Keith Demoe has not publicized an email address, and we were unable to contact him despite multiple requests through the contact forms on his campaign and business websites.
Name: Lisa Kearns
Office Sought: Mayor of Burlington
Campaign Website: LisaKearns.ca
Email: mayorlisakearns@gmail.com
1. Affordability and Taxes
Affordability matters to every Burlington household, and I believe the City needs to look first at how it manages the money it already has before asking taxpayers for more. My approach to the 2027 budget will be to scrutinize spending, protect the services residents depend on, rebuild reserve funds and ensure discretionary spending can demonstrate real value.
We also need to reduce pressure on the residential tax base by attracting new businesses and expanding Burlington’s non-residential assessment. I have also proposed creating a municipal sponsorship program and making better use of City assets and real-time financial information to improve value and reduce waste. Fiscal responsibility is not about cutting for the sake of cutting. It is about setting priorities, measuring results and ensuring residents receive value for every tax dollar we spend.
2. Managing the City’s Finances
My approach is to set clear priorities, protect Burlington’s long-term financial position and require spending to demonstrate value. Our reserves need to be rebuilt to safe levels so they are available for emergencies, infrastructure and long-term stability rather than becoming a substitute for disciplined budgeting. The professional background I hold in corporate organizations positions me as an accomplished leader that has delivered verified savings across industries and teams to drive down operating costs while implementing practical solutions.
That means reviewing discretionary projects, looking for opportunities to share services, using technology where it can improve efficiency, and establishing performance targets with clear accountability. I also want residents involved earlier through a Community Budget process that provides more time and information before major financial decisions are made. We must also look at the budget with the community more than once a year, I seek to launch a Tax Payer Advisory Committee.
Burlington should also look beyond taxation for revenue opportunities. My platform includes a municipal sponsorship program, growing the non-residential tax base and making better use of City assets. Protect core services, plan for the future and make every dollar work harder.
3. Accountability and Transparency
Accountability has to be built into how City Hall operates, not added after decisions have already been made.
As a Councillor, I brought forward Burlington’s Lobbyist Registry and launched the Whistleblower Program, next will be a Fraud & Waste Hotline. As Mayor, I would continue that work by creating a more open budget process that gives residents more time, information and opportunity to understand how their tax dollars are being used.
My platform also calls for returning Council meetings to the evening, strengthening the delegation process and piloting open delegations so residents can raise priorities directly with decision-makers. Major decisions, including senior City Manager hiring, should return to the full elected Council and Strong Mayors Powers refused to the fullest extent.
Transparency means more than publishing documents. Residents need information early enough to participate meaningfully, clear accountability for results, and the ability to see how their input affected the final decision.
4. Improving Efficiency
Burlington can improve service while also controlling costs. My fiscal platform specifically focuses on shared services, technology, real-time data and measurable performance targets to identify where City operations can work better.
I also want to address the way residents and businesses experience City Hall. Public-facing departments should provide clear information, respectful service and meaningful follow-through. Residents should not have to navigate unnecessary layers of bureaucracy simply to get an answer.
For businesses, I have proposed integrating Invest Burlington more closely with Development and Growth Management and establishing a 30-day Business Issue Resolution Process so employers facing unexpected permitting, regulatory or infrastructure issues can get timely assistance.
Efficiency is ultimately about outcomes: fewer unnecessary processes, clearer accountability, faster problem-solving and better value for the taxpayer without compromising the quality of essential services.
5. Growth and Infrastructure
Burlington can welcome growth while protecting the quality of life that makes people want to live here. The key is putting growth in the right places and ensuring infrastructure and planning keep pace.
My approach directs new density toward transit hubs and other locations that can support it, while protecting our natural heritage, farmland, parks and established neighbourhoods. Development should contribute housing and meaningful community benefits, not simply add density without considering the surrounding community.
We also need stronger coordination with development partners and other levels of government so infrastructure investment supports the growth Burlington is expected to accommodate. Transportation, municipal services, public spaces and community amenities all need to be considered as part of the planning process.
Growth is not the objective by itself. Building complete, functional and livable communities is the objective.
6. Housing
Burlington needs more housing choices, including affordable rental housing, missing-middle housing and larger homes suitable for families, but those homes need to be delivered thoughtfully and in locations that can support additional growth.
