Introduce yourself to readers. Who are you?
I grew up on Willow Street in Stratford, playing Rotary and road hockey, and attended Stratford Central before studying anthropology at Carleton. I returned home to open Pazzo in 1998. I am married to Fiona Mongillo, artistic director of Here For Now Theatre, and have three adult children. Hospitality, food, culture and sustainability have shaped my life, as has service on council and community boards. I support artists, youth sports, our built heritage and Stratford’s parks. I also love reading, the Bruce Peninsula and walking with my dog, Cleo. If you see us, neither of us bites — come say hello.
What are the core issues you are focused on this election?
My focus is managing growth while protecting what makes Stratford a good place to live. That means a clear, economically and environmentally sustainable plan — not growth at any cost. I want the community-hub portion of the Grand Trunk project underway by the end of the next term and supportive housing on Erie Street completed. We also need affordable child care so young families and working parents can build their lives here. The proposed Avondale childcare project is a promising start. With strong new administrative leadership, council must set priorities, make timely decisions and turn long-discussed plans into visible progress.
As a councillor, what will you do to keep the tax levy low?
Taxpayers are stretched, so every dollar must be tied to a clear priority. I will scrutinize projects whose costs are rising, insist on realistic estimates and contingencies before approval and pace infrastructure renewal according to urgency and affordability. The capital budget should also reduce future operating costs through energy efficiency, fleet modernization and well-planned maintenance — not simply add new obligations. Council must follow the asset-management plan, resist attractive projects we cannot responsibly sustain and examine services for practical efficiencies before asking residents for more. Keeping the levy down requires discipline, long-term thinking and the willingness to say “not yet.”
What strategy should the city be taking on housing and homelessness?
Stratford is adding housing, but not enough that people with the lowest incomes can afford. Our first priority should be completing the Erie Street supportive-housing project and securing provincial operating funding so it succeeds. We should support United Housing and use the land and equity held by the Perth and Stratford Housing Corporation to create more deeply affordable and mixed-income homes. Over time, permanent supportive housing and rent assistance can reduce reliance on costly emergency shelters. The new Official Plan must also make appropriate infill, density and a wider range of homes easier to build, while preserving thoughtful neighbourhood planning.
What strategy would you favour for the Grand Trunk?
I support the current direction: build the community hub outside the existing superstructure, seek private-sector partners for the balance of the site and add housing and tax-generating development near GO service. We should commemorate the railway structure through retained open-air elements, public art or a virtual experience — but not at unlimited public cost. As I warned at council, “We are a small municipality of 35,000 at a stretch as a population, and we do have a real possibility of toppling the financial structure of this city if we get this wrong.” Our ambition must be matched by financial discipline.
