Platform

As a 25-year resident of Georgetown, running for your local Ward 4 Councillor, I would be aiming to work with town council to make our community safer, and enhancing our town with opportunities for community engagement and responsible and sustainable growth.

These days, "affordable housing" is the topic around dinner table conversations of many in Halton Hills. I would like to complement and enhance council's efforts in engaging with, and to look towards helping those in our community. As such, it would be a good idea to bring to the table two avenues to address this need: (1) Introduce plans for easing property taxes geared towards home-ownership, and (2) An affordable co-op housing plan for young families and seniors, while allowing for self-ownership and equity building. I believe both of these avenues can help afford people the much needed opportunities to grow in our wonderful township.

For a safer community, I would look to work with our town and its services to help maintain safer residential areas. In that regard, I would work with Halton as a whole to invest in our police services to keep our homes and families safe. In addition, I would strive to motion council to adopt a "good neighbour policy" for our local trucking companies, and to help truck drivers control their speeds in our neighbourhoods, while, at the same time, showing respect in what they do for our community. We want to reassure people that we all live in this town together, and that I'm sure we all want safer roads to raise our families, to go walking, running and cycling on, and I think this would be a positive step in the right direction.

Platform Highlights

  • Keeping taxes low: I will watch the budget closely, focus on essential needs like roads and safety, and bring in new businesses to help share the tax load.
  • Establish young familiy & senior Co-op Housing ownership
  • Introduce post-secondary bridging programs toward trade schools, to direct our youth to good paying jobs
  • Enhancing entertainment events for families and youth
  • Keeping our neighbourhoods and roads safe
  • Promoting local businesses to ensure stability and prosperity
  • Open to working with local farmers to secure a more stable food supply for our community
  • Establish an emergency response plan consisting of volunteers and neighborhoods, to allow prompt effective communication, and to check-in on residents’ well-being, (i.e. prolonged power outages, or extreme weather events, etc.).

    • - See more on my VoteGrid Candidate Survey.


    Fostering our Town's Resources

    Establish senior Co-op Housing ownership - Allow for seniors, looking to enter into senior-focused living spaces, to capitalize on their home's equity and unlock the potential for reasonably low cost ownership, while having liquidity available to afford more enjoyment in their golden years.

    As for local young families just starting out, establish a first-time homebuyer's co-op initiative geared towards entering into the housing market with affordability, for sustainable and responsible growth, now and into the future.

    As an example of what we can achieve together with co-op living:


    Introduce post-secondary bridging programs toward trade schools: As we hear a lot in current days, "Trades are in demand!" As the provincial governement has stated, 1-in-5 new jobs created will be in the Skilled Trades. Though we have a fantastic technical school at GDHS, and facilities at CTK; however, we currently lack the ability to afford all of this town's youth to explore their full potential in the Trades. What I would like to propose is a joint venture between our town, its schools and nearby Trade Schools to offer an advantage for our youth to branch out and experience the Trade vocation that is right for them - prior to them fully committing in their chosen direction. This will allow a more fulfilling and enriching career choice moving forward into the future.

    Establish an emergency response plan: To offer support and to tackle any unforseen difficulties in our community - in the event of prolonged power outages, extreme weather events, food shortages, and whatnot - consisting of volunteers and neighborhoods, to allow prompt effective communication, and to check-in on residents’ well-being. In recent years, there have been a number of unusual events that have presented unwanted challenges. This effort would serve to aliviate those challenges to a safe degree though information dissemination and community involvement.

    Georgetown’s residents’ voice is of the utmost importance, and that is the main focus behind our community. Georgetown has a quality 'small town' feeling, and, as such, preserving our small town values is essential to maintaining our identity: for our children, young families and our senior citizens who have grown with this town. As your Ward 4 Councillor, I will compliment, enhance, and be your voice at council on your behalf. Together, we can preseve the quality of life in our neighborhoods.

    I look forward to the opportunity to work for you, and for a safer and more engaging community.

    Vote Waldo Paquete for one of your local Councillors, and together we will move forward.