1. Do you agree with the use of Strong Mayor Powers? If elected Mayor, would you use those powers? Why or why not?

No. I do not agree with the use of Strong Mayor Powers as they were exercised during the last term in Caledon.

Strong Mayor Powers give a single elected individual the ability to override council votes, hire and fire senior staff without council input, and fast-track decisions that would normally require full democratic deliberation. During the last term, these powers were used to remove senior staff without meaningful council consultation — resulting in the loss of institutional knowledge, a demoralized staff, and a council that became deeply divided.

As Mayor, I would not use Strong Mayor Powers to override council votes or to remove senior staff without proper process and full council input. The Mayor's role is to lead and build consensus — not to govern by decree.

The only situation where I would consider using provincial Strong Mayor powers would be to expedite critically needed affordable housing or infrastructure that has been unreasonably delayed — and even then, only after exhausting every avenue for consensus at the council table.

Democracy is not a slogan. It is a practice. It begins at Town Hall.

2. If elected, would you support passing the proposed new Site Alteration By-law, or would you prefer improving and strengthening the current Fill By-law instead?

I would strengthen and improve the existing 2007 Fill By-law rather than pass the proposed new Site Alteration By-law in its current form.

The proposed Site Alteration By-law — as drafted — contains ambiguous language, frequent use of 'may' and 'shall,' and grants excessive discretionary authority to the Commissioner to approve permits and override council decisions. This is not a stronger bylaw. It is a more permissive one dressed in technical language.

The existing Fill By-law, with its 10,000 cubic metre limit requiring council approval for larger fills, provides a better foundation. I would strengthen it by:
• Explicitly prohibiting fill operations below the water table — no exceptions
• Requiring Credit Valley Conservation and MNRF consultation before any fill permit is issued near sensitive land
• Removing Commissioner discretion to approve permits without council authorization
• Requiring a standalone public consultation process for any fill bylaw change — not bundled with four other bylaws in a single two-hour session

The Swan Lake situation showed exactly what happens when fill rules are ambiguous. We will not repeat that mistake.

3. Do you support expanding Caledon’s Fill By-law to specifically address commercial fill operations and fill imported from outside of Caledon?

Yes — absolutely and without reservation.

Commercial fill operations — where construction waste and excavated soil are imported from outside Caledon for profit — represent one of the most serious and growing threats to our environment and agricultural land.

Under my leadership, the Fill By-law would be expanded to:
• Explicitly define and regulate commercial fill operations as a distinct category requiring full environmental assessment
• Require source tracking and testing for all fill imported from outside Caledon — origin, composition, contaminant testing results
• Prohibit commercial fill operations in or adjacent to the Greenbelt, agricultural lands, and water bodies
• Require a Financial Assurance Bond from any commercial fill operator — so taxpayers are never left paying for cleanup
• Mandate that CVC, TRCA, and MNRF are consulted before any commercial fill permit is issued
• Require a public meeting — minimum 20 days notice — before any commercial fill application is considered

Highway 413 construction will generate enormous volumes of fill. We must close every loophole before that material reaches Caledon's exhausted pits.

4. Residents have raised concerns about groundwater, aggregate impacts, and environmental protections connected to fill operations. What additional safeguards, if any, would you support?

The safeguards I would implement are specific, binding, and non-negotiable:

GROUNDWATER PROTECTION:
• Mandatory hydrogeological assessment for any fill operation near a water body or within a wellhead protection area
• Real-time groundwater monitoring wells required at any fill site — data publicly accessible online
• Prohibition on fill operations that would alter the local water table — no exceptions

AGGREGATE IMPACTS:
• Mandatory rehabilitation completion certificate required before any exhausted pit or quarry can receive fill
• No fill permits for sites where aggregate license has been surrendered until independent environmental baseline study is complete
• Mandatory 500m buffer from any active fill operation to nearest residential well

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS:
• Species at risk survey required before any fill permit is issued on rehabilitated land
• Air quality and dust monitoring required at all commercial fill sites
• Annual public reporting on all fill operations in Caledon — online, searchable, ward by ward

These are not suggestions. Under my leadership, they would be binding policy — not guidelines.