I have proposed creating a Permit to Build Committee focused on turning already-approved housing into actual homes. The committee would bring staff and partners together to identify barriers, improve timelines, secure community benefits and explore incentives that do not rely on municipal tax dollars.
I would also update Burlington’s Housing Strategy so we have a longer-term plan beyond temporary funding programs, with traceable incentives and clear housing objectives. Housing Strategy Town Halls would ensure residents remain informed and involved.
At the same time, Burlington must continue protecting natural heritage, farmland, parks and community character while directing new density toward appropriate transit-supportive locations where the infrastructure maintains quality of life.
7. Public Safety
Safe neighbourhoods require visible, effective public services and strong partnerships with the agencies responsible for keeping Burlington safe. Even one crime is too many and turns residents into victims.
My appointment to the Halton Police Services Board has reinforced the importance of supporting our frontline police, fire and emergency services. My platform proposes working to restore a Downtown/South Burlington Police and Outreach Sub-station so residents south of the QEW once again have a visible community-based police and outreach presence.
I have also proposed modernizing bylaws and penalties, adding proactive Bylaw Ambassadors and developing a citywide Community Watch Program. Traffic safety is also public safety. I have supported safer school routes, Community Safety Zones, smarter traffic calming and better street design.
Finally, my Burlington Neighbourhood Readiness Plan would strengthen preparedness for extreme weather through stormwater planning, tree-canopy protection, shelter access and targeted neighbourhood investments.
8. Public Engagement
Residents should be heard before decisions are made, not simply informed afterward.
As Ward 2 Councillor, I have regularly hosted in-person and virtual community updates, town halls, walking tours, hands-on budget workshops, traffic forum (over 110 attendees), a development charges information session and other opportunities for residents to speak directly with me. I want to bring that same approach to the Mayor’s Office across Burlington.
My Reset City Hall platform includes returning Council meetings to the evening so more working/school residents can participate, strengthening the delegation process and piloting open delegations where residents can bring priorities directly to decision-makers. I have also committed to continued issue-specific engagement, including Housing Strategy Town Halls and Transportation Town Halls.
Good engagement is not simply holding more meetings. It means engaging early, being accessible, explaining what is being considered and showing residents how their input helped shape the outcome.
9. Strong Mayor Powers
I do not support governing Burlington through Strong Mayor Powers, and I have committed to refusing to use them. Many mayors have publicly vowed to never these undemocratic powers, in 2024, I proudly tabled the community petition Restoration of Democracy at Burlington City Hall.
Municipal government works best when major decisions are debated openly and made collectively by the people residents elected to Council. My Reset City Hall platform calls for returning decision-making to the full elected Council, including major decisions such as senior City hiring.
As Mayor, my approach would be shared leadership. I would also dissolve the current Deputy Mayor portfolio structure and establish clear priorities through a public-facing First 100 Days Action Plan. Leadership should bring Council together around decisions, not concentrate decision-making authority in one office. The mayor should also distinguish collaboration as not only with easy items but also recognize when there is healthy dissent on critical issues: Strong Mayor Guidelines (May 2026), Data Centre Moratorium (July 2026), Development Fee Relief Reversal (March 2026), Central Park Reconfiguration Pause (April 2026), Mayor Speaker Series Funding (April 2024), Budget Amendments (December 2026).
10. Respect and Civic Leadership
Respectful civic leadership starts with recognizing that no single person has all the answers. Residents, members of Council, City staff, businesses and community organizations each bring knowledge and experience that should inform the decisions we make.
My approach to leadership is collaborative and service-focused. I believe residents should be included early, Council should operate through shared decision-making, and City Hall should make it easier, not harder, for people to participate.
That is why my platform proposes returning Council meetings to the evening, strengthening delegations, piloting open delegations and returning major decisions to the full elected Council.
Respect also requires follow-through. Residents should receive clear information, respectful service and understandable answers when they interact with City Hall. Disagreement is part of democracy. The Mayor’s responsibility is to create the conditions where people can disagree constructively, work through difficult issues and remain focused on delivering results for Burlington.
