I want to thank all of you who took part in the community conversation regarding the move of the Town Hall to Major MacKenzie and Yonge. The feedback received was that you were split evenly between staying, and moving. The business case for moving needs more work in order to understand the financial consequences of spending those dollars in this economy and the impact that it would have on future … [Read more...]
Richmond Hill (York Region) remains the safest town in Ontario thanks to the great work of the men and women of York Regional Police. I was proud to initiate the award winning Road Watch Program. A dedicated group of community volunteers continue to make all of us aware of the consequences of speeding and disobeying stop signs in our own neighbourhoods. … [Read more...]
The announcement that U of T was selling this land came as a great shock to us all. We have worked hard to establish a Heritage Conservation By-law to protect the buildings and place restrictions on the surrounding lands. We have established a Conservation Management Plan for the balance of the lands for natural areas protection and a set of principles established to see that these important lands … [Read more...]
Our tax rate consistently remains the third lowest of the 27 GTA cities each year without any reduction in services to you. Increases over the last two years have reflected the rate of inflation to respect the economic times we have all felt. Our annual operating budget is approximately $100 million and our annual capital budget is around $20 million. My goal continues to be real value for your … [Read more...]
Our location, highly educated residents, diverse population of entrepreneurs and already established knowledge-based companies will establish Richmond Hill as the Creative Centre of York Region. The Conference Board of Canada recognized us as being a community of innovation, education, economy and a society attractive to people. Let us “brand” that recognition and create both economic and … [Read more...]
Our People Plan was the most successful community engagement process in the history of our town. Together we are planning our community to meet the aspirations and dreams you have identified for our town. Connections, Choices, Vibrancy and Management of all our Resources will become the driving forces of all Council’s future decisions. The Official Plan, the Parks Plan, the Culture Plan and the … [Read more...]
You and a thousand other volunteers have planted 15,000 trees a year, we have naturalized 2700 metres in shoreline restoration, and we have partnered in purchasing 53 additional hectares of property (Rawlinson Park, Swan Lake and Jefferson Forest) to add to our natural heritage system. We have started restoring storm ponds to cleanse the water returning to our streams and rivers. As a member of the … [Read more...]
Thanks to you, we have achieved 68% diversion from landfill with our blue box and green bin programs. ‘We have solar power at Town Hall and plans for more installations at our community centres. We have wind power at Richmond Green, Geothermal at the Theatre and our first LEED silver project at the Oak Ridges Community Centre. We will continue to introduce energy saving technologies to all of our … [Read more...]
I know you believe hospitals and health care facilities are one of the most important parts of a community. Provincial funding partners see the progress we have made yet still do not recognize the need for increased funding to be able to meet our growing needs. As a Board member of York Central Hospital, I am committed to the future growth of our hospital and the services it provides for all of … [Read more...]
As the Chair of the Yonge Street Subway Task Force, I will continue to work on your behalf to spearhead this key component to our future economic growth. The subway extension from Finch to Hwy 7 has completed the required environmental assessment and is undergoing a detailed design. Metrolinx will complete the business case and funding model this year in order to seek federal funding. … [Read more...]