs or wants. One of the challenges that we face is that we as a City did not plan or build capital on a strategic timeline. Some of the projects that are now underway should have been started or completed over a decade ago. Instead, multiple buildings are reaching the end of their lifespans and work, and debt is being taken on at the same time.

6. Cornwall Business Park Expansion & Industrial Momentum: The ongoing expansion of the Cornwall Business Park-including the Nick Kaneb Drive extension-unlocks over 250 acres of new employment land to capture major logistics and manufacturing investments. As Mayor, what is your strategy to aggressively market these new zones, and how will you ensure the city capitalizes on this infrastructure to attract high-paying jobs while balancing environmental and traffic impacts?

So one great aspect of this project is that the majority of this land is spoken for, and there are projects waiting to happen. While Great Wolf Lodge is the project that gets the most attention, there are numerous other exciting companies that are looking to expand or move to Cornwall. This term, I have had meetings with companies that are interested in relocating to Cornwall, or expanding in Cornwall, but because these meetings are preliminary and may impact employees due to a relocation, amongst other factors, they are private. Part of the strategy to fill any remaining spots is to advertise these shovel ready locations and partner with the province's program for such sites. Continuing to meet with prospective companies that are looking at moving and or expansion. Our staff should be proactively engaging with and approaching companies as well, potentially at their head offices. To me, this is a better refocus of staff time and effort from attending various fairs. Go see the decision makers directly. When it comes to traffic, the new road was built in a location on advice from MTO to avoid highway backups. We also need to plan ahead when it comes to bus routes, and bus schedules to fit shift changes in this new area. As new companies open we need to be nimble and flexible enough to adapt quickly. We also need to look at the natural expansion of our bicycle lane network so that alternative options are available as well. These last two can help with the environmental side, along with looking at our current tree planting program to ensure that we restore some of the lost tree canopy with new trees in the boulevards.

7. Critical Infrastructure & Provincial Partnerships (Water & Long-Term Care): With major provincial investments supporting critical initiatives like the secondary water intake project and ongoing capital needs at facilities like Glen Stor Dun Lodge, the Mayor must constantly lobby Queen's Park. How will you strategically prioritize future capital projects to leverage senior-government funding streams without overextending local debt limits?

The planning of capital projects is something that I have spoken about previously. Right now, the City is undertaking numerous projects that should have been taken on in the past few decades and spread out over that time. This is what we need to do in order to be successful. We need to plan accordingly, and plan years out. The one benefit is that there are numerous funding streams that exist and differ based on the type of project that is being undertaken. I led numerous delegations with Ministers and MPPs in an attempt to secure funding for the Secondary Water Intake. It was via these numerous delegations that we were able to secure the $30 million in funding for the project. Continuing these sorts of delegations and maintaining a good working relationship with the province is key in securing the funds and strategically planning projects over a span of decades by anticipating average lifespan can address this issue. In addition, exploring different types of options when it comes to facilities, like leaseholds, are viable options.

8. Unlocking the Port Lands: Regional and Indigenous Collaboration: The 16-acre Port Lands represent a premier waterfront and economic asset jointly owned by the City and the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne. What is your executive vision for developing this parcel, and how will you actively drive this cross-jurisdictional partnership to ensure mutual economic and cultural benefit?

I think that it's important to recognize that any development on the Portlands will be in collaboration with the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne. Therefore the final version will be something that we develop and plan together. A couple of years ago we did participate in a strategic planning session and there were some ideas that came out of there that both sides did support. We will have to revisit, but I think that some ideas can carry over, such as a friendship centre and a place where Indigenous culture can be highlighted, along side Cornwall's history, providing true insight into our friendship which has persisted for hundreds of years. We've also had productive meetings with various cruise lines that operate passenger cruises on the St. Lawrence River. If the Portlands becomes a stop, passengers can have day trips in our area, including into Akwesasne. I believe that a strong relationship with Akwesasne is important to ensure the success of this project. The onus is on Cornwall to show that we truly want to be partners on the Portlands. We need to listen and support ideas that come from Akwesasne. This project is a partnership but we also need to recognize that Truth and Reconciliation needs to also be at the centre of this.

9. Regional Economic Strategy & Inter-Municipal Cooperation: True economic development extends beyond city boundaries into Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry (SD&G) and regional economic zones. How will you champion inter-municipal cooperation and regional resource-pooling to attract large-scale industrial and logistics investments to the broader area?

