Town Hall

I opposed the proposed $100 million Town Hall and Civic Centre because I believe taxpayers cannot afford it and because a financial commitment of this magnitude deserved greater public accountability and meaningful public input before the Town was locked into it.

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The July 28 signing does not change my position. It changes what the next Mayor and Council may practically be able to do about it.

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My first action will be to establish exactly what the Town has been committed to: what has been signed, what has been spent, what can still be cancelled or changed, and what the financial consequences of each option would be.

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I will also seek meaningful public input before determining the path forward. Residents and taxpayers deserve to understand the options, the costs of continuing, the costs of cancelling or changing course, and the long-term financial consequences. This is their community and their money, and their voices must be part of the decision.

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If the project can still be cancelled responsibly, and that is the direction supported after a transparent review and public consultation, I will pursue cancellation.

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But I will not make taxpayers pay millions of dollars in unnecessary penalties simply to make a political point. If the July 28 commitments have made complete cancellation financially irresponsible, then my responsibility as Mayor will be to take control of what happens next.

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That means no blank cheques.

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It means controlling the scope of the project, challenging additional expenditures, scrutinizing change orders, limiting unnecessary additions, protecting reserves and taxpayers, and requiring transparent public reporting on what is being spent and why.

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It also means continuing to engage the public as major decisions are made. Public consultation should not happen after the important decisions have already been made. It should help shape those decisions.

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Council's decision to sign before the election should not become an excuse for unlimited spending afterward.

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My campaign position therefore remains clear:

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I would not have signed the Town into this $100 million project. I remain committed to cancelling it where cancellation is legally and financially responsible. I will seek public input on the options before us. And where commitments can no longer responsibly be undone, I will exercise every available control to reduce taxpayers' exposure and prevent the project from becoming an even larger financial burden.

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This election is now about more than one building. It is about how major decisions are made, how taxpayer money is protected, and whether residents have a meaningful voice before—not after—decisions of this magnitude are locked in.

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Cancel what we responsibly can. Control what we cannot. Consult the public. No blank cheque for the $100 million Town Hall.

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