“My biggest hope is simply that everyone in our community gets out to vote. Our democracy only works when your voice is heard, so please make the best decision for you, your family, and the future of our city. If you choose to place your trust in me this fall, I promise to give you everything I have. Every vote I cast, every question I ask, and every decision I make will come from a place of deep integrity.”

Why do you want to be a city councillor?

I want to be a city councillor because I genuinely enjoy helping people. I founded the Guelph Safe Homes Project to help people feel safer and more secure in their homes, and I see serving on council as an opportunity to apply that same commitment across our community.

At its core, the motivation is the same: listen to people, understand the challenges they are facing, and work toward practical solutions. I enjoy speaking with residents, solving problems, and bringing people together to get things done.

I want to use those skills to make a meaningful difference and to be a hardworking, accessible, and fresh representative for Ward 4 at City Hall.

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

My background is rooted in construction, hands-on work, problem-solving, and building things from the ground up. I started working at Tim-Br Mart when I was 12 and have since gained experience across several different fields. Today, I am raising two children, running my own handyman business, and building the Guelph Safe Homes Project.

My experiences have taught me how to assess a problem, work within real-world limits, manage costs, and find practical solutions. They have also taught me that when I do not understand something, my responsibility is to ask questions, listen to people with experience, and learn it.

I have become relentless about learning, adapting, and improving. I take the saying “where there’s a will, there’s a way” personally, and I would bring that determination to City Hall.

I am dedicated to serving Ward 4 with transparency and diligence. My focus is on making well-informed decisions that reflect the best interests of Ward 4, while working collaboratively to achieve our shared goals, and being a dependable advocate for every resident.

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?

Strong Mayor Powers do not change what I believe my responsibility should be as a councillor: listen to Ward 4 residents, examine the facts, ask difficult questions, and vote according to what I believe is best for the ward and for Guelph as a whole.

I am not concerned with these powers because I believe council and the mayor should begin from the same objective of serving the people of Guelph. However, cooperation does not mean giving up independent judgment. The mayor should be expected to explain and defend any use of these powers publicly, and councillors must still provide scrutiny, challenge decisions when necessary, and use the safeguards available to council.

If I disagree with the mayor, I will make my case, work to build support around council, and ensure residents understand both the decision and my position. Guelph elects its mayor citywide, but Ward 4 elects its councillors to provide an independent voice. I would respect both mandates and work constructively with whoever holds the mayor’s office without treating disagreement as dysfunction.

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?

Affordability has had a real impact on my own family. I have wondered if i was going to be ok, I have wondered if I was going to be able to make ends meet and I have paid my taxes wondering where that money is going while I’m struggling to buy groceries. So this is something I take very personally. I would approach City spending the same way I approach a jobsite budget or my household finances: understand where every dollar is going, identify unnecessary expenses, and find ways to reduce necessary costs without sacrificing the quality of essential services.

As Guelph grows, new development and the resulting growth in the tax base should help pay for the additional services and infrastructure that growth requires. My priority will be responsible, practical budgeting that delivers good value for residents and limits the need to keep turning to existing taxpayers for more.

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?

My construction background has taught me that approving a plan does not build anything. You need coordination, clear responsibilities, realistic costs and follow-through. I would push for faster and more predictable approvals without compromising safety, construction standards or responsible planning.

The City cannot force every private development to break ground, but it can make sure City Hall is not the reason a viable project remains stalled. I would focus on measurable results; not simply how many policies we pass, but how many approved homes actually become places where people can live.

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?

Housing cannot be planned on its own. A growing city also needs places for people to work, shop, learn, receive healthcare and access public services. If we build housing without planning for those needs, we create longer commutes, greater traffic pressure and additional demands on existing neighbourhoods.

I would evaluate land-use decisions according to Guelph’s long-term needs rather than whichever pressure is greatest at that moment. That means protecting appropriately located employment and industrial lands, ensuring space is available for schools and other public institutions, and supporting commercial services close to where people live. It also means making better use of mixed-use development where housing, shops, services and employment can coexist appropriately.

Not every available property should become housing, just as not every neighbourhood needs to serve every purpose. Good planning means putting the right uses in the right places and ensuring the infrastructure needed to support them is affordable and properly timed.

My goal would be complete, functional communities. Growth should improve Guelph’s economic strength and residents’ quality of life, while contributing its fair share toward the services and infrastructure it requires.

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

Guelph depends primarily on groundwater, so water capacity must be treated as a requirement for responsible growth. It cannot be something we address after development has already occurred.

As a councillor, I would closely monitor the implementation of Guelph’s Water Supply Master Plan and expect clear, regular reporting on current capacity, projected demand, infrastructure projects, costs and timelines. Growth approvals must be coordinated with demonstrated water and wastewater capacity, and the infrastructure required by new growth should be planned early and funded fairly.

We must also protect our groundwater sources, maintain and rehabilitate existing wells, repair leaks and aging water infrastructure, and continue practical conservation measures that deliver measurable savings. New development should also be designed to use water efficiently from the beginning.

I am not a water engineer, and I would rely on qualified staff and independent technical evidence. My responsibility would be to ask the necessary questions, ensure the approved work is actually completed and resist growth decisions that move faster than our ability to service them safely. Guelph cannot grow responsibly unless residents and businesses can rely on a safe, sustainable water supply.

Trust in government and institutions is 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?

A couple ideas that I have along these lines is to use social media and some kind of email newsletter update system. I have also felt that distrust in the government and will use that as a motivator to remain transparent and ensure that my constituents have as much information as I am able to share and I will include much of their input and ideas into my decision making. I am not here to serve myself, I will base my decisions on what my constituents tell me that they want and what I believe to my core is right.

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?

The defining issue of this campaign is affordability and tax dollar value. Right now, there is a deep and growing concern about fiscal priorities. People are working harder than ever, yet Ward 4 is not seeing the justification for where their hard-earned tax dollars are going. Our neighborhoods are being left behind while our tax bills rise. I want a transparent audit of city spending. I want to ensure our infrastructure, parks, and local services reflect what Ward 4 actually puts into the system. As a councillor, I will not treat the city council’s budget like a blank check. I will treat it like it’s your money, because it is your money.

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

I will bring a perspective that is completely missing from City Hall right now: the perspective of a healthy skeptic. My professional and personal background is entirely unique compared to anyone currently on council, or any seasoned city workers or politicians running for council.

For a large part of my adult life, I didn’t trust the government, and I didn’t believe in our political system. I know exactly what it feels like to look at City Hall and feel completely disconnected from the people making the choices. I am bringing that exact skepticism to the council table as an asset. I won’t just nod along. I will bring an inquisitive, critical lens to every budget line and every policy decision. I am going to ask the tough questions, demand real transparency, and force City Hall to look at issues through the eyes of everyday citizens. My only bias is ensuring that the people of Guelph and their hard-earned money are truly being protected and spoken for. I will bring a fresh and homegrown voice to city hall.

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

First and foremost, thank you. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have my name on the ballot and to earn the privilege of representing you.

My biggest hope is simply that everyone in our community gets out to vote. Our democracy only works when your voice is heard, so please make the best decision for you, your family, and the future of our city.

If you choose to place your trust in me this fall, I promise to give you everything I have. Every vote I cast, every question I ask, and every decision I make will come from a place of deep integrity. I will govern from the bottom of my heart for what is best for Ward 4 and best for Guelph. Thank you for your time, your conversations, and your vote.