8. How would you communicate with residents and what communication standards will you be setting and following?
Communication with residents is vital. People should know what is happening at City Hall and have opportunities to participate in their community and local democracy beyond simply voting at election time.

I would provide regular email updates to Ward 6 community groups and to residents who choose to join my Ward 6 email list, including updates on important Council discussions, decisions and issues affecting the ward.

Communication should be respectful and two-way. I would set a standard of responding to residents in a timely manner, even when the answer is not what they hoped to hear.

I would also consider regular community town halls and other opportunities to meet residents directly, hear their concerns and better understand the issues affecting different parts of Ward 6.

Transparency, accessibility and responsiveness would be important standards I would set for myself as councillor

9. How do you plan to actively involve and include residents in decisions?
Residents should have meaningful opportunities to understand and participate in decisions that affect their community. One of my goals is to help more people become engaged in local democracy, right here in Mississauga.

A councillor should be in regular contact with both individual residents and community groups — listening to their concerns, keeping them informed and helping them navigate issues with the City. It needs to work both ways: I can provide information, but residents are also an important source of information about what is happening in their neighbourhoods.

Regular email updates and community town halls would be two ways I would keep residents informed and involved. I would also explain how Council works — including Council and committee meetings, how decisions are made, and how residents can make deputations and have their voices heard on issues that matter to them.

I also think we need to make local government easier to follow. When the printed Mississauga News ended, we lost a familiar source of information about Council meetings, upcoming decisions, planning and rezoning applications and other City matters. I would look for ways to help fill that information gap so residents don’t have to go searching for important information themselves.

10. Please provide your campaign website.
N/A.