Dear citizens of Greater Sudbury, the time for a smart change is here.
In my campaign to become your mayor, I am steadfast in my resolve on the following:
No. 1. Within 100 days of my term as mayor, I will open a “one-stop service hub” managed by staff with a role as facilitator/navigator. This service hub (a small office) will be located at a Greater Sudbury-owned community facility at each amalgamated ward.
This will also serve as the workstation for your elected councillor. I am pleased that the merit of this platform resonated with a mayoralty candidate.
With these service hubs, ward citizens will be able to access in person (a much closer site than Sudbury), at the same time reduce the carbon footprint from vehicle travel or access online, for example, if applying for building permits or if you need to start a business at that ward or have a concern or complaint. This will address the sense of being isolated and being failed by your municipal government.
I am against decentralization of infrastructure services such as snowplowing, etc. Wards are ill-equipped and financially will not be able to sustain these services.
No. 2. Under my priorities and issues: I will freeze property tax increases, no new builds and projects will be “pay as you go” basis for two years. Resumption of asset/infrastructure maintenance/repairs, this affects our health and safety and also the needs of potential businesses.
No. 3. I will restructure administration and management, keeping it simple and smart. Review roles of policing, security and potential community goodwill foot patrol presence for downtown and other town centres.
In conjunction with BIA, downtown Sudbury will become a designated area for foot traffic only and I will bring in a no loitering bylaw.
No. 4. Chamber of Commerce debate tabled the matter of Laurentian University. As a taxpayer, this was a self-inflicted crisis brewing for over 15 years of mismanagement and administration that caused undue hardships for students (Canadians – pay 35 per cent of education cost – Ontario taxpayers pay 65 per cent and recruited foreign students – paying 100 per cent), loss of employment for professors, complementary jobs, and loss for local economies.
It is for these losses that we must strive to support the resurrection of Laurentian University and encourage LU to pursue a diverse and modern direction for careers, degrees and profession and find that “niche” of expertise and excellence, modern sciences, technology, artificial intelligence that LU will be known for worldwide. Sadly, involved actors are still playing at institutional theatres in our community, not made to account for their actions and with no consequences.
No. 5. I will explore the potential of (very recently closed) unused school buildings to be repurposed towards affordable housing and address homelessness that will provide a safe and healthy living environment and meet their needs. This will need support from the federal and provincial governments, we will engage our elected MP and MPP.
My sincerest goal as mayor is to deliver an accountable, equitable, inclusive, accessible and transparent municipal government where smart decisions are made based on facts, data and data analytics in a respectful working environment for all parties.
To the Indigenous communities, my birth country, the Philippines, was also under a similar doctrine of discovery. We were a colony for 333 years, sold for $20 million, became a territory and eventually a republic.
I understand and feel your sadness and pain, as mayor, you are all included with the Greater Sudbury government, my door is open.
To the reader, thank you, salamat, miigwech, muchas gracias, merci.
Sudbury deserves a smart change. Be that champion for a smart change! Milawongformayor.com.
Mila Wong is running for the mayor’s seat in the Oct. 24 provincial election.
