I am Salman Zafar, Candidate for Regional Councillor (Milton Ward 3). I bring 13 years of relevant municipal sector experience to the table and I am pledging 100% of my salary to local charities. I am here for a job interview. Ask Me Anything!

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3]

Hello r/Milton,

Milton deserves elected officials who are accessible, transparent, and ready to answer hard questions. That is why I want to interact directly with you to answer your questions and address any real concerns.

My campaign is built on the principle of "Substance Over Visibility." I am a municipal infrastructure asset management practitioner with 13 years of experience. I am running to bring technical expertise to the Council table to ensure our rapid growth doesn't leave future generations with unsustainable infrastructure costs. Because I believe public office should be strictly about service and not profit, I have pledged to donate 100% of my Regional Councillor salary to 13 local charities.

You won’t see my name on a lawn sign anywhere in Milton as I have made the strategic decision to skip election signs entirely. Printing my name in a huge font on a piece of plastic doesn’t tell you anything about my personal values and my ability to manage a multi-billion-dollar municipal infrastructure portfolio.

We need to stop treating local government like a popularity contest and start treating elections like job interviews. Instead of cluttering our neighbourhoods with my signs and relying on passive name recognition, I am committed to personally handing out my old-school, plain-text resume at your doors as I see my future relationship with the residents as that of an employee to an employer.

I invite you to review my professional background, core principles, accountability framework, policy position on various local issues, and my responses to frequently asked questions.

View my full platform at salmanzafar.ca.

How this AMA will work (Staggered Format): I am opening this thread today to give everyone a chance to read my platform and submit their questions. I will be keeping this thread active over the next few days.

Note: I will be logging in after 8:00 p.m. each evening to answer your questions, but feel free to drop your questions at any time according to your schedule.

Rules of Engagement:

1. Focus on Milton: Let's keep the focus on real concerns, infrastructure challenges, and collectively exploring potential solutions.
2. Focus on My Platform & Policy: Irrelevant questions, mudslinging, or pointless comparisons with other candidates will be skipped. I also will not respond to any questions about other candidates, as I cannot speak on their behalf.
3. One Primary Question: To ensure fair access and allow me to provide thorough answers, please try to limit your post to one primary question.
4. Civil Dialogue: Disagreement and tough questions are highly encouraged. However, I won't respond to any personal attacks, tribalism, or hateful rhetoric. Let's ensure this forum remains a factual and educational space.
5. Communal Harmony: Reddit is anonymous, which is great for open dialogue, but I ask that we keep questions genuinely focused the needs of our growing, diverse community. If a question is clearly submitted in bad faith just to stir up drama, I will skip it.

Here is my verification photo: https://imgur.com/a/2cTcVb5

The floor is yours, Miltonians. Ask me anything that matters to you.

Edit: The AMA is now closed. Thanks everyone for sharing your questions and concerns.

Here is my closing statement:

If my responses resonated with you, I ask that you spread the word and encourage your family and friends to look into my platform. I am offering my technical expertise to this community without any financial motive, running a campaign focused strictly on evidence and professional solutions rather than political noise.

I am an ordinary resident of Milton Ward 3 with a young family and a quiet private life. I decided to step into the public eye because I want to advance the best interests of our community. Since beginning my career in Canada 13 years ago, I have worked continuously with Ontario municipalities. I am confident in my ability to leverage that direct, professional sector experience for your benefit.

Without my practical knowledge of municipal challenges and best practices, I would not have decided to run. I stepped up for the Ward 3 Regional Councillor position because navigating Milton's future requires more than just good intentions and popularity. It requires the technical competence to actually deliver on promises. If I were a resident of any other ward where this expertise was already present, I would not have entered the race.

I do not have a large political network or substantial funds, and I am not looking for any donations. You won't even see my signs across Milton, because I choose to compete for this position based on competence, not passive name recognition. All I ask is that you read my profile with an open mind and cast your vote on the basis of merit, not stereotypes.

Feel free to contact me directly if you would like to connect in person.

Sincerely,

Salman Zafar

C: 647-262-8759

September 23, 2026

[u/ByFaraz]

How will you grow our non-residential tax base?

(question on rules of engagement: what if I have more questions?)

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/ByFaraz]

You are right to point out that Milton is currently over-reliant on residential property taxes, with an assessment base sitting at nearly 83% residential. Because residential properties demand high municipal services (schools, parks, transit) but generate lower tax yields per acre than commercial properties, this imbalance forces tax rates up. In comparison, Oakville and Burlington have achieved a much healthier balance, historically maintaining non-residential assessment ratios around 30% to 35%.

Why do these percentages matter? It's all about the tax impact. Oakville, by maintaining a strong commercial base, finalized a 2026 property tax hike of just 1.96%. Conversely, Milton's 2026 overall tax hike came in at 4.75% driven by stagnant commercial assessment growth failing to offset the rising infrastructure costs associated with the booming residential population.

Milton has historically focused on warehouses and distribution centres that require a lot of designated employment land, but generate very low ratio of jobs per acre and yield lower commercial assessment values compared to high-density office or advanced manufacturing facilities. Milton failed to develop commercial density around its downtown GO station required to attract knowledge-based employers, and allowed developers to rezone designated commercial lands into residential subdivisions. This is the problem we need to address sooner than later.

To reverse this trend and aggressively build the non-residential tax base over the next four years, I will advocate for:

- Building dense, transit-oriented employment hubs around the Milton Education Village and the planned Milton-Trafalgar GO Station, while strategically deploying Community Improvement Plans, such as Tax Increment Equivalent Grants for developers who build mid-rise office spaces and life-science facilities in these zones, rather than single-story warehouses.

- Updating our zoning by-laws to specifically attract advanced manufacturing industries such as robotics, clean-tech, and food processing that generate significantly higher commercial assessments and better-paying local jobs than traditional storage warehousing.

Additionally, as an infrastructure asset management practitioner, I strongly believe reliable infrastructure services including adequate transit connectivity is a bare minimum requirement to boost any local economic development, make services more affordable, and improve the quality of life for all Miltonians.

[u/chipdanger168]

A question everyone has been trying to ask each Candidate and I bring to you is; if you have a personal faith/religion, will you allow it to influence you in what you support or how you vote as a councillor? An example could be are you pro/anti LGBTQ?

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/chipdanger168]

Excellent question. My private religious beliefs are entirely independent of my responsibilities as a municipal elected official. I am a strong advocate for equity in service delivery for all members of our growing, diverse community, regardless of age, financial status, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. As your Regional Councillor, I will work to ensure Milton remains a safe space for everyone and that all residents have equal access to our community-facing municipal services without any discrimination.

[u/s0m3oNe → u/Salman-MiltonWard3]

"Equity in service delivery" sounds like something out of the Civil Rights movement in the 50s/60s...

Your refrain from stating you are pro LGBTQ and "private belief" evasion speaks volumes.

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/s0m3oNe]

A municipality is a public service provider, and my private beliefs are independent of my commitment to providing strategic oversight to the services we deliver to everyone in our community in the most efficient and cost-effective manner.

"Equity in Service Delivery" is actually a new concept in infrastructure asset management. Generally, municipalities define and report the condition of infrastructure assets as an average. This statistic is often skewed in growing municipalities with young infrastructure.

For example, on average, 80% of assets in good condition looks great on paper. I want to explore what percentage of assets are in poor condition and whether the majority of these poor condition assets are in specific wards or neighborhoods. If this is the case, then we are facing an equity issue.

To provide equitable services and address the evolving needs of our growing and diverse community, I am committed to using demographic and socioeconomic trends with spatial equity mapping to:

• Establish minimum acceptable service levels to guarantee the quality and reliability of local infrastructure across all of Milton.

[u/SpartanOnGround]

Every candidate talks about creating local jobs yet have no problem keeping many career positions as part time or casual only. We have part time firefighters, part time librarians, part time road works. Do you have a plan to actually give these people a proper salary, benefits, and retirement options or we just continuing to screw over our professional youth?

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/SpartanOnGround]

I appreciate the concern, but as someone running on an "Evidence Over Populism" platform, I am not going to give you a standard political promise that I will convert every part-time or seasonal role at the Town of Milton into a permanent, full-time position with a pension and benefits.

One practical option we can explore is merging seasonal job descriptions. By formally cross-training summer parks staff to operate winter plows, we can combine two part-time contracts into one permanent, year-round, full-time equivalent (FTE) position with proper benefits.

Milton Fire operates on a "composite" model, relying on both full-time and part-time firefighters. This is standard for fast-growing municipalities that must balance core urban areas with a geographically large rural footprint. As new areas urbanize, our Fire Master Plan systematically phases in full-time staff based on KPIs such as response times, call volumes, and density.

The reality is that the Town and the Region alone cannot act as the primary job creators for our professional youth, because municipal salaries are paid directly by your property taxes.

To truly provide robust career and retirement options for our youth, we must aggressively attract private-sector employers by unlocking the commercial and industrial lands in the Agerton corridor and strategically advancing the Milton Education Village.

[u/vttu]

Hi Salman. Thank you for being the first to do an AMA r/Milton this election cycle, I appreciate your initiative.

You have experience working alongside municipalities but you've never held government office. With this in mind, why are you running for regional council instead of town council?

