“I don’t expect everyone to agree with every decision I make, but I’ll be making decisions based on what’s best for Guelph as a whole. […] I’m an extremely hard worker, and naturally curious, willing to outwork anyone to get better. I’m a big believer in surrounding yourself with people who make you better, have high standards and are quality people and have very little patience for laziness or excuses.”

Why do you want to be a city councillor?

I don’t see this as becoming a politician, and I’m not planning my next step from here or using this as a springboard.  But the more I saw and paid attention to the city, I felt there must be a better way to do this.  I’m running because I believe council should be practical, accountable and transparent, and because decisions should be made on evidence, common sense and long-term value for taxpayers.  As a business owner i’m used to managing budgets, solving problems and being accountable for my decisions.   If I make a bad decision, I hear about it the same day.   I think City Hall, and the Council in particular, can use more people like that.

What is your background and experience, and how do you think that will serve you as a city councillor?

I’ve owned and operated businesses for many years here in Guelph, including now CrossFit 1827.   Before that I owned a freight brokerage where every decision affected employees, customers and our bottom line.

Running a business teaches you to be proactive, solve problems, work within a budget, communicate clearly and not be afraid to make decisions that sometimes are uncomfortable but necessary.

As a gym owner, I’ve also built a strong community.   Every day I work with 100’s of people from different backgrounds, ages and professions.   Understanding and working with different perspectives is something I do every day.

The City of Guelph is essentially 250-300 different businesses in itself when you factor in all the services it provides, and I believe council needs more members with real world business experience alongside the many other valuable backgrounds already represented.

Given Strong Mayor Powers, how do you see your role as a city councillor when the mayor can override the will of council with just three votes?

The legislation changed how decisions can be made, but it didn’t change who the councillors represent.

Strong Mayor powers don’t remove the importance of building consensus or listening to residents.    Good ideas should stand on their own regardless of who brings them forward.

Residents deserve a councillor who still speaks up for their interests even when the final decision isn’t entirely in their control, not someone who just goes along with the votes.

Affordability is important to a lot of voters, and municipal budgeting can be very difficult. How will you balance the needs of a growing city with the demands for low or zero tax increases over the next term?

I’ll start by being honest: a zero-tax-increase promise usually means a service gets quietly cut or a cost gets pushed to next year.  City taxes rose 8.52% in 2024, 6.78% in 2025, and 7.87% in 2026, and families are feeling it.  If we’re asking residents (myself included) to pay more, we need to show them/us that the value they’re getting for their dollar is there and explain the ‘why’ in plain language that all can understand.

That doesn’t mean we say no to every investment opportunity, it just has to align with the goal of spending on things residents need and value the most or will benefit the city in the long run.  We should be focused on changing the trajectory of our taxes over years, not a quick knee jerk reaction.

Council this past term has done a lot of housing policy, but that hasn’t translated into more shovels in the ground. How will you help close the gap over the next four years?

Passing policy looks good at the time of the vote, and some feel that’s where the job ends for them.   The work only starts then, and we need to continue identifying unnecessary delays, improve coordination between departments and working with builders to better understand where projects are getting stuck.

The infrastructure also needs to keep pace, so developments move forward and work.

Aside from the demands for more housing, land use planning also means assuring that there’s enough room to account for growth in business, institutional and commercial land uses, how will you balance all these priorities?

I know from experience with my own business, there isn’t a lot of opportunity to find land that’s either ready to build on, makes sense financially or in a location that would serve my members.

Housing is important, but if there isn’t space set aside or areas to grow, employers to invest in, recreation, schools or commercial spaces that help our communities grow, they’ll find somewhere else to do that.

Growth needs to be well balanced so people can live, work and access services in their/our own community.

Water availability is a growing concern. How will you ensure that Guelph has the capacity it needs to support this growing city?

From what I’ve learned and seen, planning for the future is typically a lot less expensive and disruptive then just reacting.   That goes for our water usage, and capacity.

Trust in government and institutions is a major issue. How will you keep your constituents well informed about city hall business, and help them feel included when it comes to decision making?

This is what I already do everyday on a smaller scale.   I don’t expect people to agree with every decision, but they do expect and deserve honesty.

By being consistent, communicating my (and eventually the city’s) reasoning, constituents and all residents of Guelph will know why decisions have been made, or will be made.

Regular updates for those that want it is important, but so does being consistent.

What would you say is *your* issue? What is the one thing you want to talk about on the campaign trail this fall and have a thorough debate about it before this election is over?

A safe, accessible downtown, and real help being offered to people struggling on the streets.   Almost everyone in Ward 2 agrees something has to change, and I don’t believe you have to choose between compassion and safety.

For me it comes down to accountability, one clear responsible lead for the downtown response, stable multi-year (not hoping a vote gets passed each year) funding for what works like the Welcoming Streets outreach team, clean and safe shared spaces along with public reporting so can all see whether it’s working.

The city can’t cure addiction, but we can keep our shared spaces usable and back the services that get people help.

Improve accountability here and a lot of other problems get easier.

What perspective do you think you will bring to council that is not currently reflected?

I don’t have a pension.   I don’t have a regular salary.  Every thing I earn is directly related to the work I put in at my business, and the daily decisions I make.

I work and talk to almost a hundred of Guelph citizens a day, they range in age from 15 (sometimes younger in our class) to 78.   I see them talking, enjoying time with each other and I also hear about the difficulties some have when it comes to making payments and making sacrifices when spending.   I’ve had members lose jobs, look for housing, renters, Univ students and everything in between.

I know what’s happening in Guelph because I’m living it everyday at my Gym and see how hard it can be for some to balance everything.

Saying that, I also get to see the best of what Guelph offers.   People are quick to offer support, help out when someone needs it, and all want the best for each other.

Is there anything else you want to tell voters as they make their decision?

I don’t expect everyone to agree with every decision I make, but I’ll be making decisions based on what’s best for Guelph as a whole. So does that mean it’s the best for everyone all the time, no.   But in the long run, it will be for the City.

I’m an extremely hard worker, and naturally curious, willing to outwork anyone to get better. I’m a big believer in surrounding yourself with people who make you better, have high standards and are quality people and have very little patience for laziness or excuses.  I’m always happy to ask questions and learn from those who know more.