Protecting our Environment
Having spent forty years working along the shorelines of our lakes and rivers has made it clear to me that our natural environment – our lakes, rivers, forests and wetlands – are the reason that Haliburton is a destination for tourism, recreation, and the arts. It’s worth protecting.
My work on the Trent-Severn Waterway Panel highlighted the critical need for infrastructure improvements to maintain water quality and support our way of life. I will continue to support and advocate for programs that protect our environment: the highly successful septic inspection program, water quality monitoring in partnership with U-Links, and measures that protect shoreline vegetation.
I will prioritize connecting residents to municipal sewers where possible and protecting lake health in areas of existing development by supporting the use of newer waste-water technologies that have the potential to decrease impacts of private septic systems on our lakes.
Housing For All
I am committed to addressing the housing affordability crisis in Dysart and the County. By partnering with Habitat for Humanity, Places for People, other not-for-profit organizations, as well as private developers, we can bring attainable ownership and rental options to the area.
Helping people 'in the middle' achieve the stability and pride of home ownership must be a priority if we want to attract workers, healthcare professionals and families to Dysart.
Haliburton County has a high proportion of older people and our aging population is only set to grow over the next twenty-five years. We must plan for housing options for seniors if we want people to be able to remain in our community with their friends and loved ones. I will advocate for policies that ensure our seniors can age in place with dignity and security.
Infrastructure
As Mayor, I will prioritize the strategic management of our roads, bridges and buildings through a dedicated infrastructure levy. This ensures that our municipal assets are maintained and upgraded to meet the growing demands of our community. I realize that our assets need to be constantly reviewed and maintained and I want to ensure we have an asset management plan that makes good use of every tax dollar.
We also need to plan for growth and build a roadmap for sustainable, economical expansion of services in Haliburton Village. Municipalities across Ontario are receiving grants to upgrade facilities, build recreation centres and expand services that support housing – but only if they are prepared to put shovels in the ground. Without investments in long-term planning, Dysart risks being left behind.
Healthy Community
Healthcare is a provincial responsibility, but in rural communities, elected officials need to step up to support our local health services in any way that they can. I will lobby the Province to increase our funding and access to resources.
As Mayor, I will support HHHS in their redevelopment plans, including bringing more acute care beds to Haliburton and expanding long-term care in Minden. I want to bring more specialty care closer to home for our community members. At the County Council table, I will support the continuing work of the physician recruitment program and the expansion of EMS services in the County.
Healthy communities need recreation programs and access to facilities for community members of all ages and abilities. As Mayor, I will support staff and our community groups in maintaining and expanding our recreation programs, activities and facilities wherever possible.
County Governance
The discussion around single or two-tier municipal government has become a central issue of this election cycle. County Council engaged EORN to complete a report on affordability and governance, and they delivered their report to County Council on August 12, 2026. A copy of the report can be found here, and the presentation may be found here.
The report clearly illustrates that there is a shortfall in the reserve funds required to maintain, replace or upgrade existing infrastructure at both the local and County level. The report does not provide details with regard to the financial implications of the options outlined (whether it be single tier, or modified two-tier governments). This leaves a lot of unanswered questions.
How would individual municipalities or the proposed single tier address these shortfalls? How would a transition in governance actualize cost savings? What’s the trade-off when it comes to service levels, access to local government for the public, or representation? Are those trade-offs acceptable?
The infrastructure shortfall exists irrespective of whether or not there are local municipalities or a single tier, and there is only one tax payer.
It is understood that EORN will be taking a deeper dive into the finances and will provide more information to the new County Council in early 2027. I believe that each municipality needs to look into their individual service and infrastructure obligations over a budgetary horizon of the next 10-15 years and consider how they could maintain their infrastructure, maintain service levels, and support their population, and then have a discussion at the County level to consider whether or not a change in our governance model is warranted. If elected Mayor in Dysart, I will ask our staff and Council to complete this exercise, taking into consideration the findings of the EORN study and the information in Dysart et al’s asset management plan.
I am open to having a candid discussion about governance, but we must ensure that change is both warranted and sustainable in the long term. More than anything, it must be in the best interest of Dysart et al's residents.