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/vttu]

If we compare running a municipality as an elected official to running a restaurant as an owner, my 13 years of relevant experience in municipal sector looks like this:

- I spent over seven years with an "association of restaurants", actively advocating on behalf of owners and developing policy positions on the common challenges they face and potential solutions.

- I worked as staff in multiple kitchens, learning the daily grind everywhere from fast-paced city franchises to seasonal town diners. My role was not just limited to the kitchen but involved all multi-dimensional aspects of the business.

- I managed the government grants that keep local restaurants fiscally sustainable when operating costs and rents are too high, and customers are not willing to pay higher prices for the same service.

- I collaborated directly with provincial inspectors to draft the exact operational and safety compliance codes that every restaurant is now legally required to follow.

- I sit on regional communities of practice, national working groups, and international committees that set the gold standard for how to run a sustainable, high-quality restaurant.

So, while I never owned a restaurant business myself, do I have the relevant experience to start and manage my own restaurant? I believe I do.

I decided to run for the Regional Councillor position because of my unique multi-faceted background in public policy design, delivering capacity building initiatives, administration of federal funding programs, developing regulatory requirements, optimizing municipal infrastructure portfolios, and helping municipalities adopt international best practices. These skills are useful to scrutinize technical staff reports and lead advocacy efforts with other levels of government to ensure Milton gets its fair share of funding.

Why not Mayor? Because my expertise is not aligned with the broader political and administrative duties of the Mayor's office. I despise cutting cakes and attending events just for photo-ops. I do not plan to run for the role of Mayor in the future, nor do I have any ambition to enter provincial or federal politics. I am passionately focused on the municipal sector. I am here to do a specific job, and deliver on my promises.

[u/Historical_Sky5216 → u/Salman-MiltonWard3]

Lol, I hate photo ops too, just give me the cake!

[u/vttu → u/Salman-MiltonWard3]

I appreciate your response and decisiveness. Best of luck in this election.

[u/chipdanger168 → u/vttu]

The region is in charge of more infrastructure, and probably more of what his job/experience focuses on. All drinking Water/wastewater, some storm, some roads. The cities in halton don't really have much asset management other than local roads and storm systems on them, plus their facilities but that's more facility management.

[u/PuzzleheadedPrint623 → u/vttu]

I think his last 2 responses from his FAQ on his website will answer your question.

[u/vttu → u/PuzzleheadedPrint623]

I've read it now. If the goal is to make more of an impact, why not Mayor? 

[u/PuzzleheadedPrint623 → u/vttu]

i've thought about that. Reading his qualifications and experience with other municipalities, he'd be a good candidate for mayor. maybe that's the plan but he wants to prove himself at the councilor level first.

[u/Dreddddddd]

I'm not sure this is a question so much as a comment that's been bothering me, but this city has an out of control roadkill problem.

Our coexistence with animals is important and there's been a lot of changes to the areas with new developments. These areas tend to make things like storm ponds that become a water source for animals and displace existing animals areas they live. Problem is that there is no fencing around any of the roads in these areas to obstruct them.

Additionally, it seems to take ages for animals to be cleaned up, if at all. My wife saw a full sized coyote dead on the road for two weeks last year and it was absolutely horrible to see. It's basically like a medium sized dog carcass decaying for weeks in hot sun.

I know people don't always think of these things as the same level of importance but it truly bothers me seeing it all the time. Is there anything being done by the city to improve these areas or would you do so if elected?

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/Dreddddddd]

Thank you for bringing this up. This is a very valid concern that touches directly on both infrastructure planning and municipal service levels.

From an infrastructure planning perspective, wildlife mitigation cannot be an afterthought. As Milton expands, developers are building stormwater ponds but the adjacent roads often lack barrier fencing. Moving forward, wildlife fencing and underpass culverts (eco-passages) must be mandated during the Environmental Assessment and subdivision design phases, before developers break ground. I will push to make these safe movement corridors standard requirements in our subdivision approval process.

Regarding cleanup, leaving a decaying carcass on a public road for two weeks is completely unacceptable. This is a basic service delivery and tracking issue. We need strict KPIs for our public works teams and external contractors to clear reported roadkill within 24 to 48 hours. As your Regional Councillor, I will review the current Service Level Agreements for road maintenance to ensure these rapid response times are actually enforced and tracked.

We can absolutely do better on this.

[u/International-Cut539 → u/Dreddddddd]

good point

[u/MapleLaughs]

What do you think is the biggest hurdle to bylaw unenforcenent currently? And how would you address this?

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/MapleLaughs]

You are right to point out that enhancing by-law enforcement to uphold shared community standards is one of my deliverables, as poor by-law enforcement negatively impacts our community's reputation and adversely affects our quality of life.

Many residents have expressed their frustration that parking enforcement in Milton feels fundamentally broken. An internal "Enforcement Staffing and Service Review" report presented to Town of Milton Council earlier this year on June 22, 2026, confirmed that Milton’s by-law enforcement team is severely under-resourced, leading to massive weekend coverage gaps.

Funding core by-law enforcement out of temporary reserves as staff proposed with a $131,264 transfer from the Tax Stabilization reserve to cover the 2026 shortfall is a "symptom of reactive planning".

To address this, I will undertake a comprehensive review of all existing by-laws in alignment with the affordability and service expectations of our residents. I will also advocate to ensure that by-law officers are sufficiently resourced and empowered to take corrective action based on verifiable evidence provided by residents, while being held strictly accountable to target response times and customer service standards.

We need to move away from reactive stop-gaps and build a sustainably funded by-law enforcement system that residents can actually rely on.

[u/EnglishKen421 → u/MapleLaughs]

Who told you ByLaws aren't being enforced..?

[u/MapleLaughs → u/EnglishKen421]

It's in his platform

[u/EnglishKen421 → u/MapleLaughs]

Oh! I was unaware!

In that case, GREAT question!!

[u/Canadianwinters12345]

This is from your FAQ.

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Question: Our infrastructure was built and already paid for by our past generations. All new and recent immigrants are just taking advantage of our local infrastructure services.

Infrastructure is not a one-time purchase from the past; it is a continuous, ongoing expense funded by property taxes of every resident and business calling Milton home today. No one is getting a free ride; we are all paying to maintain this town together."

This isn't as true as you're implying.

Property taxes aren't paid by individuals. They are paid by households. So that multigenerational home with 4 working adults and 4 cars parked in the driveway is paying the same tax as every other household, despite using multiple times the amount of resoruces.

Households like this aren't paying their fair share.

I wouldn't say they are getting a "Free ride" but they are being subisized by single generational households.

[u/SanDisk_128GB → u/Canadianwinters12345]

you want to charge property tax based on the number of people living within a property??

[u/Quirky-Cat2860 → u/SanDisk_128GB]

A single family home wasn't intended for multiple families.

I'm not sure how you enforce it, a different tax rate may deter some of it, but do we really want to go down the multi-family and multi-generational homes path that our neighbours in Brampton went down?

[u/Ems_Dilemma → u/Quirky-Cat2860]

There are quite a few young adults/early professionals not able to afford living on their own and they often resort to living with their parents. Changing property tax according to number of people sounds a little unfair towards people already feeling burdened by the current economy and housing crisis.

[u/SanDisk_128GB → u/Quirky-Cat2860]

that's fine. but 4 adults in a household don't count as multi-family lol

[u/Canadianwinters12345 → u/SanDisk_128GB]

I am not suggesting anything.

I am stating how it is.

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/Canadianwinters12345]

You are raising a very fair and logical question. On the surface, it intuitively makes sense that a house with four working adults uses more municipal resources than a house with two, and therefore it gives the impression that they are not paying their fair share. It is also true, as another user pointed out, that many young professionals are forced to live with their parents due to the current housing and economic crisis.

To address the "fair share" argument, we have to look at how municipal finance works in Ontario, because not all infrastructure is funded the same way.

- The most expensive infrastructure the Region manages is water and wastewater worth over $15.5 billion in 2025 dollars. This is not funded by property taxes. It is funded by utility bills based on direct consumption. A household with four adults taking showers and doing laundry uses significantly more water, and they receive a proportionally higher utility bill. They are paying exactly for what they use. There is no subsidy here.

- Property tax on the other hand is strictly based on the assessed value of the physical property (determined by MPAC), not a "head tax" based on occupancy. It funds services like roads, parks, police, and libraries. While it is true that four adults might drive more cars on local roads than two adults, changing property tax to a "per-person" model is neither legally permitted under provincial legislation nor practically enforceable.

The reality of municipal infrastructure is that the cost to maintain an asset like paving a street, replacing a water main, or running a snowplow remains exactly the same whether a house on that street has two occupants or five. The roads are likely to deteriorate faster due to more traffic but heavy trucks are the main culprit here not passenger vehicles.

Note: The CN Logistics Hub scheduled to begin operations in 2027 will generate up to 1,600 daily heavy-duty truck trips on our regional roads....

If we want to talk about who is subsidizing whom in Milton, the real issue isn't neighbour vs. neighbour based on household size. The actual burden on your wallet is due to a lack of commercial growth.

As Milton’s tax base is nearly 83% residential, homeowners of all sizes are shouldering massive infrastructure costs that should ideally be offset by a robust commercial and industrial sector (which generates higher tax yields per acre with much lower service demands).

[u/Canadianwinters12345 → u/Salman-MiltonWard3]

I understand your need to defend this. And you did a good job. But you are only picking a few line items that are funded proportionately, but missing that most are not.

