Priorities

Growth needs housing, infrastructure and services to move together.

Ward 2 is growing. That growth can bring new housing, businesses, recreation and opportunity, but planning has to keep pace.

Kathleen’s priorities focus on four areas where local decisions matter. Across all four, her approach is the same: do the homework, listen to residents, understand who is responsible, ask the questions that clarify the issue and explain what happens next.

No councillor can deliver every outcome alone. Good municipal leadership means knowing where Council has authority, where partnerships are needed and how to keep an issue moving.

Kathleen’s decision approach

Six questions Kathleen will bring to major decisions.

01
What problem are we trying to solve?
02
What do the evidence and residents’ experiences tell us?
03
What will it cost? Who will pay? What will the long-term impact be?
04
Who is responsible, and who else needs to be at the table?
05
What will this mean for residents in real life?
06
What will success look like, and how will we know if it worked?

Growth and Complete Communities

Plan growth around complete communities.

New housing is part of Ward 2’s future. The challenge is making sure growth creates complete communities rather than adding homes without the infrastructure and services people need.

Review major development proposals alongside road capacity, stormwater needs, parks, recreation, emergency services and other local infrastructure.
Ask three basic questions when growth requires new infrastructure: What is needed? When will it be delivered? Who will pay for it?
Support different housing choices while making sure new development fits well beside existing neighbourhoods.
Work with Durham Region, school boards and other partners when Clarington does not control the service or project.
Publish plain-language Ward 2 growth updates so residents can see what is proposed, what has been approved and what happens next.

Safer Streets and Better Connections

Make it easier and safer to get where you are going.

A growing community needs roads that work well, neighbourhood streets that feel safe and better connections for people who walk, cycle or use transit. Public safety also depends on strong emergency response and good coordination between local and regional services.

Get Bowmanville ready for GO.

The Bowmanville GO extension has moved from promise to construction. Ward 2 now needs careful planning for station access, road capacity, local transit, walking and cycling connections, construction impacts and growth around the future station.

Prioritize practical fixes at Ward 2 traffic hot spots using traffic data and resident feedback.
Improve crossings, sidewalk connections and safe routes around schools, parks and community destinations where the Municipality has responsibility.
Coordinate roadwork and development so residents can understand what is happening, why it is happening and when they can expect disruptions to end.
Work with Durham Region and the Province on regional roads, transit and other connections outside Clarington’s direct control.
Support strong fire and emergency response as Clarington grows, and work with Durham Region, police, paramedics and community partners when public-safety issues cross municipal boundaries.
Listen to frontline professionals, service data and residents when planning fire halls, emergency-service needs and community-safety responses.

Strong Community Places and Local Economy

Growth should strengthen the places that make Bowmanville feel like home.

Parks, recreation facilities, trails, downtown streets and public gathering spaces are part of the infrastructure of a strong community.

Make sure major recreation investments are accessible, useful and connected to the neighbourhoods around them.
Support a thriving Downtown Bowmanville with attention to accessibility, parking and clear signage, heritage character, streetscape quality and connections to surrounding growth.
Protect and expand opportunities for parks, trails, green space and public access to the waterfront as the community grows.
Make it easier for local businesses to work with the Municipality, and keep improving the streets and public spaces that bring people downtown.
Ask how new business and development can create local jobs, strengthen the tax base and help support the services a growing community needs.

Affordability, Value and Accountability

Every tax dollar should be spent carefully and with a clear purpose.

Residents are already managing rising costs. Municipal government should do its part by keeping taxes and fees as affordable as possible, protecting the services residents rely on and making sure public money is spent responsibly.

Fiscal responsibility means asking tough questions before money is committed: Is this needed? What will it cost now and over time? Is there a more efficient way to achieve the same result? Have grants, partnerships or other funding sources been explored? And what measurable benefit will residents receive?

Municipal services should be efficient and easy to navigate.

Residents and businesses should be able to get clear answers, understand municipal requirements and deal with local government without unnecessary delays, duplication or red tape.

Know who sets which part of the tax bill.

Clarington controls only part of the property tax bill. Municipal, regional and education tax rates are set by different levels of government. Kathleen will be clear about which level of government controls each cost and who is responsible for the service.

Official source ↗

Protect reliable core services and ask what major investments will cost, what residents will receive and how success will be measured.
Before approving a major project, ask for the full cost, how it will be funded, and what it will cost to operate and maintain over time.
Look for practical savings, grants, partnerships and other funding before asking local taxpayers to pay more.
Maintain the roads, parks, facilities and infrastructure residents have already paid for, so small problems do not become more expensive ones.
Look for places where municipal processes can be simpler, faster or easier for residents and businesses without removing important safeguards.
Be willing to change course when costs, evidence or community needs change. Improving a plan is part of responsible decision-making.
Be clear about which level of government is responsible, explain major decisions before and after the vote, and follow up to see whether promised results were delivered.

Resident input

What should Kathleen know about your neighbourhood?

Traffic, development, parks, local services or something else? Tell Kathleen what is happening, where it is happening and what you think Council should understand. You do not need to be a campaign supporter to reach out.

Tell Kathleen What Matters