Lisa Robinson
Your candidate for MAYOR. The current Ward 1 City Councillor is campaigning on what she calls the Pickering Recovery Plan, thirteen commitments under the banner “Return City Hall to the People.”
Click her priorities for Pickering from the list below….
TAXES
Property Tax Freeze
Work to freeze property taxes for her full term as mayor through responsible budgeting, eliminating waste and setting clear priorities. In a fundraising letter she put it as “not one dollar more for the whole term.”
CITY SPENDING
Build What We Need, Not What We Can’t Afford
No unaffordable megaprojects or unnecessary debt. Every major project must be affordable, necessary and deliver real value, with priority on roads, infrastructure, parks and services. Pickering tax dollars and casino revenues should stay in Pickering to keep taxes affordable and improve local services.
CITY HALL ACCESSIBILITY
Return City Hall to the People & End the Culture of Secrecy
Restore public participation and question periods. Debate major financial decisions in open session whenever legally possible, publish council voting records where residents can easily find them, and set strict rules limiting sole-source contracts.
STRONG-MAYOR POWERS
End Strong-Mayor Overreach
She says the mayor’s office should lead, not rule. She pledges not to use strong-mayor powers to override council decisions or silence councillors, and to return decision-making to the elected council.
FREE SPEECH & DEBATE
Protect Free Speech and Open Debate
Restore meaningful debate at City Hall and protect the right of councillors and residents to ask questions and disagree, with decisions reached through open discussion.
DEVELOPMENT & GROWTH
People Before Profits & Infrastructure First
Development should respect existing neighbourhoods and quality of life, with real consultation before shovels hit the ground. Roads, schools, healthcare, parks and community services must keep pace: no approving development without the infrastructure to support it. She has also said she stands against the 100-plus condo towers proposed for the city.
LOCAL BUSINESS & JOBS
Protect Local Businesses and Plan Growth Responsibly
Protect local businesses and employment lands from being lost to unchecked high-rise development, so that Pickering keeps jobs as well as homes.
LAND USE & PRESERVATION
Finish Seaton First
Complete the communities already approved before opening new lands. Protect Northeast Pickering and the Federal Lands, including farmland, forests, headwaters and green spaces, for future generations.
SENIORS, YOUTH & FAIRNESS
A Better Life for Seniors, a Future for the Next Generation
Affordable recreation and opportunities for seniors to stay active, and a city where children and grandchildren can afford to live, work and buy a home. She also commits to policies that treat everyone equally and focus on fairness, merit and common sense.
HER FIRST 100 DAYS
What She Says She Will Do, and When
- Day 1: Ban closed-door meetings on anything not legally required to be confidential.
- First council meeting: Restore public participation and question periods.
- Day 15: Independent review of City Hall structure, staffing and spending.
- Day 20: Review remote and hybrid work; customer-service-first plan.
- Day 30: Formal pledge not to use strong-mayor powers to override council.
- Day 45: Online Taxpayer Dashboard showing where tax dollars go.
- Day 60: Restore committee debate.
- Day 75: Audit of growth projections, infrastructure and major capital projects.
- Day 90: Mayor’s Town Halls in every ward, with unscripted questions.
- Day 100: Launch an affordability strategy; budgets to include input from all councillors.
Source: Lisa Robinson campaign website, lisarobinsonformayor.com