To address the "fair share" arguement, we should look at all of the places where our taxes go. Lets take an extreme example of 2 families living in 1 household.

This household may proportinately fund water, as this is mostly, but not entirely, funded through use based contributions. I also agree that something like snow plowing isn't affected by this. There are absolutely examples where services are contributed to proportionately. This is not the majority though.

Lets go through a few of these items that aren't proportioantely funded.

Public Transit

Fire services

Police Services

Education Services

Culture programs and services

Recreational programs and services

Road maintenance

Libraries

Waste management

None of these are contributed to proportionately by property taxes.

Please note that this is not an exhausitive list, and that each item above may contain more than one would think. Like Educational services, this is the physical buildings, to teachers, to extra programs, to the boards themselves.

You mentioned that paving roads doesn't increase based on household size, but then you also go on to acknowledge that increased traffic does contribute to wear and maintenance cost. You also mentioned that heavy trucks are the main cause of this, which I agree, but this doesn't mean that it hasn't increased cost.

Increased traffic from increased household size does contribute more to wear and tear, while also paying a lower %. And this is also more than just the actual pavement maintenance. You and another user touched on this, but it would be al so include bylaw enforcement, and things like road kill removal which all scale with use. Yet the property taxes aren't scaling appropiately due to household demographic changes.

You and another user also pointed out people not being able to move out, and having to life at home. This is also an issue that puts more stress on infrastructure, as the tax base is reduced.

Multigenerational households are the fastest growing households in Canada. This is for different reasons, such as increased cost of living forcing people to live together, to cultural reasons where you just live together. This is an interesting change that does call into question how we fund things. If in the distant future 25% of homes are multigeneratonal, they would effectively be subisidezed by other homeowners who are not multigenerational. I understand this currently can't be done, but we're talking about fair.

As for your point about the actual issue being where taxes come from. I don't disagree. I would even go further and say that property taxes are now expectected to fund too many things, and that the federal and provincial governemnts should be funding more of these things too.

It does leave a bit of a bad taste in my mouth that you're trying to make it seem like these households do pay their fair share of property taxes, when they do not. I agree they may not be the issue.

If your argument was something along the lines "Yes that's mostly true, but I don't think it's the main issue, we should concentrate on X, Y, Z" or "Yes that's mostly true, but it's made up by economic activity that affects X Y and Z." Ok fair. Agreed.

But your reply is really just saying that it isn't actually like this, when it is, and that doesn't give me confidence in your honesty. I really don't see a reason for you to try to make it seem like they do pay their fair share of property taxes when they do not.

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/Canadianwinters12345]

If my argument came across as denying your math, I apologize. Allow me to clarify. Yes, larger households use more per-capita services. But the reason I don't view this as a "fair share" issue is because municipalities are not private businesses with a capitalistic costing model.

​Property tax is an asset-value tax, not a headcount tax. Charging people exclusively for the services they strictly use would destabilize our community. For example, if a couple has or adopts a child, do we increase their property tax the next day? When those kids eventually leave the nest, should we adjust the tax the household has to pay? We don't, because we all pay into a collective system to keep the community functioning for everyone.

​Furthermore, we have to look at the root cause: housing affordability. Is it fair that earlier generations were able to purchase private property at a fraction of today's cost?

​Penalizing these families based on a headcount tax just punishes people who are already struggling with the cost of living. ​I appreciate your perspective, but I will always advocate for the view that our municipal property tax base is a collective social responsibility.

Anyway, I want to ​thank you for the detailed response. I know it takes a lot of time and effort to explain your position on a public forum without coming across as dismissive.

[u/Canadianwinters12345 → u/Salman-MiltonWard3]

I don't really disagree with anything here. We are suppose to be a community, pooling our resources for the betterment of the community as a whole.

These cultural changes do worry me though, as they put strain on the ability to be a single generation nuclear family. As multigeneration grows and grows, which it will, this makes it harder to be a single generation family.

The reason it does this is because it's exactly as you described. It's not a head count. More tax is needed to support the growing population.

Which does lead to these households being subsidized.

And this is what I really took issue with initially. Not even saying that this is right or wrong, just that they are in fact subsidized.

My household, which is a single generation, is subsidizing my neighbour that has 5 cars in the drive way. As we both pay the same but they take multiple times more.

My taxes literally increase due to this cultural shift.

[u/StudentOfMind → u/Salman-MiltonWard3]

This is very much a "let me address the points favorable to my position and conveniently ignore the points that aren't favorable towards it" type of response.

 The person you are responding to is right, it's clear as day that adults that would in the past live in 2 or 3 different households paying their property taxes now living in 1 puts a stress on municipal resources. but I also see where youre coming from that I don't really see how it could be addressed legally, and I also think the issue goes beyond Milton. I would be more interested in a discussion that focused on how we should address the concern, rather than pretend the issue isn't there. 

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/StudentOfMind]

That's not what I was trying to accomplish, but thank you for your feedback.

[u/Charming_Party_2052]

Really appreciating you opening up this forum. Donating your salary is a big red flag! The public does not care about your donations. You can keep your full salary but question is, how will you realistically help the town of milton compared to status quo?

Question 1: How long have you been in Milton (and Canada)? How does your sense of nationalism help your campaign? I have a follow up question to this.

Question 2: Apart from the standard rules of election, what really makes you eligible for this position? Can you quantify your accomplishments in the public office (if any)?

Question 3: What will be your top 3 priorities as soon as you’re elected?

[u/Charming_Party_2052 → u/Charming_Party_2052]

If you’re donating your salary, good for you but if you’re publicly announcing it then its a publicity stunt right?

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/Charming_Party_2052]

I am not a career politician looking for a salary. I am running to redefine political leadership by grounding it in technical expertise, community service, and true stewardship. Public service is about giving back to the community, not taking a paycheck.

Staying committed to that philosophy, I had always planned to donate 100% of my Regional Councillor compensation to local food banks and charities before I even submitted my nomination papers. I originally had no intention of making it public.

However, I announced it after a few individuals on social media began accusing me of entering politics solely for financial gain. Once I made my intentions public, the follow-up criticism from some was that because I am a Muslim, I would likely just "donate my salary to a mosque," implying my contribution would not benefit the broader community.

To put an end to those assumptions, I published the exact list of recipients. My commitment is to serve all of Milton. Our community is wonderfully diverse, and the challenges we face across healthcare, emergency shelters, youth support, food security, and the environment impact us all. To ensure I am supporting a wide variety of community needs, I will distribute my 26 annual paychecks evenly across 13 different organizations (listed on my website).

I am 100% clear in my conviction that I am running to serve this community, not to profit from it. Beyond that, I am under no obligation to satisfy bad faith actors.

[u/r4d1ant → u/Charming_Party_2052]

Yeah seems like a PR stunt

[u/PuzzleheadedPrint623 → u/r4d1ant]

Seems like a necessary stunt considering he's running against the PR master himself RDL.

[u/r4d1ant → u/PuzzleheadedPrint623]

Idk who any of these people are but that's a no from me dawg

[u/PuzzleheadedPrint623 → u/r4d1ant]

i was referring to Rick Di Lorenzo if you follow other Milton social media groups, he's quite vocal and his pictures seems to be in every town event. :P

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/Charming_Party_2052]

Not at all. Please see my detailed response here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Milton/s/tDOqX9lXgj

[u/Cold-Word8109 → u/Salman-MiltonWard3]

I meant to say your intentions to donate was not a PR stun but any actual reason behind it. Your answer was great! Thank you

[u/Cold-Word8109 → u/Charming_Party_2052]

I’m going to assume he might have pledged this because he really is into this for the work. I have seen many people accuse candidates for just being in the election for the salary especially if they are of Pakistani origin. It is possible that has made him state he isn’t into it for the salary.

[u/PuzzleheadedPrint623 → u/Charming_Party_2052]

Answers for 2 and 3 can be found in his website. maybe skim through them and ask follow-up questions. Otherwise, he'll just be repeating what he has written on the website and we get nothing new.

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/PuzzleheadedPrint623]

Spot on. I appreciate you taking the time to read through the platform and pointing others to the website. I am happy to answer any follow-up questions.

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/Charming_Party_2052]

Detailed Response to Question 1:

I moved to Ontario from the United States 16 years ago to pursue my post-graduate education at the University of Waterloo, where I delivered a research paper on the "Effectiveness of Investment in Public Infrastructure as a Stimulus to Economic Growth." After graduating from the University of Waterloo, I began my professional career in the Canadian municipal sector 13 years ago.

Since then, I have worked with municipalities of all sizes across Ontario in various capacities. I have been a speaker at regional, provincial, and national conferences and events since 2015, working closely with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM).

Additionally, I have been representing Canada internationally as a subject matter expert on the ISO Technical Committee on Asset Management since 2018. Earlier this summer, I was part of the Canadian delegation in Kyoto, Japan, collaborating in-person with international experts to improve existing standards that shape the future of asset management globally (see photos).

A complete, detailed breakdown of my professional background, education and certifications, projects I have worked on and past speaking engagements is thoroughly documented on my website.

I am deeply passionate about the work I do in the municipal sector in Canada. Because of the respect, opportunities, and recognition I have received over the years in this country, I want to volunteer my technical expertise and give back to the community in the best possible way.

