Q&A Series - On Affordability

I'm publishing answers to the questions I'm hearing most often on the campaign trail so they are available for everyone to see.

Have a question? Email it to me at hello@nicolebeatty.ca.⁠

Q: What will you do as Mayor to address affordability in Cobourg?⁠

A: Our default setting must not be playing catch up. We know our pressure points, and we need to plan for them, not react to them. That means spending responsibly, sustainably and growing our economy, so homeowners aren't carrying the burden alone.

On spending, we need a comprehensive well thought out multi-year financial plan. This builds on the 10-year sustainability financial plan I helped introduce this term, and staff are already working to develop it. Now we have to apply it to our budget process. As your Mayor it is to keep this critical work moving forward and make it transparent to residents, through my introducing a permanent Budget Advisory Committee in my first 100 days in Office and service-level budgeting, so people can clearly see what their dollar buys.

On economic development, and I say that on purpose, because growth has become a loaded word here, the opportunity is in front of us as we plan for Cobourg East. That means supporting the manufacturing sector we already have, and attracting other competitive industries, like supply chain, skilled trades, and innovation-driven businesses, that round out our tax base. It also means pursuing the ambition of a post-secondary campus, so our youth can learn close to home and build a future here instead of leaving. I'll launch a permanent Mayor's Economic Advisory Roundtable so we're working directly with business, ready to act to develop opportunities for Cobourg instead of watching them go elsewhere.

And on housing, this isn't about loosening rules. It's about updating the playbooks we already have, like our Official Plan, and getting creative with the housing products. Small homes for seniors, Rentals for working professionals. Attainable housing for first time home buyers. Creative doesn't mean building to the skyline, it means building for our neighbourhoods, with a real mix in mind, within the policies already in place.