A mayor is one vote at the council table. Most of what matters ahead will take the whole council, municipal staff, and the community to get done.
So rather than hand you a list of promises, I’ll tell you how I’ll approach the job, what I’ll bring to the council table, and what you can hold me accountable for.
What I’d Do First
People have been asking me a fair question: “Victor, if you’re elected mayor, what would you do first?”
I’ve spent months sitting with people across North Glengarry. I’ve heard about roads, businesses, taxes, the lagoons, and communities that feel they hear about decisions after they’ve already been made. So here’s where I would begin.
First, at the council table.
The Province has given our mayor strong-mayor powers. I don’t believe one person should use those powers to go around the people you elected to council. In the opening meetings, I would put my approach in writing: I’ll bring these decisions to council and ask for its agreement. If a real emergency called for me to act, I would explain publicly what I did and why.
Second, a real chance to speak before the vote.
Right now, speaking to council takes advance planning. I’ve heard people ask why they can’t speak when an issue is actually in front of council. That’s a fair question. In the first months, I would bring forward a change to the meeting rules for council to consider.
Third, a plain account of the big files.
Where do the lagoon projects stand? What has already been approved? What will North Glengarry have to pay? What decisions are still ahead? The same goes for roads, water and sewer, and the budget. You should be able to find those answers without reading a hundred pages of meeting papers. And if we don’t know a cost yet, we should say that plainly too.
And the tables won’t end on election day.
In the first year, I want to sit with residents in every ward, including the hamlets and rural roads. I’ll sit with the business owners who are already here and ask where the Township is making their work harder than it needs to be.
I can bring these things forward. Council will make its decisions. You’ll be able to see what I brought, what was decided, what it cost, and what still needs an answer.
Judge me by that.
Ce que je ferais en premier
On me pose souvent une bonne question : « Victor, si vous êtes élu maire, qu’est-ce que vous feriez en premier? »
Alors, je vais vous dire où je commencerais.
Pour moi, le conseil doit travailler ensemble. Ce n’est pas une seule personne qui devrait décider à la place de tout le monde. Et je veux mettre cet engagement par écrit.
Si un règlement touche votre vie, vous devriez avoir une vraie occasion de vous faire entendre avant le vote. C’est un changement que je veux proposer au conseil.
Je veux qu’on explique les grands dossiers clairement, en français et en anglais. Ce qu’on sait, ce qu’on ne sait pas encore, et combien ça pourrait coûter. Si le prix final n’est pas connu, on devrait le dire aussi.
Je vais continuer à venir vous voir et à vous écouter, même après l’élection. Vous pourrez voir ce que j’ai proposé, ce que le conseil a décidé et ce qui attend encore une réponse.
Jugez-moi là-dessus.
Est-ce que ça va laisser notre communauté plus forte pour les familles qui viennent après nous?
How I’ll Govern
These three things are the foundation of how I would approach the job: rebuilding trust, listening before leading, and stewardship for the families who come after us.
Rebuilding Trust
Trust isn’t rebuilt by asking people for it. It comes from being open about decisions, explaining where tax dollars are going, answering questions, and being willing to be held accountable for the choices we make.
Listening Before Leading
The tables I’ve been sitting at weren’t meant to end with the election. I want to continue sitting with people across North Glengarry, including our smaller communities, because listening should happen before decisions are made, not after.
Stewardship for the Families Who Come After Us
Every council inherits decisions made before it, and every council leaves decisions behind for somebody else. Roads, infrastructure, finances, development and the choices we make today will outlast any one term of council.
For me, stewardship means asking not only what works today, but what we’re leaving behind.
The Standard
These are the things you should be able to come back and ask me about.
Did I rebuild trust through openness and accountability?
Did I keep listening before leading?
Did the decisions I supported show stewardship for the people living here now and the families who will come after us?
And when we dealt with the priorities people raised — roads, businesses, services, spending and the whole township — did we leave North Glengarry stronger?
And through all of it, I’ll keep asking the same question:
Will this leave our community stronger for the families who come after us?