5. Would you allow the municipality to permit construction fill below the water table?

No. Full stop. No exceptions.

Fill below the water table risks permanent contamination of groundwater that residents, farmers, and livestock depend on. The Swan Lake situation made this issue viscerally real for thousands of Caledon residents — and the concern is entirely legitimate.

As Mayor, I will introduce a binding policy within my first 90 days prohibiting any municipality-issued fill permit for operations below the water table in Caledon. This will not be a guideline. It will not say 'may' or 'should consider.' It will say: prohibited.

If the Province attempts to override this through legislation or an MZO, I will oppose it publicly, at every available forum, and I will stand with residents in that fight.

6. The last term of Council was often seen as divided. What specific steps would you take as Mayor to improve collaboration, professionalism, and teamwork at the Council table?

The division in the last term was the predictable result of a leadership approach that prioritized control over collaboration. I will do things differently from Day 1.

BEFORE EVERY COUNCIL MEETING:
• Weekly one-on-one briefings with each councillor — so no one is surprised by agenda items
• Agenda shared minimum 72 hours in advance
• Pre-council working sessions for complex items — build understanding before the formal vote

AT THE COUNCIL TABLE:
• Every councillor gets to speak before any vote — no cutting off debate
• No motion tabled without prior discussion with all councillors
• Integrity Commissioner process will not be used as a political instrument

REGARDING STAFF:
• CAO hired through a transparent, council-involved process
• Senior staff changes require council consultation — not unilateral action
• Staff encouraged to raise concerns without fear of retaliation

REGARDING RESIDENTS:
• Delegations welcomed at every regular council meeting
• No agenda item affecting residents fast-tracked without proper notice

A divided council is a symptom of failed leadership. Collaboration starts at the top.

7. Illegal truck yards and illegal land use operations continue to be a major concern for residents. What actions would you take to address these properties?

This is one of my top three priorities. Caledon has 300+ known illegal truck properties. Five people died in one week in January 2025. Adrianna McCauley was killed on September 10, 2024. This is not a bylaw inconvenience. It is a public safety emergency.

IMMEDIATE (First 30 days):
• Meet with CCRSA leadership — a working session, not a photo opportunity
• Direct bylaw staff to implement weekly satellite monitoring of all 300+ known properties
• Request a formal OPP enforcement operation on the highest-risk road corridors

SHORT TERM (First 90 days):
• Implement satellite change detection using ESA Sentinel-2 free data — all known properties monitored automatically
• Automatic alert system when new vehicle activity is detected overnight
• Bylaw officer dispatched with satellite evidence already documented

LEGISLATIVE:
• Request Province increase maximum corporate fines to $100,000 per violation
• Pursue designation of Caledon's rural roads as protected haul routes
• Coordinate with neighbouring municipalities on cross-boundary illegal truck operations

The technology to watch 300 properties simultaneously — 24 hours a day — exists and is free. We need the political will to use it.

8. Some illegal land use properties have later applied for amendments to become legal. Do you support allowing properties operating illegally to seek approval after the fact? Why or why not?

No — not as a general practice, and not without serious consequences attached.

Allowing properties that have operated illegally to simply apply for rezoning after the fact creates a perverse incentive: operate illegally, generate profits, then retroactively legitimize the operation. This signals to every future operator that illegal land use is a viable business strategy.

My position: An illegal land use property may only be considered for any compliance pathway if:
1. The operator has fully ceased illegal operations — verified by satellite and physical inspection
2. All environmental damage has been remediated at the operator's cost — not taxpayers'
3. Full financial penalties have been paid — not reduced as part of any approval process
4. A minimum two-year clean record is demonstrated
5. The proposed legal use actually conforms with the Official Plan and zoning

Rezoning illegal operations into compliance is the path of least resistance — for operators, not residents. I will not take that path.