I think that this question touches on an important point that is sometimes overlooked. When Cornwall attracts a business, it benefits the entire region. When SD&G attracts a business, it benefits Cornwall. While the location can matter in terms of taxes paid to the host municipality, but the real benefit is the jobs that are created, which are open to everyone in the region. It is with this mentality that we should approach working together. Cornwall should be supportive and celebrate projects in SD&G, and vice versa. South Glengarry did so, when they requested a delegation for Cornwall at ROMA to discuss Great Wolf Lodge with the Minister of Tourism. When our neighbours come to us looking for water, we should look at reaching an agreement to provide it as it will create more growth in our area in terms of businesses and residents. We are currently finalizing an agreement with South Glengarry. In addition, with our new Transit Master Plan, we need to look at regional transit. Cornwall is able to recover costs from providing these services, while at the same time supporting SD&G. In turn, new businesses create jobs for Cornwall residents and more residents in SD&G provide customers for Cornwall based businesses.

10. Waterfront Master Plan & Public-Private Access: Cornwall's St. Lawrence River waterfront is one of its greatest natural and recreational assets, governed by a long-standing Waterfront Plan balancing public trail usage, tourism, and commercial potential. As Mayor, how would you approach future waterfront development, ensuring public access and environmental preservation are balanced against pressures for commercial or residential expansion along the river?

One of the first hurdles that we have to overcome is the divestiture process currently underway with the federal government. Cornwall doesn't currently own any of its waterfront land. Akwesasne is currently engaged in a process and we are working alongside them on this. I think one of the most important factors is ensuring that we keep our current parkspace as parkspace. Lamoureux Park, Point Maligne, and other space should be for public use. We can make improvements, but we shouldn't be looking to build housing or business space in these park areas. Opportunities do exist for development on the former Domtar property, and they also allow for public access to areas that haven't been accessible in likely over 100 years. There is a plan to extend Water Street West onto the Domtar property. This will create a buffer between any new developments and the old canal system. On the canal side, there will be room for recreational activities and an extension of the recreation path. Guindon Park should also always remain an urban park. There are some improvements that can be made that are already contained in the Waterfront Master Plan that won't take away from the natural beauty and features of the park. Some of these include the proposed beach and a stargazing tower. As opportunities arise for improvements on our waterfront, I think that we need to look to support viable options that will give Cornwall a waterfront that is comparable to other cities, like Kingston or Brockville, but also something that is uniquely ours.

11. Comprehensive Housing Strategy & City-Owned Assets: With a critical housing shortage across all brackets, leadership must move beyond standard zoning changes. As Mayor, what proactive measures-such as leveraging municipal land holdings, fast-tracking approvals, or partnering with senior levels of government-will you champion to accelerate diverse, attainable housing supply?

The City always has to be looking at the next bound when it comes to housing. When there is an opportunity to acquire additional parcels of land, the City needs to explore these options fully. We also need to look at the possibility of suitable vacant buildings as they become available. Once we have sites identified, either vacant land, or suitable buildings, we can develop appropriate plans for housing. Once we have a plan ready, we can look to secure provincial or federal funding for these projects. At the same time, Strong Mayor Powers do allow for housing to be prioritized and approved more quickly. There may be instances where this is appropriate, but it would depend on the circumstances. This year we also reduced development charges down to $5000 per door for single family and semi detached homes. The federal and provincial governments announced a funding program available to municipalities who reduce their development charges. We are expecting a public announcement on this shortly. I want to ensure that our building and permitting department is welcoming builders in the city with open arms. I want to see us adopt a concierge model where we work with developers and show how they can achieve their projects rather than telling them what they cannot do.. It's important that we work with as many different community organizations, partners, developers and landowners, and higher levels of government.

12. Addressing Homelessness & Downtown Revitalization: Complex social challenges, including homelessness and downtown safety concerns, require a coordinated response spanning municipal bylaws, police services, and provincial healthcare agencies. What is your executive strategy for balancing downtown business vitality with compassionate, evidence-based community supports (such as The Stepping Stone project)?