Name: Marianne Meed Ward
Office Sought: Mayor of Burlington
Campaign Website: Vote Marianne.ca
Email: marianne4mayor@gmail.com
1. Affordability and Taxes
I’ve heard directly from you that affordability is a significant concern, and my commitment is to focus on needs, balance service delivery and infrastructure while finding efficiencies, which we do every year. Every council member has equal opportunity to bring budget amendments. I delivered the highest-value reductions of any council member this term that received council support. I worked with council to direct staff to bring options for the 2027 budget at a zero percent increase, and at inflation, so we can work with community on costs and tradeoffs.
The largest drivers of the city budget are community services, inflation and infrastructure. The largest driver of the Halton Regional budget, which all councillors vote on, is police services, representing 41% of the regional budget. For your total tax bill, the largest categories are community services, police, and infrastructure, in that order—all things residents asked for.
Link: How your taxes are used: https://www.burlington.ca/en/property-taxes/how-your-taxes-are-used.aspx
2. Managing the City’s Finances
Three principles guide me. First, protect the core services residents depend on—community services, policing, fire, roads and transit—the largest items on the tax bill. Second, maintain what we own: a dollar wisely invested today saves 10 down the road. Third, be honest about trade-offs. When funding is tight, I prioritize what protects health, safety, and the long-term financial health of the city. Our reserves are at record highs, our debt levels below target and going down. We have a strong financial foundation at the city and Halton Region, where all council members also have a vote on budgets, maintaining our AAA credit rating.
3. Accountability and Transparency
Residents are right that budgets can be hard to follow. During my term, we changed our budget books to provide a plain language summary; I hosted town halls in every Ward that were also live-streamed; and I hosted the annual budget telephone town hall, giving thousands of residents the opportunity to listen and ask questions of staff and council. We have a dedicated budget page that shows clearly where each tax dollar goes by service. We also need to communicate better about the Halton Regional budget – which is over 30% of your tax bill and covers police, paramedics, health and social services, waste management and more. We are equally accountable for this budget as Regional Councillors – we have a vote and voice at that table, which is why we must continue to show both the city budget, the regional budget and the total tax impact.
4. Improving Efficiency
I pursue real efficiencies every budget: using the e-Check system to speed permits and save time and money, shared purchasing with Halton Region, and bundling road and infrastructure work so we don’t pay twice to open the same road. The biggest drivers of your tax bill are inflation, infrastructure and community services, with policing the second highest cost on your total tax bill. These are the services residents rely on every day. Trimming at the margins can help, but that doesn’t significantly impact your total tax bill. Anyone who promises significant tax savings through efficiencies alone should be asked: what would you actually cut? Policing? Fire? The services families count on? Infrastructure – sending future generations a bill 10 times larger? There’s no painless answer. Real savings come from doing the work, and from the structural fix of a fairer provincial-municipal funding relationship, where the biggest savings for taxpayers ultimately lie.
5. Growth and Infrastructure
Growth has to happen in the right places, at the right scale, with the infrastructure to support it. I was elected to stop downtown overdevelopment—and we made significant progress. We revised an Official Plan that would have permitted some 30 more towers downtown, including in the beloved Village Square, and I worked with the province to relocate our Urban Growth Centre to the GO station—the only city in Ontario to achieve that. That led directly to our victory at the Ontario Land Tribunal, stopping 30+-storey towers at the waterfront hotel site. On congestion, I convened a Traffic Congestion and Related Road Safety Roundtable with every level of government; council received my report and directed staff to bring forward the city’s first congestion management plan, costed, this year. Protecting quality of life means growth that fits, infrastructure that keeps pace, and protecting the waterfront and greenspace that make Burlington, Burlington.
6. Housing
We can approve the right housing in the right places faster, which is why I created our Pipeline to Permit committee – the first of its kind in Ontario – to speed approvals and reduce costs. We have directed density to transit, protected existing neighbourhoods, and ensured a mix of housing types so young people and seniors can stay in Burlington. We provided grants for Accessory Dwelling Units, partnered to bring 74 supportive housing units, and reduced development charges for low rise housing using federal dollars, without impact to taxpayers. Municipalities can’t solve affordability alone—the biggest levers (development charges policy, provincial funding, interest rates) sit with senior governments. I’ve pushed for reform so we can build attainable housing without loading costs onto new homebuyers or existing taxpayers.
