Hamilton’s best days are ahead of it. We can continue to diversify our economy and make sure that every Hamiltonian has access to a great job that pays the bills. We can do our part to tackle affordability issues for people and we can build on our strengths like agriculture and food production, arts, culture and heritage, research and innovation, and the digital economy to realize our full potential.
Over the next four years I will work with City Council, staff and the community to:
- Make life easier for families. Folks are experiencing increasing cost pressures due to inflation on everything – from buying groceries to putting gas in the tank. Property taxes and other Municipal fees are a significant part of everyone’s household budgets, and we must do everything we can to keep these costs as low as possible. Instead, we can rely on new, innovative revenue streams, and the rebalancing of residential property versus industrial and commercial.
- Increase the footprint of a growing Film and TV production sector, creating hundreds of high quality jobs that folks can raise their families on.
- Seek opportunities for expansion of digital industries and support them by working with the post secondary sector to expand educational programs in this field.
- Support our research and bio-tech sector as a key to our future. The synergies that McMaster University and Mohawk college bring –not only to the burgeoning McMaster Innovation Park, but in so many other spaces – are crucial. MIP’s biomanufacturing plans, the McMaster centre focusing on pandemics and biological threats, and the innovation and research that is attracting top doctors and scientists to Hamilton’s hospital are all crucial to our economy. As Mayor, I will encourage, support, and facilitate these and future initiatives.
- Harness the potential of the farming and agribusiness sectors. We can create growth in these sectors by encouraging and supporting innovation on the family farm, and making sure we respect the enormous contributions of our city’s rural and farming communities. Agriculture and Agribusiness already contributes over $1 billion to Hamilton’s economy annually, and we are ideally poised for further growth in this sector.
- Explore a Cargo Superhub at Hamilton John C. Munro Airport.
How we’ll do it:
- Strike a Mayor’s task force on affordability charged with boosting revenue generation, and rebalancing residential property taxes versus industrial and commercial property taxes by augmenting the capacity of the economic development department.
- Make Hamilton a Major North American film hub by taking a team Hamilton approach, working with producers, unions and guilds to market Hamilton to the world.
- Invest in the film and studio office at City Hall to maximise and streamline film projects, making Hamilton the most film friendly city in Ontario while also ensuring that film is Hamilton friendly, respecting residents and being good neighbours.
- Make Hamilton a destination for live music and theatre by partnering with local businesses and community assets, artists, and other sector players to bring music and theatre festivals to the city.
- Ensure farmers and agribusiness is taken seriously at City Hall with a dedicated liaison specializing in rural affairs and food. Protect agricultural lands, providing timely permitting, good infrastructure, and a dedicated focus.
- Build on transformation already underway in traditional industries and support and facilitate the work of Slate in the rejuvenation of the former Stelco lands into a world class hub for green industries and jobs.
- Encourage the development of a Cargo Superhub at Hamilton Airport, building on Hamilton’s status as Canada’s largest overnight cargo hub, and further leveraging Hamilton’s location on major highways, rail lines, and our deep water port.