I moved to Milton in 2022. Let me be direct on this point: I have a much stronger grasp of the fiscal challenges the municipal sector is facing, and I am far better positioned to advance Milton's best interests with the provincial and federal governments, than someone who may have been born here but has no exposure whatsoever to the broader, complex issues Ontario municipalities are facing, or the knowledge of advocacy efforts and emerging trends in this space, along with practical solutions.

I also bring direct experience working as staff for the Regional Municipality of Halton. In less than a year, I successfully delivered over 70 workshops and facilitated collaborative discussions across 11 service areas, responsible for managing Halton Region’s diverse portfolio of infrastructure assets, to develop the Region's 2025 Asset Management Plan. In recognition of my leadership in delivering this initiative, I was honoured with a nomination for the Halton Region 2026 Excellence Award.

Regarding your question about nationalism:

Having lived across three continents, four countries, and thirteen diverse cities before choosing to plant my roots and raise my family here in Milton, my perspective on this is very clear. I do not use nationalism to drive my campaign. In fact, when viewed through the lens of long-term stewardship and shared human history, I am against it in all its forms.

I view nationalism as an artificial divide: an "us versus them" mindset. When we are dealing with modern, systemic challenges like adapting our built environments for population growth and climate change, managing complex global economic shifts, or navigating infrastructure funding deficits, our shared realities do not stop at border checkpoints.

I treat national flags as administrative markers much like a municipal boundary line on a map rather than symbols used to demand allegiance or stir up tribal pride.

My campaign is not rooted in nationalism; it is rooted in shared humanity, equity in service delivery, evidence-based proactive solutions, community-centric public service, and long-term stewardship.

I hope this provides more details on my professional background, personal values, and ability to make a real impact as a Regional Councillor.

[u/Charming_Party_2052 → u/Salman-MiltonWard3]

Thankyou for taking the time out to answer these questions. I am convinced on everything except the fact that you moved to Milton in 22. It is very difficult to develop that sense of belonging and to have the roots as compared to someone who’s lived here all their life. Anyway, you’re out here answering questions and giving this open platform to people whereas I see some Mayoral Candidates turning comments off on their facebook posts, so its definitely a plus.

Thankyou

[u/Knave7575]

If you had to choose between raising taxes or cutting services, which would you choose?

(Please don’t say “efficiencies”, nobody believes that)

If your choice is to cut services, which would you cut? Just name the biggest one, obviously you cannot give a complete list.

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/Knave7575]

I appreciate you calling out the "efficiencies" political dodge. If forced into a binary choice between cutting core frontline services or raising property taxes to maintain them, I will protect core services. Cutting frontline services or deferring critical maintenance creates a massive infrastructure deficit that simply acts as a hidden tax on our children (the future taxpayers). That is a non-starter.

You asked what the biggest cut would be if tough choices are required. My answer is new, non-essential capital expansion projects.

Property taxes should be utilized solely for keeping our existing infrastructure assets in a state of good repair to maintain our current service levels. Where revenues fall short, we must apply strict project-selection criteria rooted in whole-lifecycle costing. We prioritize only the most essential projects based on realistic, inflation-adjusted budgets, and we defer non-essential expansion projects until revenues catch up.

Furthermore, we do not always have to choose between just taxes or cuts. To bridge growth-revenue shortfalls without burdening existing taxpayers, we must strategically utilize internal borrowing from reserve funds to provide interim financing for capital costs. This ensures critical projects advance while holding future Development Charges (DCs) accountable to repay the funds. This mechanism ensures developers ultimately pay their equitable share, guaranteeing that growth actually pays for growth.

[u/Knave7575 → u/Salman-MiltonWard3]

Well…. That was actually a good answer.

Borrowing from reserve funds would be similar to passing the costs on to our children, would it not? I guess that would be for strictly growth related expenses.

Makes sense.

[u/ShredsGuitar]

What are your thoughts on Pakistan-origin candidates meeting up in Mississauga so that they can try to consolidate all the votes from the Pakistani community?

Do you think it is racist for people to vote based on candidate's origin?

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/ShredsGuitar]

It's really straightforward for me. Voting centered purely on ethnicity or tribal markers is a BAD IDEA.

Now I don't want to speculate on the timing and motive of the organizer but I am personally against any and all ethnicity based voting.

There are only three criteria potential voters should consider: competence, relevant experience, or potential to advance the best interest of Miltonians.

And remember that it's relative. You may have a surplus of competent candidates in one ward, or no competent candidates in another. How would you pick the best candidate if there are no good options to select from? We need to invest in youth development for future leadership roles so we never run into that situation.

Also bear in mind that these criteria are only beneficial to taxpayers in Milton if applied consistently by all of our diverse group of voters. Only if everyone rejects tribalism will we move beyond this menace, into merit-based voting.

[u/ByFaraz → u/ShredsGuitar]

Is there proof that they actually met, or just that one guy made a poster and tried to force this issue? I would assume the other candidates were probably like "wtf?!"

[u/Natural_Peak_5587 → u/ByFaraz]

Several of the other candidates have spoken out and said they had no involvement in this at all, and do not support that dude or his suggestions.

[u/ByFaraz → u/Natural_Peak_5587]

Honestly that would be my first assumption. One idiot that nobody supports. Hope the other candidates don’t get smeared by this. Bunch of them have real experience.

[u/ShredsGuitar → u/ByFaraz]

Yes, an "influencer" friend of mine from Bramptom is invited to it. I can get some details later about which candidate is attending and which one refused.

[u/chamanbuga → u/ByFaraz]

What is wtf about this? I understand this as coalition management practiced in every relevant election. What's the issue with them uniting? I asked OP this question as well. I don't understand.

[u/EnglishKen421 → u/ShredsGuitar]

This is a great question.

[u/chamanbuga → u/ShredsGuitar]

This question is strange. For the record: I am not from Milton, I am of Pakistani origin.

I'm trying to understand the issue of those Pakistani-origin-candidates trying to unite under one banner. Isn't this standard bloc voting & coalition management driven by the system? Why are people upset by this? Isn't this practiced... everywhere?

Also, why racist? Origin serves as a proxy for shared values & advocacy, rather than superiority. So not sure how it would be racist.

Edit: For the record, a single point like origin, rarely wins elections. There are so many variables. But Milton does have a lot of Pakistanis. I'm not from there, yet I'm following this subreddit lol.

Help me see your POV. Not trying to push back. Trying to understand.

[u/ByFaraz → u/chamanbuga]

Taking your question as genuine.

You’re comparing it to a political party essentially, but those aren’t gated by ethnicity and shouldn’t be.

If we let this behaviour happen then consider the end result: people outside the ethnicity will not want to vote for them, and they may even instead give their vote to candidates of their own ethnicity. It will breed resentment and division.

We are all full fledged Miltonians, so if anyone wants to campaign on shared values then they should just be explicit about their values and hope it resonates.

I get the wish behind it: people want representation and to count. I don’t think this Is the right way to go about it.

[u/chamanbuga → u/ByFaraz]

I didn’t say it’s the right way, just it’s within legal bounds. I don’t think they can win this way. Look at the number of times Pakistanis or Arabs tried to unit against Sue McFadden in Mississauga. It doesn’t work. She has delivered and represented her community too well. Muslims turn out in troves to vote for her.

Voter turnout out is also incredibly low for coalition management to result in the spiral you suggested. Only after generations some regions completely deteriorate (see US gerrymandering).

Thanks for responding.

Honestly I think people are making an issue out of a non issue. But it’s ok looks like I’m one of the few that believes this (coalition management) is a non issue and won’t result in wins.

[u/ByFaraz → u/chamanbuga]

I’m confused, can you clarify please? Original you were asking why people are upset by this and consider it racist. Now you’re saying it’s legal but won’t be effective so not worth worrying about. Those sound like two different arguments.

[u/chamanbuga → u/ByFaraz]

Yes two different ideas. I didn't understand why people think this is upsetting or racist. Now I think I understand the upset part but not the racist part. Thanks for your response.

It's not new. It's practiced in every relevant election. My entire life growing up in Sauga people would urge other Muslims not to run so that the Muslim vote wouldn't split. I've heard the same argument for Arab, Indian, and Philipino communities as well so this isn't unique. It's not not just GTA either, literally every single relevant election is organized this way.

For years we were a minority. Now there are some communities where we may be a majority voting bloc. An insight I can take away is that a group that believes they may not have advocacy or representation, will always be offended and anxious when the majority forms a coalition bloc.

Now that it is conceivable that Pakistanis have the ability to form a coalition bloc in Milton, the other communities are worried they will not have advocacy. It is a valid concern, but it is not racist or unethical. There would be laws against it if so. You can literally run to be a ward councillor even if you don't live in that ward. The law allows this. You can be upset about it, but the law allows it.

This is how democracies work. People are welcome to attack the coalition for their ideas. But calling them unethical or racist is wrong.

[u/Historical_Sky5216]

I'm concerned that the jobs that will be created in Milton will be warehouse work. These low wage jobs will effect the community significantly. What will you do to make it more balanced (knowing that we need jobs at all skill levels and abilities)? Thank you.

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/Historical_Sky5216]

This is a valid concern. While logistics will always be a part of our local economy, we cannot rely on warehouses alone to provide career opportunities for our youth.