9. Last term of council voted in favour of permitting certain illegal land use properties to become compliant through rezoning. If elected Mayor, would you support this approach?

No — not as a default approach.

Rezoning illegal operations into compliance was used as a shortcut in the last term. The practical effect was to reward non-compliance, undermine the credibility of bylaw enforcement, and signal to residents that their complaints would ultimately go nowhere.

I understand the practical argument: an operation that becomes legal can be regulated, whereas one that remains illegal continues to operate anyway. But this logic only holds if the rezoning process includes genuine conditions, genuine penalties, and genuine remediation requirements.

Under my leadership, any rezoning of a previously illegal property would require full council approval — not staff delegation — and would be subject to the conditions I outlined in Question 8. I would not support blanket rezoning into compliance.

10. Other than approving zoning into compliance, what plans do you have to reduce and prevent illegal truck yards and illegal land use operations in Caledon?

Prevention requires three things: detection, deterrence, and consequences.

DETECTION:
• Satellite monitoring — Sentinel-2 images every 5 days — all 300+ known properties plus algorithmic detection of new sites
• Citizen reporting app — photo + GPS + category — directly to bylaw officer
• Night monitoring via SAR radar — Sentinel-1 — free from ESA

DETERRENCE:
• Proactive inspections — not just complaint-driven
• Public database of all illegal properties with status updates — residents can see what is being done
• Financial assurance bonds required for all commercial trucking operations in Caledon

CONSEQUENCES:
• Mandatory cleanup bond — operator pays for full environmental remediation
• Personal liability for directors and officers of corporations operating illegal yards
• Provincial Offences prosecution for repeat offenders
• Public naming of corporate owners — not just property addresses

COORDINATION:
• Quarterly meetings with OPP, Brampton, Vaughan on cross-boundary operations
• Data sharing agreement with other municipalities

The current approach is reactive. Mine will be proactive.

11. What measures would you support to strengthen by-law enforcement and ensure quicker action against repeat offenders?

Five specific measures:

1. DEDICATED TASK FORCE: A dedicated bylaw team focused exclusively on illegal truck yards and land use — funded from enforcement revenue, not general taxation.

2. ESCALATING PENALTIES: First offence — maximum fine. Second offence — mandatory court appearance. Third offence — referral to OPP with request for criminal investigation. No warnings for known repeat offenders.

3. SATELLITE EVIDENCE PACKAGE: Every prosecution comes pre-built with satellite before/after images, inspection history, and violation documentation — reducing prosecution time and increasing conviction rates.

4. 48-HOUR RESPONSE STANDARD: Any verified illegal land use complaint receives an officer visit within 48 hours. A clear, published standard that residents can hold us to.

5. CORPORATE OFFICER LIABILITY: Advocate for provincial legislation making directors and officers personally liable for illegal land use operations run through corporations. Fining a shell company is not deterrence. Fining an individual is.

12. OPP patrol hours in Caledon have reportedly decreased significantly over the past two years. What would you do to advocate for increased patrol hours and stronger policing presence in the community?

This is a direct public safety issue requiring direct action.

IMMEDIATE:
• Request a formal meeting with the OPP Central Region Commander within my first 30 days as Mayor
• Request a written breakdown of patrol hours by ward, by time of day, by incident type — published publicly
• Make patrol hour accountability a standing item at every Caledon-OPP liaison meeting

ADVOCACY:
• Formally write to the Solicitor General of Ontario — on the public record — requesting a patrol hour review for Caledon given growth in illegal operations and rural crime
• Coordinate with neighbouring rural municipalities facing similar reductions — joint advocacy is more effective than individual requests

TECHNOLOGY:
• Use the Smart Monitoring Platform to provide OPP with satellite evidence of illegal operations — making their patrol time more effective, not just more abundant

I will not simply ask for more police and call it a day. I will demand accountability for the patrol hours currently funded — and push for restoration of what has been lost.

