The Priorities
We will run a City Hall that pursues excellence in the basics, plans with certainty and delivers for every part of the Royal City.
A Responsible Government
We will stabilize the City budget, strengthen Council oversight and improve the way residents experience City Hall.
As Mayor, Ken will bring discipline, rigour, and a financial lens to every decision made at City Hall. Council should regularly understand the financial and operational trade-offs of its decisions, and follow through on what it commits to. Residents should see a local government that is predictable, responsive and focused on delivering what is expected.
Control Tax Levy Growth
Strengthen Council Oversight
Reform Customer Service at City Hall
Focused on the Basics
City resources need to be directed towards infrastructure, safer neighbourhoods and faster City services.
We will focus City Hall on renewing roads and core infrastructure, keeping public spaces welcoming, and planning ahead for the needs of a growing city. We will work with residents to create an in-house neighbourhood block watch program coordinated with Bylaw and Guelph Police to keep our streets safe.
Doing the basics well also means making planning and building easier to navigate. Our expectation is that staff are empowered to work constructively with applicants, provide clear and timely feedback, and identify solutions that help move projects forward with greater clarity and certainty.
We will equip staff with the tools and support they need to provide more responsive in-house service to residents and businesses.
Renew Roads & Core Infrastructure
Improve Neighbourhood Safety & Vibrancy
Make Planning & Building Easier to Work With
Rooted in Community
We will bring local institutions, community organizations, businesses and other governments together to tackle challenges that City Hall cannot solve alone.
Ken will establish a high-trust environment around the Mayor and Council Office that brings key players to the table around shared challenges.
That includes deepening the relationship with Wellington County to better align housing, social services and crisis response, while convening leadership around health and community partners around a clearer mental health and addictions pathway.
People are not statistics. We will identify the specific community treatment capacity and supports Guelph is missing and speak truth for our most vulnerable at Queen’s Park and Ottawa. We believe in restoring the individual agency in people and helping them move from crisis to recovery, and from stability to opportunity.
Support Local Businesses & Neighbourhoods
Coordinate Housing, Health & Crisis Response
Fight for Guelph at Queen’s Park & Ottawa
Our Approach
Sensible, practical and deeply relational
Humility
Listen first and lead with respect.
Integrity
Keep our word and own our decisions.
Professionalism
Communicate clearly, act consistently and follow through.
Collaboration
Consensus around evidence and practical solutions.
Predictability
Provide certainty to residents, businesses and organizations.
Excellence
Strive for better and deliver results.
Make City Hall Accountable for Results
“Policies are tools to serve people.”
Ken’s leadership is grounded in a practical, community-first approach that responds to real needs and changing circumstances.
Council must cultivate an attitude of respect for taxpayers and provide staff with clear direction focused on tangible results and follow-through. When Council leads with clarity and staff delivers with professionalism, City Hall becomes more effective, accountable and responsive to the community.
Stabilize the City Budget
“The economic horse pulls the social cart.”
The challenge is not only what is in the budget, but how Council makes budget decisions.
Operating Revenue
Where money comes from
Operating Expenses
Where the spending goes
About half of Guelph’s operating revenue comes from taxation, while 47% of operating expenses goes toward employee compensation. Stabilizing the budget will require early and consistent affordability targets, setting clearer choices around services, staffing, and stronger year-round financial oversight. That includes reforming how Council works by moving toward focused standing committees on essential portfolios, so decisions can be made earlier, trade-offs are clearer and Council is better equipped to control tax levy growth.
Read Ken’s Plan to address the projected 2027 Budget IncreaseBuild the Capacity to Deliver
Ken’s leadership will be grounded in making clear and honest choices about what we fund, what we fix first, and whether the City has the staff and resources to deliver on Council’s commitments.
That means clearer priorities, realistic commitments and fewer surprises at budget time.
We will strengthen in-house capacity through training, knowledge transfer and by equipping staff with the tools and resources they need to deliver better value. That means doing more work in-house to build relevant institutional knowledge and capacity. Our goal is to build lasting capability within the organization rather than outsourcing it out.
Keep Residents Informed
As a City Councillor, Ken has a record of keeping residents informed through in-person engagements, annual reports, newsletters and field notes.
As Mayor, Ken will continue that standard by providing clear, consistent updates on Council decisions, City finances, major projects, and progress on campaign commitments.
Click here to read Ken’s reports and updates