7. Public Safety
Safety is foundational, and Halton remains the safest large community in Canada, with auto theft down 22 per cent. At the Regional Council table I supported significant investment in policing over this term, including 8.3% for 2026, adding officers, because visible, well-resourced policing works. Through my role chairing Ontario’s Big City Mayors, I’ve advocated for bail reform, action on auto theft, faster court processes, and a new Halton courthouse—the systemic pieces that keep communities safe. Locally, I’ve convened town halls and a speakers series bringing police and residents together. I’ll continue supporting Halton Regional Police Service with the resources they need, partnering with community organizations on prevention and mental-health response, and advocating to senior governments on root causes, from court delays to addictions, that municipalities and police can’t solve alone. Behind every statistic is a family that has suffered if they’ve been a victim of crime.
8. Public Engagement
This is where I started. In 2006, before I was elected, I founded A Better Burlington because residents were learning about city decisions only after they’d been made. The belief that people deserve a real voice has driven my public service. I support engaging residents early, before decisions are made. That means accessible information in plain language, multiple ways to participate, in person or online, and genuinely listening, including to people who disagree. I founded Elect Respect with women in Halton, after being subjected to personal attacks, harassment, and death threats just for doing my job. It’s become a national movement for civility in public space, which encourages more participation. I still knock on doors, hold town halls and drop ins and answer residents directly. I’d build on tools that meet people where they are, and show residents how their input actually influenced a decision. That’s how trust and connection is built.
9. Strong Mayor Powers
Two Strong Mayor powers are fundamentally undemocratic – passing a bylaw with one-third of council, and the mayoral veto. I have never and would never use those powers. The other powers are largely administrative, and I’ve formally delegated to staff or council all but one of those. I retained hiring the CAO believing a collaborative relationship between the Mayor – who is designated in the Municipal Act as the CEO of the corporation – and the CAO, is essential to delivering on priorities for you. But even then council was involved in the selection process giving them a voice. I’ve delegated preparation of the budget to staff, and involved council in setting budget directions. I’ve directed staff twice to bring critical and urgent information to council for their decision-making – on tariff response, and development charges. I’m a collaborative mayor who can achieve consensus: 91 per cent of council votes have been unanimous.
10. Respect and Civic Leadership
Respectful leadership means you can hold strong positions and still treat people with dignity, especially those you disagree with. It means focusing on policy debates not personal attacks. It means a commitment to truth, not spreading misinformation or misrepresenting the views of people you disagree with – something happening this election by some candidates. (Council “bonuses”? False. “Developer give away?” Not true. “Hiding data centres.” Untrue. And more misinformation.) I founded Elect Respect, a movement for civility in public life, which has since been taken up by councils, chambers of commerce and organizations across the country. As Mayor I set the tone with council, staff, and residents and I hold myself to account. Our democracy depends on people being able to disagree well. 91% of votes at council this term have been unanimous, a proven record of building consensus and bringing council together to achieve outcomes for residents.
11. Looking Ahead
By 2030, I’d want to look back on a Burlington that grew on its own terms—intensification anchored at our GO stations, with the waterfront, greenspace and neighbourhood character protected. I’d want measurable progress on congestion from the plan we’ve launched, more attainable housing for young people and seniors, and infrastructure kept in a good state of repair. I’d want a fairer funding deal for municipalities, so the property tax burden is easing rather than growing—work I’m leading through Ontario’s Big City Mayors and as Chair of the Large Urban Caucus at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario. And I’d want a city that still does politics respectfully, where residents feel genuinely heard. Success, to me, isn’t a single headline project. It’s a city that is steady, well-run, affordable to live in, and still protects what we all love about Burlington.
12. Optional Question
One issue deserves more candour: accountability. I’m standing on my solid record of progress, steady leadership and responsible choices made with community input. My opponents say the city is headed in the wrong direction but they had a seat at the council table and vote on every issue for eight years. A councillor has real power: they can bring forward motions and build support to change course. Accountability means answering: what did you do to advance what you are now promising? The platforms they are advancing, whether on traffic safety and congestion, taxes, public safety, cutting permit times and fees, enhancing resident input, are overwhelmingly work that is already underway, proving a solid endorsement of my leadership and the work of the majority of my council colleagues this term. Our city deserves steady, proven leadership and a track record of bringing people together, not sitting it out and criticizing it later.