13. Do you believe Caledon residents are currently receiving adequate policing coverage? Why or why not

No.

The evidence is clear: illegal truck yards have operated for years. Road deaths have increased. Five people died in a single week. 300+ illegal properties exist. Rural crime has increased as the community has grown.

Caledon covers 688 square kilometres — the largest land area of any GTA municipality. It has grown significantly in population but has not seen a corresponding increase in OPP patrol capacity.

Adequate policing means proactive presence — not just reactive response. It means residents feel safe on rural roads at night. It means illegal operators know someone is watching. By that standard, coverage is not adequate.

I want the right coverage, at the right times, in the right places. That requires data, transparency, and a mayor willing to push back when residents are not being adequately served.

14. Do you agree or disagree with the privatization of our water infrastructure and delivery services?

I strongly disagree with the privatization of water infrastructure and delivery services.

Water is a public good. It is not a commodity. The moment water delivery is handed to a private operator whose primary obligation is profit rather than public health, the interests of Caledon residents become secondary.

Private water operators have a documented track record of:
• Rate increases that exceed inflation year over year
• Deferred maintenance to maximize short-term returns
• Reduced transparency and public accountability
• Extreme difficulty to reverse once privatization is complete

Under my leadership, Caledon's water and wastewater infrastructure will remain in public hands. This is not negotiable.

The workers currently delivering these services — many of whom have raised legitimate concerns about the transition of regional services — deserve job security and a mayor who advocates for public ownership.

15. Please outline your position on the creation of data centres in Caledon.

Data centres require careful, case-by-case evaluation — not blanket approval or blanket rejection.

The case FOR: Data centres bring significant assessment revenue, employment, and do not generate the traffic, noise, or environmental impact of traditional industrial facilities.

The case AGAINST: Data centres consume enormous amounts of water for cooling and electricity. They often occupy large employment land areas that could serve higher-employment industries. Their water consumption is particularly concerning given Caledon's groundwater pressures.

My position — I would support data centre applications only where:
1. Located in designated employment areas — not agricultural or rural lands
2. A full water impact assessment confirms use is within sustainable limits
3. Power supply is confirmed without impacting residential or agricultural users
4. A Community Benefit Agreement is negotiated including local employment commitments
5. Full council and public consultation has been completed

Data centres should serve Caledon's interests — not simply occupy our employment land with minimal community benefit.

16. How would you balance growth and development while protecting Caledon's rural character, farmland, and natural environment?

The growth-protection balance is the defining challenge of the next council term. Caledon is projected to grow from 76,000 to 300,000 by 2040. How we manage that growth will determine whether Caledon retains its identity.

GROWTH WHERE IT BELONGS:
• Urban growth concentrated in designated growth areas — Bolton, south Caledon, Mayfield West
• No MZOs on agricultural land outside designated urban boundaries
• Secondary plans completed before zoning is approved — not after

PROTECTION THAT IS REAL:
• Greenbelt — non-negotiable. No exceptions, no variances, no workarounds
• Agricultural land — a farmer's right to farm protected in every planning decision
• Village character plans for Caledon Village, Inglewood, Caledon East with binding heritage and density protections

INFRASTRUCTURE FIRST:
• No residential approval without proven school, road, water, and sewer capacity
• Development Charges must recover true infrastructure costs — not artificially reduced to benefit developers at taxpayer expense

COMMUNITY-LED PLANNING:
• Every major planning decision goes through full public consultation — minimum 20 days notice
• Residents will plan Caledon. Not developers.

17. What are your top three priorities for Caledon over the next four years if elected Mayor?

ONE — PUBLIC SAFETY AND ILLEGAL LAND USE:
Eliminate illegal truck yards, protect residents from road deaths, and implement satellite-based proactive enforcement. Partner with CCRSA from Day 1. Request OPP accountability. This is non-negotiable.