To balance our job market and attract high-paying, professional careers, we must ensure the Milton Education Village (MEV) prioritizes what was originally promised: bringing Wilfrid Laurier University, Conestoga College, and high-skill jobs to Milton, rather than being just another residential sprawl.

As a Regional Councillor, I will push for a targeted Community Improvement Plan (CIP) for the MEV. This allows the municipality to legally offer financial incentives for commercial office space, making Milton competitive against neighboring municipalities vying for the same corporate employers.

Additionally, by strategically utilizing transit-oriented density around the future Milton-Trafalgar GO Station, we can attract corporate offices and knowledge-based employers who want their workforce directly connected to a major transit hub.

[u/EnglishKen421]

You say you are donating 100% of your salary, I would be curious to know how you can afford to eat food and pay rent and just live in general.

Which Corporation is going to be paying you while you hold public office?

[u/leftyspecialist21 → u/EnglishKen421]

Being town councillor is a part time position - I believe all candidates can have full-time jobs also. His LinkedIn shows that he has a full-time job with Niagara region.

[u/EnglishKen421 → u/leftyspecialist21]

You are correct! Candidates can indeed have full time jobs!

My question was :

Which Corporation is going to be paying you while you hold public office?

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/EnglishKen421]

To answer your question directly: my current employment with the Regional Municipality of Niagara is taking care of my living expenses.

I am fortunate and blessed that my technical skills in infrastructure asset management are in high demand across the municipal sector. It is an emerging field that sits right at the intersection of public policy, engineering, financial planning, climate change adaptation, stakeholder relations, and change management.

Under the Municipal Act, you cannot work for a municipality and sit on its council. That is why I resigned from my previous role at Halton Region when I decided to run for Council.

I plan to continue my professional journey with Niagara Region. Serving on Halton Regional Council while working for Niagara Region presents absolutely no conflict of interest. Please note that I will continue to reside in Milton Ward 3.

To ensure I fully deliver in my future role as a Regional Councillor, I am committed to leveraging a compressed work week and utilizing my 20+ vacation days to attend all Regional Council and Committee meetings. Rest assured, I will be fully available during evenings, weekends, and statutory holidays to engage and consult with community members.

How am I able to pull this off? It is because of my unique professional background. The role of a Regional Councillor involves navigating dense technical staff reports on diverse infrastructure portfolios and funding scenarios. For someone without a public policy and municipal asset management background, it is a steep learning curve. Trust me, you need someone with my skills to be at the Council to represent the best interests of the community.

Because of my relevant background, I can review these reports highly efficiently, quickly understand the key metrics, and undertake independent research to aggressively validate or question staff findings in the spirit of true transparency.

With my pledge to donate 100% of any compensation I receive as your Regional Councillor to local charities (details on my website), I am offering my technical expertise to the taxpayers of Milton for free as a true public service.

If at any point in the future my employment with Niagara Region ends, I will still uphold my 100% donation pledge entirely and simply explore other professional opportunities in the municipal sector to utilize my technical skills.

I am ready to do the heavy lifting, balance our community's needs with strict fiscal responsibility, and be a proactive, technically equipped voice at the Council table.

[u/Thanks-4allthefish]

So much of decision making at council is how to divide the spending pie. Milton is a high growth community and the needs of new and existing residents need to be balanced. New residents would urge new roads etc., while existing residents worry about infrastructure maintenance. Would you direct more funds to new infrastructure or maintaining - repairing and upgrading roads/water-wastewater systems in existing neighbourhoods. A third way would be to do both and cut elsewhere - if you choose that, what gets cut.

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/Thanks-4allthefish]

Thanks for the question. Cutting frontline services or deferring critical maintenance to fund new expansion is a non-starter for me as deferring maintenance simply creates a compounding infrastructure deficit, which acts as a hidden and unreasonable future tax hike.

Existing property taxes must be utilized exclusively to keep our existing infrastructure in a state of good repair to maintain current service levels. New growth-related infrastructure must be funded by Development Charges (DCs) collected from developers, ensuring growth actually pays for growth.

Another option is to utilize strategic internal borrowing from municipal reserve funds to provide interim financing for capital costs. This allows new projects to advance while earmarking future development charges to repay the internal loan.

If funding remains constrained, we should defer non-essential expansion projects until revenues catch up. As an infrastructure asset management practitioner, I will never compromise on the maintenance of our existing assets.

[u/PVFai]

What would you do to help the James Snow Parkway lag?

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/PVFai]

If you live in the newer subdivisions near Whitlock Avenue and James Snow Parkway, you likely face the same daily frustration: pulling up to the intersection and staring at a “No Left Turn” sign. You cannot turn north toward Highway 401; you are forced into detours. The private homes were built first, ready to occupy, but the capacity of the municipal arterial road lagged behind.

This is a textbook example of “infrastructure lag,” and it exposes a serious financial and safety vulnerability for taxpayers in Milton. When infrastructure is delayed, the standard “growth pays for growth” formula also breaks down.

According to the North Halton Coordinated Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (MCEA) for this corridor, the preliminary design mandates widening the roadway to six vehicle lanes and installing a fully signalized intersection at Whitlock Avenue.

However, completing an Environmental Assessment is just the first bureaucratic hurdle. Halton Region must still navigate years of detailed engineering design, land acquisitions, and utility relocations before construction can even begin.

This intersection gap becomes far more critical when paired with the CN Logistics Hub, scheduled to begin operations in 2027. The facility will generate up to 1,600 daily heavy-duty truck trips. Regional traffic modelling confirms that when the Tremaine/Britannia corridor congests, commercial trucks will seek alternate routes east via James Snow Parkway.

Watch my video explaining why this corridor isn’t ready for the 2027 CN Hub.

The James Snow Parkway bottleneck is not an unavoidable accident; it is the writing on the wall. For too long, our Town and Regional Councils have relied on reactive problem-solving. The traditional logic of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” should not apply to expensive municipal infrastructure assets that carry high service impacts for residents and reputational risks that deter local economic development. We are not talking about replacing light bulbs here.

Milton deserves better than reactive decision-making. We need disciplined, data-driven infrastructure planning that anticipates growth and the inevitable baggage that comes with it, years in advance.

Here is the link to my full article on this topic:
https://salmanzafar.ca/why-didnt-we-see-this-coming-the-james-snow-whitlock-bottleneck-unwidened-roads-no-left-turns-and-incoming-cn-trucks/

[u/OppositeBirthday5557 → u/PVFai]

What’s is the James snow parkway lag?

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/OppositeBirthday5557]

https://salmanzafar.ca/why-didnt-we-see-this-coming-the-james-snow-whitlock-bottleneck-unwidened-roads-no-left-turns-and-incoming-cn-trucks/

[u/Bearnium]

Hi Salman,

I appreciate you doing this AMA. I was wondering what your thoughts are on data centers in Milton?

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/Bearnium]

Thanks for the question. From an infrastructure perspective, my primary concern with large-scale data centres is the additional pressure they place on municipal utilities. These facilities require immense amounts of electricity and a dedicated water supply for cooling systems, and they generate localized noise and vibration that can impact nearby communities, our natural ecosystems, and local wildlife habitats.

I am currently looking for case studies and best practices from other jurisdictions to fully educate myself on the topic. However, as a general guideline, I strongly support the proactive approach recently taken by our neighbours in Oakville.

Last month, the Town of Oakville put a one-year pause on the development of new data centres. This allows the municipality the necessary time to update its Official Plan policies and zoning regulations, ensuring they fully understand the impact on local hydro and municipal infrastructure before any building permits are issued.

We must also evaluate whether our prime employment lands are better reserved for knowledge-based employers who bring a higher volume of jobs than a large-scale data centre.

I am not inherently against data centres, but under an "Evidence Over Populism" approach, I will not support rubber-stamping them until we have the verified data to understand their full impact.

[u/Odd_Examination_1366]

Thoughts on Shawarma Alley?

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/Odd_Examination_1366]

I haven't tried it yet, but I am definitely curious now. Thanks for the recommendation!

[u/Odd_Examination_1366 → u/Salman-MiltonWard3]

Ur also missing out dude

[u/ILoveMyFriendsMom → u/Odd_Examination_1366]

I wouldn’t feed it to my dog that chicken is minimum few days old

Osmows is trash, but it’s still better than shawarma alley. That’s how bad it is

[u/Odd_Examination_1366 → u/ILoveMyFriendsMom]

Incorrect

[u/SnooChickens8906 → u/Odd_Examination_1366]

lol what is shawarma alley?

[u/Odd_Examination_1366 → u/SnooChickens8906]

Ur missing out man

[u/Hamlot8]

Two questions:

1) Are you going to offer property tax relief in any form? There has been a constant hike over the last few years. It's become very difficult to dish out 4k+ a year.

2) What are your thoughts on building AI data centers in Milton and hooking them to the public power grid? Are you open to the concept, or is it a strict no or a yes?

I don't exactly know if this comes under a regional counselor's jurisdiction, but I would ask these anyway.

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/Hamlot8]

u/JimmyTheChooch

Thanks for the questions.

I am committed to stabilizing future property tax increases in alignment with community expectations and affordability concerns. We need to establish target service levels that are consistent with the taxpayers' willingness to pay.

However, a complete property tax freeze or arbitrary reduction is unrealistic. A blanket tax freeze means we must reduce current service levels and defer critical asset maintenance. This creates a compounding infrastructure deficit that negatively impacts the financial health of our municipality and limits our ability to attract the new businesses we need for local job creation.

