Why did you decide to run for mayor?
When I came to Sudbury I was a young widow and a stay-at-home Mom with a six-year old daughter. I had no job, no education and no money. But I had plenty of determination. This city was good to me when I needed help the most. Now I want to give back to help this city grow and prosper as much as I have over the years and to ensure we remain a city of compassion, opportunity, and growth. We have an amazing future, but not on this current path. I plan to bring my tenacity, leadership skills, business acumen, compassion and work ethic to take our city into the future in a fiscally responsible way.
What innovative projects would enhance life in your community?
Vibrant 10-minute main streets in all of our communities throughout Greater Sudbury. Affordable housing for seniors, young families and professionals. Focus on the technology and innovation sector to grow our economy. Explore more use of green technology and extend our environmental leadership footprint. Access to affordable child care.
If you received a $1 million grant to use for your city any way you wanted, what would you do with it?
Purchase and introduce smaller buses with a revamped schedule to offer environmentally friendly transportation options on a more frequent basis.
What do you think are the greatest challenges your city faces?
Declining population and an increasing tax base. It is currently unsustainable with the current large projects being touted.
Other than the official ways of communicating (minutes, municipal notes), how else will you reach out to your constituents to involve them in the decision making process?
Your ROI with Patricia Mills - Respect. For me a big part of respect is listening. I will hold town hall meetings in each ward in my first year as Mayor. Openness. We will sets targets for service and post our performance on our web site and through our social media channels. Tax rates. New Jobs. Spending. Snowfall vs Snow removal. Kilometers of roads fixes. Did we improve water quality. We will publish city stats, good or bad and be available for questions from our citizens. Integrity. We will publish all information that is pertinent to council decisions and host community engagement sessions on important community investments.
What is your favourite thing to do in your city?
I love our parks - Onaping Falls, Kivi Park, Bell Park, Rotary Trail. I love love hiking and walking in all of our beautiful nature.
What do you cherish most about your community?
The people. I have met incredible people who have added so much richness to my life and I have learned so much from talented entrepreneurs, teachers, community builders, artists, students etc. We have amazing potential as a city because we have incredible people who live here.
Where can people find you?
At my website; on my social media channels: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; or by calling me at 705-562-1140.