TWO — ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND WATER SECURITY:
Binding no-fill-below-water-table policy. Mandatory aggregate setbacks. Full public water monitoring dashboard. Credit River and Humber River real-time safety data accessible to every resident on their phone. No privatization of water services.

THREE — DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE AND TRANSPARENCY:
Restore trust at Town Hall. No unilateral staff changes. Full FOI compliance. Public consultation before every major planning decision. Developer donations publicly disclosed. Council voting records prominently published. A mayor who shows up when residents need to be heard.

18. How will you ensure residents feel heard and involved in decision-making processes at Town Hall

Specific, structural changes — not rhetoric:

• Every council meeting: Delegations accepted as a standing agenda item — no motion required to hear from residents
• Major planning decisions: Minimum 20 days public notice — enforced automatically. This basic requirement was fought for by residents during the Swan Lake situation. Under my leadership, it will be standard practice.
• Regular ward-level community meetings — not just during election campaigns
• All planning documents posted in plain language — not just technical reports inaccessible to residents
• Every formal resident submission receives a written response within 30 days
• Annual public dashboard: how many resident concerns were raised, how many were acted on
• As Mayor, I will meet with any resident or community group that requests a meeting within 14 days

Residents feeling heard is not about optics. It is about whether decisions actually change as a result of what residents say. I will track that and report it publicly.

19. What changes, if any, would you make to improve transparency and accountability at the Town of Caledon?

Six specific changes — each implementable within the first term:

1. VOTING RECORDS: All council votes published online within 24 hours — searchable, downloadable, ward by ward
2. CAMPAIGN DONATIONS: All donations publicly disclosed on an ongoing basis — not just at year-end filing
3. FOI COMPLIANCE: All FOI requests responded to within statutory timelines. FOI response log published publicly quarterly
4. COUNCIL EXPENSES: All councillor expenses published monthly — not annually
5. DEVELOPER MEETINGS: All meetings between Town officials and developers logged and published — who met, when, what was discussed
6. SENIOR STAFF CHANGES: Any change to a senior staff position requires a written public explanation to council within 48 hours

These are not revolutionary. They are standard practices in well-governed municipalities. Caledon should meet that standard.

20. Do you support more public consultation before major planning and policy decisions are made? If so, what would that look like under your leadership?

Yes — unequivocally.

MANDATORY CONSULTATION TRIGGERS:
Any decision involving fill or site alteration on sensitive lands, MZO applications, Official Plan amendments, aggregate applications, or major rezoning requires mandatory public consultation before council votes.

NOTICE STANDARDS:
Minimum 20 days written notice for any public meeting. Mailed to residents within 500m of any proposed site. Posted on Town website. Advertised in local media. No bundling of multiple bylaw changes into a single session with inadequate time for each.

FORMAT:
Open house format available — but also formal delegation opportunity at council. Residents must be able to speak to elected officials, not just staff.

RESPONSE REQUIREMENT:
Every formal public submission must be summarized in the council report and council must indicate how each concern was addressed — or why it was not.

WHAT I WILL NOT DO:
I will not use public consultation as a checkbox that precedes a predetermined decision. If the consultation reveals serious problems with a proposal, the proposal changes. That is what consultation means.

21. In situations where the province is demonstrably acting against the best interests of the residents of Caledon, will you speak up to the Premier and relevant Ministers on our behalf?

Yes. Loudly. On the record. Every time.

Here are the issues where I would already be at Queen's Park:

• CBM blasting quarry — Province has not enacted mandatory setbacks. I will demand them.
• Highway 413 — I will formally oppose it and table a council motion within my first 90 days
• Road service download — Province is downloading Regional roads with no financial plan. I will demand full transparency before the transfer.
• Strong Mayor Powers — I will advocate for their restriction
• OPP patrol hours — I will write to the Solicitor General requesting restoration of coverage
• Bills affecting conservation and water — provincial overreach on groundwater must be challenged

I also recognize that speaking up alone is not enough. I will build coalitions with other rural Ontario mayors facing the same pressures. A united voice is louder than one.