The only sustainable, long-term solution to easing the burden on residential taxpayers is to aggressively expand our commercial tax base. We must unlock the commercial lands in the Agerton corridor and strategically advance the Milton Education Village so that corporate employers carry a much larger percentage of the municipal tax levy, taking the weight off the individual homeowner.

For those facing acute financial hardship right now, we can explore options to target assistance directly to those who need it most. This is best achieved through Halton Region’s existing property tax deferrals targeted specifically at low-income and older adult residents.

For your second question, please my detailed response here.

[u/JimmyTheChooch → u/Hamlot8]

Good questions. I’d also really like to hear his response.

[u/PuzzleheadedPrint623]

What are current/near-future major (i.e., has a great impact to the town and its residents) projects or decisions by the town that you will fight for/against?

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/PuzzleheadedPrint623]

With the CN Logistics Hub projected to add up to 1,600 transport trucks daily to our roads starting 2027, I will push for dedicated truck lanes along the Britannia and Tremaine corridors to physically separate freight from daily commuter traffic. I will also champion the strict enforcement of Heavy Truck Route By-laws to legally prevent transport trucks from cutting through the residential neighbourhoods along the James Snow Parkway corridor.

For our seniors, I am committed to providing free local transit to promote mobility, and free access to fitness facilities to promote active living, alongside expanded 12-hour programming at the Milton Senior Activity Centre to combat loneliness and isolation.

Offering free transit to our seniors will have a negligible impact on operating costs as the majority of transit revenue comes from peak-hour commuters and students. Seniors predominantly travel during off-peak hours when buses run with significant empty seat capacity. Boarding seniors onto an already scheduled, half-empty off-peak bus incurs zero marginal operating cost as it requires no additional buses, driver hours, or extra fuel.

I will ensure equity in service delivery by introducing transparent, auditable decision-making criteria to establish minimum acceptable service levels across Milton, regardless of postal code. This means any maintenance of rural infrastructure won't be sidelined for high-visibility urban projects.

[u/Arcade1980]

What is your goal/motivation for running. What are you trying to achieve?

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/Arcade1980]

Thanks for the question. I have addressed "what" and "why" in great detail on my website under my core principles and accountability framework.

My motivation is deeply personal. Milton is where I am raising my family, and I want to give back by offering my 13 years of municipal sector expertise to the community for free. I believe local government should be an act of pure public service, not a career, which is why I have pledged to donate 100% of my Regional Councillor compensation to local charities.

We must treat this election like a job interview, prioritizing the proven competence required to responsibly manage a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure portfolio over standard political rhetoric.

My primary goal is to protect taxpayers as Milton exits its "infrastructure honeymoon" phase. We built a massive network of roads and facilities within a highly compressed 25-year window, meaning they will eventually reach the end of their lifespans simultaneously and trigger an unavoidable wave of replacement costs.

As a practitioner, I know that keeping taxes artificially low for a single term by deferring maintenance is just a political maneuver that creates a hidden, compounding deficit. I want to shift the conversation at Town Hall from short-term tax rates to long-term value, ensuring we evaluate every new project based on "total lifecycle costs" and "equity in service delivery" so we don’t build things today that we cannot afford to maintain tomorrow.

To achieve this, I am bringing a rigorous, data-driven accountability framework to the Council table. I am committed to breaking down dense technical staff reports into plain language and hosting proactive community consultations before any tax dollars are committed.

I will hold Council and staff accountable to transparent, objective, and auditable decision-making criteria when evaluating future budgets, based on international best practices and gold standards. This approach will advance the interests of all taxpayers and achieve long-term fiscal sustainability so the children we are raising in Milton can afford the same quality of life.

I know this is a lot of information to unpack, but I am always happy to meet in person and discuss this further over a cup of coffee.

[u/paulster2626]

What’s your stance on speed bumps on roads?

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/paulster2626]

Definitely in school zones, where pedestrian safety is non-negotiable. Instead of traditional speed bumps, municipalities like the City of Toronto and the Region of Waterloo are shifting toward raised crosswalks. A raised crosswalk integrates the pedestrian path seamlessly while forcing cars to yield. It provides rigorous safety for our children and creates a highly visible crossing without the blanket drawbacks of a standard speed bump.

According to the Transportation Association of Canada, excessive traditional speed bumps delay emergency response times for fire trucks and paramedics. They also lead to higher road maintenance and winter operations costs. Other studies show that drivers often brake hard just before a bump and accelerate aggressively right after. This increases noise pollution for nearby residents, raises emissions, and accelerates wear and tear on the asphalt.

Also, if a road feels like a highway, people will drive on it like a highway (think Ferguson Drive in Ward 3). I am a big fan of the residential streets in Europe with natural, cost-effective traffic calming measures where vehicles are treated as just one of many users. That is just my personal preference, though, not a formal policy position.

[u/paulster2626 → u/Salman-MiltonWard3]

A solid answer thank you.

Speed bumps in non school zones have gotta go!!

[u/Canadianwinters12345]

How will you survive without a salary?

This reads like Trumps donating his salary.

[u/Quirky-Cat2860 → u/Canadianwinters12345]

It's the councillor salary. He keeps the salary he makes from his day job.

Check out the FAQs on his website.

[u/Canadianwinters12345 → u/Quirky-Cat2860]

I did read his FAQ but I didn't see that in there.

[u/PuzzleheadedPrint623 → u/Canadianwinters12345]

Annual salary of a councilor is not that big to sustain a family especially if you've worked in corporate.
Here’s how much Milton mayor and councillors made in 2025 - MiltonToday.ca

For a town like ours, being a councilor is typically a part time job so the better question here is how much time will you spend as a councilor to balance it with your actual job and your family.

[u/Canadianwinters12345 → u/PuzzleheadedPrint623]

>Annual salary of a councilor is not that big to sustain a family especially if you've worked in corporate.

My brother in christ, this is higher than Canadian part time average salary lol.

[u/PuzzleheadedPrint623 → u/Canadianwinters12345]

What do you think is the average annual salary in Ontario?
Income of individuals by age group, gender and income source, Canada, provinces and selected census metropolitan areas

Compare with Ward 3 councilors remuneration last year:
Regional: Coun. Sammy Ijaz: $57,912
Town: Coun. Adil Khalqi: $64,571

[u/Canadianwinters12345 → u/PuzzleheadedPrint623]

The average salary is like 62k iirc, so for a part time job this is much higher.

Your link shows a median salary of 58k for 24-54 year olds.

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/Canadianwinters12345]

Great question. Another resident asked me a similar question earlier in the thread. I will maintain my employment with Niagara Region while using my 20+ vacation days and a compressed work schedule to fulfill my duties as Regional Councillor, offering my professional expertise for free as a true public service, and donating 100% of any compensation I receive. Please see my detailed response here. Let me know if you have any follow-up comments.

[u/Winter-Squirrel-6744]

What charity? And how did you decide on that chairity?

[u/Canadianwinters12345 → u/Winter-Squirrel-6744]

The chartiies are listed in his FAQ.

"

• Milton District Hospital Foundation
• North Halton Hospice Townsend Smith Foundation
• Milton Meals on Wheels
• Halton Women’s Place
• Wesley
• Milton Transitional Housing
• Milton Navy League Cadets
• Reach Out Centre for Kids
• Community Living North Halton
• The Salvation Army Khi Community
• MAM Food Bank
• Milton Halal Food Bank
• Sustainable Milton"

[u/PuzzleheadedPrint623 → u/Winter-Squirrel-6744]

and how will you provide this transparency?

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/Winter-Squirrel-6744]

u/Background-King9787 u/PuzzleheadedPrint623

I purposefully selected these 13 organizations because they provide the critical frontline services that local government cannot effectively deliver on its own. The list covers every vital pillar of our community's well-being: healthcare and hospice support, food security, women's shelter, youth development, transitional housing, and environmental stewardship.

My campaign is built on the principle of "Evidence Over Populism," and I apply that exact same standard of strict financial accountability to myself.

A Regional Councillor's compensation is a matter of public record. At the end of each fiscal year, I will publish a financial reconciliation statement on my website including electronic records of the transferred funds to proving that the total charitable disbursements exactly match my annual compensation.

[u/silannia → u/Winter-Squirrel-6744]

I don't know about why, but he did mention the ones he picked here: https://salmanzafar.ca/core-principles/#anchor

[u/Background-King9787 → u/Winter-Squirrel-6744]

I found the list on his website, but am interested in your follow up question

[u/Background-King9787]

Thank you for this! I’m including 2 questions and will email the rest.

You touched on town vs regional counsellor on your website - is the major difference that you can vote on 2 councils instead of one?

Did you attend Halton Pride this summer? To my knowledge only Gord Krantz and Melissa Cassels were there out of elected candidates this summer. Would you prioritize this if elected?

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/Background-King9787]

To answer your first question:

As Milton operates under a two-tier municipal structure (just like the Region of Peel and the City of Mississauga), you are correct to identify that a Regional Councillor from Milton holds voting rights on both the Town of Milton Council and Halton Regional Council.

Town Councillors focus exclusively on local lower-tier services: local roads, snow plowing, parks, recreation facilities, community centres, libraries, Milton Fire, local by-law enforcement, and building permits.

