Responsible & Transparent Government 

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To promote accountability, transparency, and openness, Pickering City Council meetings must be scheduled to maximize public participation, both in person and virtually. Important meetings should not be held during standard working hours, when many residents are unable to attend. Council meetings must be accessible and convenient for taxpayers — not just elected officials and city staff.

 

Growth in Pickering must be guided by the community — not by developers. While responsible development is welcome, it must reflect the city’s social, safety, infrastructure, and financial realities. The proposed high-rise projects along Kingston Road will not solve Pickering's affordable housing challenges and instead risk placing added costs on taxpayers. Pickering cannot afford to repeat the developer-driven approach seen in North East Pickering, which could leave residents with a burden exceeding $500 million.

 

Existing property owners and taxpayers must not be used to subsidise developers or land speculators investment portfolios. Development in greenfield areas should not proceed until existing serviced areas have been fully built out. The City of Pickering must follow the Provincial Planning Statement (PPS 24) both in practice and in the spirit of its intended approach when dealing with agricultural lands.

 

City council must introduce policies that prevent developer-driven planning by city staff. Pickering residents and taxpayers must always be the number one priority. Planning decisions must be directed by Council and carried out by City staff—not influenced by developers. Allowing developers to shape planning decisions for their own benefit, at the expense of taxpayers, must end.