Milton is at a critical point in its evolution. Yes it has changed, but change is neither good nor bad, it’s just normal and we must embrace change in order to evolve. For most of Milton’s existence, it has been a sleepy rural town with a strong sense of community. This Milton is still alive and strong but the cracks are starting to show. Its foundation wasn’t built for the change we have seen over the last 20 years and won’t be able to survive the change of the next 20 unless we stop thinking like a small town and prepare for the vibrate City of the future.
Milton will always have its distinct personality because of its unique location within the GTHA. To the east and south we have large urban centres that are reachable within an hour by car or regional transit. To the North and West we have the Niagara Escarpment which will limit urban development and provide Milton with an old growth ecosystem that we must respect. This natural barrier means North Milton will continue to retain the Rural values that we love.
Past councils have had a strong conservative management style, which has given Milton one of the lowest tax rates in the region. However, to become a great city to live in we need to start to think beyond the financial balance sheet. We need to start planning now for the City we will become. Part of the problem is Council and Town Hall have generally reflected the perspective of the typical middle class home owner and not the diverse community that Milton has become. I will realize most people won’t have the desire or skill set to run for elected office, but this doesn’t mean their life experiences shouldn’t be reflected in the decisions made by council.
Town Hall needs to reflect all residents and businesses. I don’t have all the answers or skill sets to fix all of the Town’s problems, but I believe that working collectively with residents and business owners we can create innovative solutions shape Milton’s future.
In September I was fortunate to attend a workshop focused on Non-Profits and their data needs. The first thing I realized is just how caring and diverse Milton is. Throughout all of the discussions there were 2 common themes. The majority of people living in Milton today choose to live here. Second, there is often…
This election cycle is becoming more divisive than ever. However the one thing more people can agree on is our transit system needs a lot of work to make it truly usable. There are many reasons for this, and it doesn’t help that funding for new routes doesn’t happen until areas have enough density to…
I am in the process of scheduling virtual meet and greets with the interested Ward 2 residents. I realize everyone has busy schedules so I would like to identify the best times to schedule these sessions. I would like to keep them small ideally 5 or less with 10 people max. I will ask that…