During this term, I was able to have a number of meetings with the DBIA members including one on this topic with representatives from By-Law and the Cornwall Police Service. This is one area where the City has had to learn and adapt to over the past couple of years. Prior to this, we had not encountered these challenges. We have established specialized teams to engage with individuals who need assistance and to respond to calls for assistance from the public and/or businesses. The first is a team which responds to reports of encampments or homeless individuals. In this case, housing is the lead, and by-law, fire, and police assist as required. The goal is get people into safe and secure housing as quickly as possible. This does include the Parisien Manor, which was formerly referred to as the Stepping Stone project. The second is a team within the Cornwall Police Service, the MCRT (formerly VSMART) teams. These teams pair up a police officer and a crisis worker, which can be a nurse or social worker. These teams can respond when a call for assistance comes in, but it's not a criminal matter, but a matter of someone needing help. We recently expanded from one team to two and the Police Chief Designate has indicated that he would like to see more teams formed to address the need. Further recommendations from the DBIA included increased patrols of both By-Law and Police, increased cameras, signage and lighting. These are areas that we have started to make improvements in, with more work to do. I also believe that we need to invest in our downtown and Le Village and restore it to a more appealing and enticing area. The City needs to manage weeds, flowers, and trees. Fix and replace broken or damaged infrastructure and needs to take a look at trip hazards, and even garbage receptacles. I recently completed a walk through with staff and the DBIA to address some of these issues. I would like to propose that a portion of the Municipal Accommodation Tax is allocated to the downtown and Le Village areas annually to help with revitalization as is done in other communities.

13. Cornwall Transit Evolution & Regional Connectivity: As Cornwall Transit transitions toward expanded operations-such as implementing permanent seven-day-a-week service-and faces ongoing calls for improved regional public transportation links across Eastern Ontario, what is your long-term transit vision? How will you balance the financial realities of running an expanded municipal transit system with the needs of a growing workforce and student population?

Transit is one area where I have strongly supported and advocated for expansion of services. Earlier this year, I put forward a Strong Mayor motion to implement Sunday Service. My ultimate goal was not to circumvent Council, as I still needed votes for the motion to pass, but rather to place emphasis and importance on the issue and to put the weight of the Mayor's position behind it. The motion was deferred but did ultimately pass. I am proud of this achievement. When we looked at the last Transit Master Plan, a number of years ago, I had brought up the idea of regional transit and used the Desoronto Transit system example as a way to make it work. Under this system, the regions who are served by Deseronto also receive gas tax that they contribute in turn to the Deseronto system. This is a model that can work for us here. Our new Transit Master Plan is looking at regional transit, and I believe that we should start by looking at Akwesasne, South Stormont and South Glengarry as possible areas to start. This would have a similar result as Deseronto whereby South Stormont and South Glengarry would receive gas tax which they could contribute to the operational cost of these routes. Increased ridership also results in increased gas tax revenues overall, thereby increasing revenues and decreasing the reliance on the tax base. Via the Master Plan we also need to make sure our system reaches all parts of the City and lines up closely with shift times at our major employers. I had meetings this term with some of these employers to discuss their needs. We made some changes, but we need a wholesome plan to truly ensure that our transit system is effective. Throughout this past term I've also had delegations with the Ministry of Transportation on the subject of a Government of Ontario run bus route between Cornwall and Ottawa under the GO Transit umbrella. At the last meeting, which took place in August, they indicated that they would explore this possibility, and have shown some interest. This sort of interconnectivity will help both communities and Eastern Ontario as a whole.

14. Arts, Culture, and the Civic Facility Footprint: From community gathering spaces to recreation and cultural hubs (such as the Benson Centre and local arts initiatives), managing municipal facilities requires balancing aging infrastructure maintenance with public demand for modern programming. What is your vision for optimizing Cornwall's public spaces, community facilities, and cultural venues to support civic engagement and quality of life?

We need to be thoughtful in how we look at the maintenance of our facilities. We need to plan accordingly over the lifespan of our buildings and try to estimate and plan when each part will need to be replaced or upgraded and then we can budget accordingly. At the same time, preventative maintenance can assist in this regard. Instead of letting an asset reach end of life, keeping the maintenance up, and keeping the asset at a higher standard can be cheaper in the long run. Right now, our facilities are fairly well used. The Benson Centre is busy at all times. We cannot keep trying to put more fields there as there is limited room. We need to consider looking at future plans for facilities in other parts of town to meet demand, and to avoid crowding people at one single location. In informal discussions with Akwesasne, they have indicated that they may require a new community centre off the Island in the event of an evacuation. There are current federal dollars available for partnerships between municipalities and First Nations. If this is the case, then we should explore a partnership here. When offices were put into the Civic Complex as a cost saving measure, it had the adverse effect of eliminating public spaces and potential revenue generation for the City. As we explore options for a new Police Station we should look to relocate offices into the old police space to recover some public space. For outdoor parks, we should avoid making them all cookie cutter with the same play structures, and give each park its own identity. We've started to move in this direction with the Park of Hope, Alexander Park, Optimist Park and others.