Regional Councillors, in addition to voting on all those Town services, also oversee upper-tier services managed by Halton Region. Examples include Emergency Services (Paramedics and Police), Community Housing, Long-Term Care Homes, Waste Management, regional roads, and Water/Wastewater infrastructure.

Whether a service is delivered by the Town (e.g., Fire) or the Region (e.g., Police), property owners pay for all of it through a single combined property tax bill.

Furthermore, while Regional Councillors representing Milton are elected from our local wards, our votes on Regional Council directly shape the broader Halton Region budget, which impacts taxpayers across Oakville, Burlington, and Halton Hills as well.

Regarding your second question about Halton Pride:

I did not attend Halton Pride this summer. In fact, I purposely did not attend the vast majority of summer festivals, parades, or community events for campaign purposes other than a couple of exceptions (a seniors event and AfroJazz Fest) that my mother with mobility issues and my 10-year old daughter were interested in attending.

My platform is built on "Substance Over Visibility." I strongly dislike the traditional political culture of attending community events just for photo-ops and passive name recognition.

If elected, my prioritization will remain on delivering tangible results rather than event attendance. As I mentioned to another resident earlier in this thread, I am a strong advocate for equity in service delivery. My priority is ensuring that Milton remains a safe space for everyone and that all residents regardless of age, financial status, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation have equal, unhindered access to our community-facing municipal services without discrimination.

I will work tirelessly behind the scenes to prioritize community safety and work towards communal harmony.

[u/Background-King9787 → u/Salman-MiltonWard3]

Thank you. A consistent approach is fair!

[u/PuzzleheadedPrint623 → u/Background-King9787]

I think the last question can be better phrased. Prioritize over what? If he says he will prioritize making sure to lessen the impact of CN Modal hub to the town over attending or supporting Halton Pride, is that a bad thing for you?

[u/Background-King9787 → u/PuzzleheadedPrint623]

Actually I do think town council should avoid scheduling the one and only final meeting to assess the impact of the CN modal hub at the same time as Halton pride which is a single weekend day. However some candidates thought they might better serve the community by hosting an expensive campaign event on that day. I have no clue what Mr. Zafar was doing but have been asking any candidates at my door.

I think they should try to schedule those meetings during the week freeing up their weekends for community events. And I think that they will need to sometimes decide which events to miss, which to dip in and out of, and am asking the candidate about his priorities. Perhaps you might like to post your own question about the CN modal hub?

[u/PuzzleheadedPrint623 → u/Background-King9787]

ahh i understand now. so the more correct question is, will you be attending or commit to attend the future Halton Pride events. "Prioritize" could mean a lot of things, like choosing to vote for the benefit of this event or the other, or choosing to spend time planning for this event over another, or funneling budget to this event over another.

[u/Cold-Word8109]

I just want to know when every school in Milton is going to have enough space for the growing community? Classes are over crowded! Portables everywhere!

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/Cold-Word8109]

Milton consistently beats its housing targets set by the province. Historically, however, school funding approvals lag way behind residential development. That leaves families dealing with overcrowding, endless portables, and disruptive boundary adjustments.

It is great to see recent provincial investment flowing into Milton District High School, which will create 412 new student spaces and 88 licensed childcare spaces. Given that about 18% of our local property tax bill goes directly to the Province to fund school boards, we need to build school capacity proactively. Provincial infrastructure should be built in tandem with housing, not years after families have already moved in.

We need leadership that moves past the standard political announcements and understands the data. We have to work across all levels of government to ensure our infrastructure and school capacity are planned together, from day one.

[u/Thanks-4allthefish]

Should the Town of Milton change to City of Milton to reflect the population change of recent years, or should the Town moniker and sensibility be maintained.

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/Thanks-4allthefish]

The distinction between a "Town" and a "City" is entirely symbolic. Under the Municipal Act, there is zero difference in jurisdictional power, tax authority, or access to provincial funding. The choice is fundamentally about civic branding and how a municipality wishes to position itself.

However, there are some benefits to the title of "City" in terms of perception and reputation for attracting new businesses and investors. Milton is no longer a small, rural municipality. The word 'City' signals mature infrastructure and a growing workforce. This perception can actually help us grow our non-residential tax base a bit faster.

It is important we educate, consult and engage with the community before we decide.

[u/Chemical_Fly6303]

Which charities will you be supporting?

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/Chemical_Fly6303]

I will distribute the 26 paychecks I receive each year in office evenly across these 13 organizations (i.e. two paychecks per organization each year):

• Milton District Hospital Foundation
• North Halton Hospice Townsend Smith Foundation
• Milton Meals on Wheels
• Halton Women’s Place
• Wesley
• Milton Transitional Housing
• Milton Navy League Cadets
• Reach Out Centre for Kids
• Community Living North Halton
• The Salvation Army Khi Community
• MAM Food Bank
• Milton Halal Food Bank
• Sustainable Milton

[u/VoiceOfMilton]

You have stated Milton “cannot issue building permits” for high-density development such as the Agerton towers until the Milton-Trafalgar GO Station is operational.

Section 8(2) of Ontario’s Building Code Act says the Chief Building Official shall issue a building permit unless one of the specified legal grounds for refusal applies.

What exact legal mechanism would you use to make an operational GO station a condition of issuing those building permits?

If a development already complies with the zoning by-law, Building Code and all other applicable law, do you agree that Council cannot simply direct the Chief Building Official to withhold the permit?

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/VoiceOfMilton]

You are right. If a development fully complies with the zoning by-law and all applicable law, Council cannot legally direct the CBO to withhold a permit. However, that scenario only occurs if a municipality makes the mistake of granting outright high-density zoning (meaning developers are given an unconditional right to build) before the necessary infrastructure actually exists.

If we zone for transit-oriented density without a Holding Provision to phase the development, we are simply allowing for traffic gridlock in the absence of transit infrastructure (putting the cart before the horse).

The legal mechanism to prevent this is a Holding Provision (the "H" symbol), authorized under Section 36 of the Planning Act.

In practice, we can zone Agerton for transit-oriented density, but simultaneously apply an "H" symbol to the zoning by-law. We then establish a legally enforceable condition for removing that "H" such as the Milton-Trafalgar GO Station being fully operational.

Under the Ontario Building Code, a zoning by-law is explicitly defined as "applicable law." While the "H" is in place, the CBO is legally prohibited from issuing a building permit for that high-density use because it does not yet meet applicable law.

Council will only pass a subsequent by-law to remove the holding provision when the required infrastructure conditions are met to the municipality’s satisfaction.

As a Regional Councillor, I will ensure we proactively use the tools provided by the Planning Act so the legal threshold for a building permit is never met until the required infrastructure is in place.

[u/VoiceOfMilton]

You said in this AMA that continuing to work for Niagara Region while serving on Halton Regional Council presents “absolutely no conflict of interest.”

How do you reconcile that categorical statement with section 2(b) of Ontario’s Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, which says a council member can have an indirect pecuniary interest where they are employed by a person or body that has a pecuniary interest in the matter before Council?

To be clear, working for Niagara Region obviously does not create a conflict on every matter.

My question is: what process will you use when a Halton or Milton matter financially affects Niagara Region, and will you commit to obtaining written Integrity Commissioner advice and publicly declaring/recusing yourself whenever the Act requires it?

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/VoiceOfMilton]

When I stated there is "no conflict," I was referring to the fact that Halton and Niagara are distinct jurisdictions with completely separate tax bases, budgets, and infrastructure portfolios. However, you are right to cite Section 2(b) of the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act.

To answer your question directly: Yes, without hesitation. Should any matter ever arise that presents a pecuniary interest, while highly improbable, I will proactively seek written advice from the Integrity Commissioner, publicly declare the interest, and immediately recuse myself from the process.

My platform is built on rigorous accountability and transparent governance. That standard applies to me first.

[u/VoiceOfMilton]

Your accountability framework says you will prevent tax hikes beyond inflation while maintaining service levels.

Milton’s adopted 2026 budget currently forecasts a 7.82% net Town tax-levy increase for 2027 and 9.83% for 2028 after projected assessment growth. The forecast identifies pressures including infrastructure-deficit funding, lifecycle funding for newly constructed assets, expanded service delivery to growth areas, transit and fire expansion, and other growth-related costs.

Using the Town’s own forecast, what exact dollar changes get those 7.82% and 9.83% increases down to approximately inflation without reducing existing service levels or deferring required state-of-good-repair work?

Please identify the revenue increase or spending reduction by line item rather than answering generally with “efficiencies,” future growth, or advocacy for other levels of government.

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/VoiceOfMilton]

Thanks for the question.

It is unreasonable to demand exact line-item dollar reductions on a multi-year forecast while simultaneously setting up artificial constraints on how I should respond. The specific pressures you listed, such as transit expansion, fire expansion, and expanded service delivery to growth areas, are entirely growth-driven.

You quoted the following from my accountability framework:

"Through rigorous technical oversight, I will ensure our services are delivered safely and efficiently, optimizing budgets and preventing tax hikes beyond inflation while maintaining service levels."

However, you conveniently ignored another key statement from the same webpage regarding hidden tax hikes:

"I will ensure growth pays for growth through development charges and intergovernmental partnerships so existing residents aren’t forced to subsidize new subdivisions through property tax hikes."