Caledon residents deserve a mayor who advocates at every level — not one who stays quiet when it matters most.

22. What is your long-term vision for Caledon as growth pressures continue?

My vision for Caledon in 2040 is a municipality that grew intelligently — where the farms still exist, the rivers are clean, the villages retained their character, and the new residents who moved here found exactly what they were looking for: not another subdivision, but a community.

Specifically:
• A Caledon Health Hub — built and operating. No more 45-minute drives for emergency care.
• GO Train service to Bolton — both stations, Hwy 50 and Macville.
• Clean rivers — public dashboard showing safe/unsafe in real time, accessible on every resident's phone.
• Zero illegal truck yards — satellite monitoring has made Caledon a hostile environment for illegal operators.
• Greenbelt intact — not a square metre compromised.
• CBM quarry rejected — with binding precedent preventing future below-water-table extraction.
• A Town Hall that residents trust — because it kept its promises.

That is the Caledon I am running to build.

23. Do you believe the number of Integrity Commissioner complaints filed by staff and members of Council against fellow members of Council during the last term reflects a healthy and professional working environment at Town Hall? Why or why not?

No. It does not.

The volume of Integrity Commissioner complaints in the last term was extraordinary — and deeply troubling. When elected officials are filing complaints against colleagues, and when staff are filing complaints against elected officials, it signals that normal governance has broken down.

The IC process was designed as a last resort for genuine ethical violations — not as a tool to silence dissenting voices or punish councillors who disagree with the majority position.

Under my leadership:
• IC complaints will be reserved for genuine ethical violations — not policy disagreements
• I will not direct, encourage, or support IC complaints as a governance instrument
• A healthy council is one where disagreement is expressed openly at the table — not through legal processes behind closed doors
• I will set the tone from Day 1 that robust debate is welcome and expected at council

24. Why should residents trust you to lead Caledon through the next term of Council?

I will give you three reasons — and they are not talking points.

FIRST — I have no development interests to protect. I am not developer-funded. I am not seeking this position to benefit any financial interest. My platform will cost developers — and benefit residents. That is exactly how it should be.

SECOND — I have answered every question in this questionnaire directly and honestly — including declaring my conflict of interest, including acknowledging where I am still learning. That honesty will not change after October 26th.

THIRD — I have lived in Canada for 20 years. My wife works here. My daughter is in Grade 12 here. This is not a stepping stone. This is our home. I will live with every decision I make as Mayor — and so will my family. That accountability is personal, not just political.

I am not the candidate with the longest list of endorsements. I am the candidate who will tell you the truth, fight for you when the province overreaches, and show up when you need your Mayor present.

That is what I am offering. Residents will decide if it is enough.

25. What conflict of interest do you have, if any, that will prevent you from voting on things that will be brought before council and prevent you to represent your constituents?

I declare the following transparently:

I do not own land near Highway 413, near any proposed quarry site, or near any major development area in Caledon that would create a personal financial benefit from planning decisions.

I do not have business relationships with developers, aggregate companies, or construction firms that do business with the Town of Caledon.

If any matter comes before council where a personal financial interest exists — direct or indirect — I will declare it immediately, recuse myself from the vote, and publish the declaration publicly on the same day.

Full disclosure: I will publish a complete asset and business interest declaration on my campaign website within 30 days of nomination. Residents deserve to know before they vote — not after.

26. How long have you been a resident of Caledon?

I have called Canada home for 20 years.

My family — my wife, who works at one of Canada's top five banks, and my daughter, who is currently in Grade 12 here — have built our lives in this community. Caledon is where we have chosen to stay, to invest in, and to build our future.

I bring fresh eyes to this election — I am not defending every decision of the last eight years. But I am not new to caring deeply about what happens here, and I am not going anywhere.

I am running because I believe Caledon deserves a new direction — and because my family will live with the consequences of the next four years of decisions, just like yours will.