Name: Rory Nisan
Office Sought: Mayor, City of Burlington
Campaign Website: rorynisan.ca
Email: info@rorynisan.ca
1. Affordability and Taxes
Every budget decision I make starts with the person paying for it. I voted against Burlington’s last three budgets because each one asked residents to absorb more than they should, at a time when housing, groceries and utility costs were already stretched. As Mayor, I will anchor budgets to inflation rather than letting spending drift upward on its own, and require every new program and position to demonstrate the value it delivers before it gets funded. That discipline protects, rather than threatens, the services residents rely on: libraries, transit, parks, road maintenance and public safety. It forces City Hall to find savings behind the scenes instead of cutting the front line. Keeping taxes affordable isn’t about doing less for Burlington; it’s about making sure every dollar collected is working as hard as the resident who earned it.
2. Managing the City’s Finances
My guiding principle is simple: government should live within the means of the people who fund it. As Chair of two budget committees, I’ve pushed staff and council to justify spending against outcomes, not against what was spent last year. When funding is limited, I prioritize services that touch the most residents’ daily lives, such as safety, transit, parks and infrastructure in a state of good repair, over new initiatives that sound good but haven’t proven their value. I ask whether a program is core to what a municipality should deliver, whether it duplicates something Halton Region or a community partner already does, and whether deferring it creates a bigger cost down the road. Capital and operating decisions need to be weighed together, since deferring maintenance today becomes a much larger bill for future taxpayers. Inflation-anchored budgeting is the backbone of that approach.
3. Accountability and Transparency
Residents shouldn’t need a finance degree to understand where their tax dollars go. As Chair of two budget committees and of the Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk and Accountability Committee, I’ve pushed for budget materials that show the real, all-in cost of a decision, including the regional, police and education portions that show up on the tax bill but rarely get explained together. As Mayor, I will require clearer plain-language summaries alongside the technical budget book, showing residents what changed, why, and what it costs the average household. I also support restoring more genuine debate at the council table rather than pre-negotiated outcomes, because transparency isn’t just about publishing numbers; it’s about residents seeing councillors actually wrestle with trade-offs in public.
4. Improving Efficiency
Efficiency starts with proof, not assumption. I’ve supported measuring whether existing programs deliver for residents rather than assuming past spending was money well spent, and I opposed a 41-million-dollar development-charge giveaway because it would have quietly shifted costs from developers onto taxpayers rather than actually saving money. As Mayor, I’ll push for a regular, public review of city programs against outcomes, so council can redirect money away from what isn’t working. I also want to speed up and modernize permitting and approvals, since slow, duplicative processes cost residents and local businesses time and money without making anyone safer or better served. Wherever possible, I’ll look for opportunities to share services or costs with Halton Region and neighbouring municipalities instead of building parallel capacity. None of this means cutting frontline services; it means being honest about which parts of City Hall add value and which simply add cost.
5. Growth and Infrastructure
Burlington can’t wish growth away, and pretending otherwise doesn’t protect quality of life; it just means infrastructure falls further behind population. My approach is to make growth pay its own way, which is why I fought to stop a 41-million-dollar development-charge giveaway that would have shifted those costs onto existing taxpayers. At the same time, we need practical fixes to the congestion residents deal with today, like the bus-in-live-lane bottleneck on Guelph Line, rather than only planning for problems decades out. I’ll prioritize infrastructure that serves the most residents’ daily lives: road and transit reliability, state-of-good-repair for what we already own, and flood resilience as storms grow more severe. Growth decisions also need to respect what makes Burlington special, including our rural areas, our waterfront and our established neighbourhoods. Balancing growth with quality of life means being deliberate about where density goes, not simply reactive to what developers propose.
6. Housing
Burlington’s housing crisis won’t be solved without building more homes, and City Hall’s job is to make sure that happens without leaving residents to foot the bill or sacrificing safe, livable neighbourhoods. As Mayor, I will work to bring appropriate land forward, speed up responsible approvals, and cut avoidable delays that add cost to every project. I’ll also keep pushing to secure Burlington’s fair share of provincial and federal housing funding, since municipalities can’t solve this alone on the property tax base. I will also reinstate key performance indicators in the building and planning departments that have been allowed to lapse, because faster approvals require accountability, not just good intentions. Increasing supply, protecting neighbourhood character, and keeping housing decisions fiscally responsible aren’t competing goals. Done right, they reinforce each other and give young people and families a realistic path to stay in Burlington.