I have reviewed the Town of Milton's 2026 Capital and Operating Budget. First, the 2027 and 2028 figures are forecasts, not finalized budgets.

The budget document states these forecasts are built to identify future pressures so Council can look for "opportunities to mitigate those future pressures at the time of the 2027 and 2028 budget processes".

Looking at the 2027-28 operating forecast presented in Appendix 5, the 7.82% and 9.83% forecasted tax-levy increases in 2027 and 2028 are overwhelmingly driven by growth.

Total growth-related impacts are forecasted to drive a 6.38% net levy increase in 2027 and an 8.27% increase in 2028.

Why is that?

The expectation here is for me to provide a solution to a growth-driven forecast while restricting me from bringing up the financial mechanisms explicitly designed to pay for growth. Furthermore, demanding arbitrary line-item cuts years in advance demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of how a multi-year forecast operates.

You do not balance a forecast by crossing out numbers two years out; you manage it by adjusting capital phasing and revenue assumptions as the actual budget year approaches.

If a growth-related capital project cannot be fully funded by Development Charges in the current year, the project is phased or deferred until those revenues catch up. We should not arbitrarily shift the financial burden of new growth infrastructure onto the existing tax levy just to get shovels in the ground.

To bridge interim growth-revenue shortfalls without spiking the tax levy, we can also explore utilizing internal borrowing from municipal reserve funds. This option can provide interim financing for necessary capital costs while holding future Development Charges accountable to repay the funds, ensuring existing residents are not taxed to fund expansion.

If we want to have a serious conversation about Milton's financial future using my proposed accountability framework, we need to ask the right questions:

Why are existing taxpayers facing proposed tax hikes to fund growth-related expenses in the first place? How was Milton allowed to accumulate a compounding infrastructure deficit? Why were short-term political decisions prioritized over total lifecycle planning, and what did former councils do to prevent it?

I am a strong believer in avoiding negative campaigning, but questions like these provide me with the opportunity to highlight why we need competent leadership and the right technical expertise at the Council table.

[u/PuzzleheadedPrint623]

Is it naive to think that corruption is only bad in bigger cities? with your work with other municipalities, have you observed if corruption is out of hand? Or are the guardrails in place enough to curb rampant corruption? Is that a thing Miltonians should worry about when selecting their leaders?

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/PuzzleheadedPrint623]

Based on my experience as a municipal practitioner in Ontario, the real issue isn't usually corruption. It is short-sighted planning and a heavy reliance on populism instead of data-driven decisions. Often, the excuse is that our data is unreliable (in which case, we must invest in better data quality). Lack of interest in looking beyond their term of Council or refusing to embrace proactive problem-solving is another red flag. The existing legal guardrails do not prevent elected officials from making terrible financial decisions for political convenience.

[u/PuzzleheadedPrint623]

With your professional expertise and experience, what should we be wary of from the mayoral candidates on what they plan to deliver but is not really feasible at this point, or not as easy as proclaiming them.

2nd question, who is your mayoral bet that is aligned with your practical vision for Milton and is more likely to achieve how you think Milton should plan for?

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/PuzzleheadedPrint623]

I will avoid endorsing or criticizing any Mayoral candidate, but generally, here are the things to look out for (this applies to other Ontario municipalities as well):

Claims of immediate relief for complex, multi-jurisdictional issues like gridlock or housing affordability ignore the reality of municipal governance. Growth pays for growth only if we proactively align development with our underground water capacity and transit infrastructure. Solutions require rigorous data, transparent decision-making criteria, and proactive planning, not overnight miracles.

Another political maneuver is deferring necessary maintenance of existing infrastructure to keep current budgets artificially low for political convenience. This simply creates a hidden, compounding infrastructure deficit that we will eventually have to pay for. It is the equivalent of ignoring a difficult problem today and leaving a bigger problem for future decision-makers to solve, ultimately forcing taxpayers to deal with the consequences of short-sighted decisions made in the past.

The reality is that no politician can change things dramatically overnight, and we shouldn't expect them to. It is like asking a doctor for a magic pill that cures a chronic illness in a week. Real, sustainable progress requires treating the root cause, not just masking the symptoms.

We need to plant the seeds of good decision-making today and have the patience to see them bear fruit. Just like a seed does not become a tree overnight, meaningful results often take years of steady commitment to realize.

Another great example is health and fitness: making consistent changes to your diet and embracing routine workouts over months (sometimes years) makes all the difference. No one gains or loses significant weight overnight.

Similarly, no one can fix a bad habit overnight. Though acknowledging the problem is a milestone in its own right, it takes time, discipline, and consistency to train your mind.

Hope it helps.

[u/ShossX]

https://miltonrecord.ca/election/ward-3/salman-zafar

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/ShossX]

Thank you for sharing this link. I appreciate the opportunity to have my platform and my responses to the Milton Record available for discussion here.

[u/PuzzleheadedPrint623 → u/ShossX]

Love the questionnaire. Who else already responded to it?

[u/Bobcaygeon23]

100% of your salary to charity is very noble will you then be drawing EI and asking us to cover your living wages?

[u/ByFaraz → u/Bobcaygeon23]

Councillor is a part time position, they keep their normal jobs/businesses.

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/Bobcaygeon23]

Please see detailed response here

[u/redpandav → u/Bobcaygeon23]

This is a good question. How will they be sustaining themselves? Maybe they’ll still be working their current ft job.

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/redpandav]

Please see detailed response here

[u/RealLychee3700 → u/Bobcaygeon23]

If not, how will you be paying your monthly bills? Will you be working a full time job while being a Regional Councillor on the side?

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/RealLychee3700]

Please see detailed response here

[u/bekind2nature]

Salman, I’m trying to go through your AMA to get to know you better and decide if I want to vote for you, but your responses to the great questions Redditors asked are super long and seem to be AI generated. Long answers usually mean no answer but lots of words that the reader gets lost into. I’m worried about voting for someone who relies on lots of talk but no action, also someone who runs to AI for answers. Tell me: How are you involved in the community in Milton? What community work have you done that was not part of your job? For how long? Please don’t provide long winded answers. 

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/bekind2nature]

Thanks for reaching out. I invite you to explore my professional background, qualifications and work experience in municipal sector to understand and fully appreciate my perspective on municipal challenges and potential solutions (salmanzafar.ca). It's the primary reason I have a lot to offer to the community. Without this background, my responses would be ultra short just like the others without any substance.

Service to the community comes in many forms. Volunteer work is a good criteria for those with no relevant professional background. That's the only way they can demonstrate their goodwill to the community and their ability to make better decisions at the Council table.

By the way, length and technical details do not equal AI use. I don't know how you reached this conclusion. By your logic, all detailed municipal staff reports must be AI generated including the recent Official Plan.

Happy to meet you in-person for a coffee chat to address your concerns.

[u/bekind2nature → u/Salman-MiltonWard3]

Thanks for your reply. Please tell me more about your volunteer work. Which organizations, how long etc.

[u/Thanks-4allthefish → u/bekind2nature]

He writes like I do. I am not an AI. Not an A - not sure about the I :)

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/bekind2nature]

As noted in my closing edit, the AMA is officially wrapped up, but I am happy to provide the specific details you asked for.

Chris Hadfield Public School
School Council Member (2022)

Together Project
Volunteer (2020)
Activities: Supporting vulnerable refugees with community integration and adopting Canadian values

Local Places of Worship
Ad-Hoc Volunteer (2015 – Present)
Activities: Event logistics, parking, and food banks

Asset Management Ontario (AMONTario)
Board of Directors (2025 – Present)

Federation of Canadian Municipalities
Peer Reviewer, Municipal Funding Applications (2024 – Present)

ISO Technical Committee on Asset Management
Subject Matter Expert (2018 – Present)
Note: Most working group meetings are held between 3:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. EST to accommodate international time zones.

None of these roles were part of my job requirements. In many instances, I have used my own vacation time to participate in person during working hours.

I put in this extra effort in addition to my full-time career in the municipal sector because I believe in public infrastructure stewardship, open knowledge-sharing and civic responsibility.

Most importantly, I can translate all this volunteer experience into fulfilling my responsibilities successfully as a Regional Councillor.

Thanks again for the engagement. If you'd ever like to chat further, feel free to reach out directly.

[u/PuzzleheadedPrint623 → u/bekind2nature]

I would like to disagree here. If you've looked at his qualifications and career experience, it's exactly how you would envision him to answer these questions. Well thought of, filled with knowledge and context. I always come back to this AMA to see if he has new answers because I really find them interesting. If I'm in ward 3 I'd definitely consider him.

[u/Reasonable-Ad-4754]

Reas through some of the responses. I could be wrong but they appear to be AI generated. I.e. not necessarily the way humans interact on message boards.

[u/Salman-MiltonWard3 → u/Reasonable-Ad-4754]

​Everyone has a unique writing style. I am not your typical politician hiding behind short sentences and empty buzzwords. I want to truly educate in every correspondence I have with community members. This is my way of engaging, consulting, and empowering voters.

​I also have a unique, multidisciplinary background with a long list of academic qualifications and professional certifications; something you will not typically see on a political candidate's resume.

​A lot of people do not fully understand the services a municipality provides, the difference between upper-tier and lower-tier municipal governments, the roles and responsibilities of a Councillor at the local and Regional level, or how property taxes and user fees work.

My goal here is to change that by providing substantive and detailed responses.