Plan the Growth. Protect the Taxpayer.

Growth needs infrastructure. Infrastructure needs a funding plan.

We keep hearing the words “infrastructure before growth.”

I agree.

If Ajax is going to grow, we need the roads, fire services, parks, community facilities and other infrastructure necessary to support that growth.

But there is one major question that cannot be ignored:

Who is paying for it?

The answer cannot always be the people who already live here.

Ajax Taxpayers Are Already Contributing

Ajax taxpayers are already contributing toward the infrastructure our community needs.

The 2024 budget included a 2% infrastructure levy, and the 2026 budget included an additional $1 million for the Capital Infrastructure Levy.

At the same time, programs have been introduced that allow certain development charges associated with new development to be paid at a later date.

I understand that deferring charges can sometimes help move housing projects forward.

But infrastructure and services still have to be planned, built and paid for.

The financial cost and risk cannot simply be passed down to existing residents.

Residents Deserve the Full Picture

If elected, I will advocate for clear, accessible and public information before Ajax supports any major development or intensification plan.

Residents deserve to know:

What infrastructure will be required?
What will it cost?
How much will the developer contribute?
When will those funds be received?
What will Ajax taxpayers be expected to cover?
Will municipal debt be required?
What happens financially if the development is delayed or never completed?
Can our roads and services support each phase of development?
What construction routes and traffic plans will be used to minimize disruption to nearby neighbourhoods and businesses?

These answers should be available before major decisions are made, not after.

Growth Should Be Properly Phased

Major developments should also be properly phased alongside the infrastructure required to support them.

We should not approve thousands of new units based solely on a promise that infrastructure will eventually catch up.

If critical roads, services or funding are not ready, the next phase should not automatically move forward.

Growth and infrastructure planning need to happen together.

Residents Need a Real Voice

The level of intensification being proposed is concerning many residents, and I understand why.

People are worried about traffic, pressure on existing services, construction disruption and what significant growth could mean for the neighbourhoods they already call home.

I am not against growth or new housing.

But residents deserve a meaningful voice in the conversation about how much growth is appropriate, where it should go, how it will affect their community, what infrastructure it requires and who will ultimately pay for it.

Find the Funding Before Asking Taxpayers

There are limits on what municipalities can legally require developers to fund, and we have to work within those rules.

But Ajax should make every reasonable effort to collect the funding available through development charges, developer agreements and other permitted tools.

We should also aggressively pursue provincial funding, federal funding and other non-tax revenue opportunities before turning to existing Ajax taxpayers to cover additional costs.

Growth should help build a stronger Ajax, not leave existing residents carrying an unfair share of the bill.