7. Public Safety
Public safety means supporting our police services while also addressing the root causes of crime. I’ve consistently voted for more front-line officers and for the Halton Region Community Investment Fund, because a safe community needs both effective policing and the social supports that prevent problems before they start. I’ve also brought Halton Regional Police directly into Ward 3 for community safety meetings, so residents can raise concerns and get direct answers rather than going through layers of process. As Mayor, I’ll keep that kind of direct engagement between residents, police and City Hall, and continue to support community organizations working on prevention alongside enforcement. Automated Speed Enforcement near schools and in high-risk areas is another tool I’ve supported expanding, because traffic safety is public safety too. Halton Regional Police is funded regionally, so my role as Mayor is to advocate at the regional table for the resources our neighbourhoods need.
8. Public Engagement
Trust between residents and City Hall is built through consistent, direct contact, not just formal public meetings scheduled around the budget calendar. I’ve held community safety meetings in Ward 3 that bring residents and Halton Regional Police into the same room, and I believe that model, direct and issue-specific, should be used more broadly across the city. As Mayor, I want City Hall communication to explain not just what council decided but why, in plain language, especially on the budget and major development decisions that affect people’s daily lives. I also believe council needs to hear from residents before decisions are made, not simply report out afterward, which is part of why I’ve been critical of how Strong Mayor powers can shortcut real debate. Better public engagement isn’t a communications exercise; it’s giving residents a real seat at the table early enough that their input can still shape the outcome.
9. Strong Mayor Powers
I will not use Strong Mayor powers except where provincial statute leaves me no choice, such as signing off on bylaws that require it. Beyond that narrow, legally required use, I will not invoke this authority to override council or bypass real debate. As Mayor, I will advocate directly to the province to have Burlington removed from the list of municipalities designated under Strong Mayor legislation, because I don’t believe one office should hold that much concentrated power over a city our size. More broadly, I will advocate for Ontario to return to majority decision-making at the municipal level, the system that served our communities well before these powers were introduced. Government works best when every councillor’s voice is genuinely heard and decisions are reached by majority vote, not when one office can act alone. That’s the standard I intend to hold myself to.
10. Respect and Civic Leadership
Respectful leadership means disagreeing on the substance of an issue without treating the other person as the enemy. In eight years on council, I’ve voted against colleagues on the budget, the council bonus, and the development charge giveaway, and I’ve done it by making the public case, not by closing down debate. I bring that same standard to how residents and staff are treated: staff should be able to give council their honest professional advice without fear of being blamed for a political decision, and residents should be able to disagree with council without being dismissed. As Mayor, I’ll set that tone directly, encourage debate at the table rather than discourage it, and hold myself and council to the same standard of civility I’d expect at my own kitchen table.
11. Looking Ahead
By fall 2030, I want Burlington residents to point to a specific budget line and understand why it’s there and what it delivers for them; that is what success looks like. I want to see visible progress on housing supply that didn’t come at existing taxpayers’ expense, real congestion fixes on corridors like Guelph Line, and Burlington’s waterfront developed into the kind of family destination residents are proud to bring visitors to. I want young people to be able to picture an actual path to staying in Burlington, and seniors to be able to stay in the neighbourhoods they helped build. Most of all, I want residents to trust that City Hall treats their money like it’s precious, because it is. If four years from now Burlington is more affordable, more fiscally disciplined, and still feels like the community people fell in love with, that’s success.
12. Optional Question
One issue I’d like more attention on is Burlington’s economic competitiveness: whether we’re truly open for business the way a growing city needs to be. Slow permitting and unnecessary red tape cost local businesses time and money, and that same friction discourages new employers from choosing Burlington over neighbouring municipalities. As Mayor, I will work directly with city staff to speed up processes so entrepreneurs can launch faster, existing businesses can expand and hire, and employers already here have real reasons to stay rather than look elsewhere. Every job we retain or attract means residents can work closer to home, spend less on commuting, and build a career without leaving the community they grew up in. A strong local economy also pays for the services and quality of life residents expect, so treating economic growth as core municipal business, not an afterthought, is central to how I will lead.
Yugalkeesor Ramdhonee did not respond to our request to complete a survey.