15. Navigation of "Strong Mayor" Powers & Council Unity: Recent provincial legislation grants "Strong Mayor" powers designed to expedite housing priorities, though they fundamentally shift executive leverage. What is your philosophy regarding the use of these powers, and how will you ensure you maintain a unified, democratic, and respectful consensus at the Council table?

I believe that Strong Mayor powers are a finer instrument, like a scalpel, rather than a blunt object, like a hammer. There can be a time and a place for the use of these powers, but they do depend on the situation. I think that if the powers can be used to expedite housing in a meaningful way, then it should be considered. As one example, Massey Commons needed a zoning change so that it could accommodate 24 apartments. The previous zoning only allowed for 22. The process to approve this change took months and set the project back. People need to be inside housing now. Cornwall had not yet been awarded Strong Mayor powers at this time, but this is one instance where I believe they would have been appropriate. I did use Strong Mayor powers to table the motion for Sunday Service, and as I mentioned earlier, this was not to circumvent Council, but to put emphasis on the importance of the motion and to put the emphasis of the Mayor's Chair behind Sunday Service. I also used Strong Mayor powers to undertake the 2026 budget. This was done in a way to allow me to get more indepth information that I had not previously had. It allowed me to look at areas to reduce spending, like car allowances and non sustainable giveaways, along with bringing contracted services back in house to reduce overall costs. It further allowed Council to get their copies of the budget much earlier than in previous years. The budget process also gives the Mayor a veto. This veto can be overridden by two thirds of Council. I chose not to use the veto. I think that there is a real risk in using it. All motions require a majority of Council to pass. The Mayor can overturn a decision singlehandedly. In the event of a split vote, say 6-5, it's unlikely that a two thirds majority could be secured to overturn the veto. It's not something that I would look to use. It's imperative that Council's votes are respected and Strong Mayor powers used cautiously to maintain a democratic and respectful environment at council. Similarly, the ability to hire and fire staff carries a lot of responsibility. There are protected positions across the municipality that the Mayor cannot arbitrarily touch. However, I think that this power has to be used lightly. As an example, if a Mayor hires a CAO that Council does not support, it can set the entire municipality up for failure.

16. Civic Transparency, Misinformation, and Public Trust: Mayors are frequently the focal point of intense public scrutiny, social media polarization, and local misinformation. How will you personally lead transparent communications, manage public discourse constructively without escalating conflict, and restore deep public confidence in the integrity of Cornwall City Hall?

Misinformation is becoming extraordinarily harder to fight these days. We've seen this frequently throughout this term. One post on social media that contains incorrect information can take on a life of its own until it becomes accepted as fact. There has been debate in the past if the Communications Department of the City should be proactive in clarifying misinformation, or if that responsibility falls to Council. This question becomes more convoluted during an election period. I recently stepped in to provide a fact check on a post by a Council candidate. This was because Council had indicated that they wanted to see misinformation stopped and also because the City cannot challenge the comments of a candidate openly. I think the best way forward is to provide clear messaging, attempting to counter misinformation, and to communicate as frequently as possible. However, this does remain a challenge as Mayors do not have personal staff that can assist in this regard. It takes time and a lot of effort to try to stay on top of it and even find all misinformation within the variety of social media platforms out there. In addition, some people do not believe the City or the Mayor when clarity or facts are provided. This further convolutes the matter. When I was a Councillor I used to provide my comments after each meeting on social media. This became harder to do as my schedule became busier. Some of our neighbouring municipalities provide post Council meeting highlights and I think the City of Cornwall should as well. I also believe that our Communications department should proactively correct misinformation in the media and online. It takes extra work but it can prevent more serious issues from arising in the future. Our Clerk is now pre-scheduling Town Halls into the calendar, just as we would Council Meetings to ensure they're happening. Having Town Halls will provide residents an opportunity to provide input and feedback to council. I also think holding more public consultations, as we have been in the last term, is a great way to interact with members of the public and hear their concerns and comments.