GuelphToday asked those running for city council in the Oct. 22 municipal election to supply a brief biography and outline their platform and/or why they are running.
THE PERSON: Mark spent his formative years on the military base in Petawawa, Ont., the son of a military police officer father and a secretary mother. Upon graduating high school near the top of his class in 1991, Mark moved to the Royal City to study applied chemistry co-op at the University of Guelph.
It was at this time he unexpectedly stumbled into his soulmate and future wife, Karen. Mark graduated and then continued his education at the university with two additional years of a Master’s degree in synthetic organic chemistry before changing focus and pursuing his growing interests in business and marketing.
Mark founded a game and book publishing company in 1999, continuing to live and work in the expanding city he had come to know and love. He soon grew his company to seven employees and achieved over two million dollars in annual retail sales. After closing his company in 2006, Mark diversified his career path once again and obtained his real estate and mortgage broker licenses.
In 2013, Mark expanded his business ventures and revisited his publishing roots to include a board game company. Then in 2016, Mark and his business partners opened a board game cafe in the city.
For 15 years, Mark has lived in Guelph’s Ward 6 with his lovely nurse wife, Karen, and his two teenaged sons, William (16) and Robert (13).
Mark is seeking your support for re-election to the position of Guelph city councillor for the 2018-2022 term.
THE PLATFORM:
VISION FOR TODAY: Keeping Guelph's Financial House In Order
During my time on council, I have advocated to strengthen Guelph's fiscal management and oversight. Since 2016, I have served as the chair of the city's Corporate Services Committee (which oversees financial matters). I take pride in the city's financial performance during that time - we maintained an enviable AA+ S&P credit rating with stable outlook - while we simultaneously experienced year-over-year declining tax rate increases.
We have rescued reserve fund balances from critically low levels, we identified and eliminated wasteful spending through the implementation of detailed service reviews, and we have secured years of frozen rates and millions in savings by merging Guelph Hydro with the municipally owned Alectra Utilities. As highlighted in Guelph's recent Report to the Community, we have paid down $24.4 million in debt in 2017 alone and improved the city's net asset position by $13 million over 2016!
But the work is not done. My experienced and responsible leadership will ensure the city stays on track and continues to manage its finances wisely. In the next term of council I will maintain my focus on the city's financial health to ensure we provide value and excellence for your tax dollar.
VISION FOR TOMORROW: Taking Care of Guelph's Infrastructure
Guelph, like most cities across Canada, has a significant infrastructure funding gap that jeopardises the future health, safety, and security of our residents. For the past four years, I have been a tireless advocate on council for the responsible and sustainable funding of our city's infrastructure needs and I am thrilled that bold leadership has made tremendous progress. Not only has Guelph established a dedicated fund to properly sustain our existing infrastructure (such as roads, pipelines, buildings, parks, and transportation systems), but we have also created an Asset Management department to properly address the maintenance and repair of our ongoing infrastructure needs through rigorous modelling and forecasting. These vital initiatives have never been done before in Guelph.
My track record of responsible leadership concerning infrastructure governance speaks volumes. With your vote and support, I look forward to continue working with my council colleagues to ensure that Guelph never again repeats the mistakes of the past by ignoring the critical importance of sustainably funding our infrastructure needs. You expect and deserve nothing less.
VISION FOR WARD 6: Advocating for the South End Community Centre
Promises regarding the construction of the South End Community Centre in Ward 6 have been made by past councils, yet nothing came from them. During this council term, we finally made substantial movements and the city's path to completion is in sight. I have made construction of the SECC a priority from day one on council and have worked closely with my colleagues to ensure we move this project forward expeditiously. During the 2017 budget, I moved a motion (widely supported by other councillors) to direct funds to advance the SECC to the detailed design phase. Earlier this year, I was excited to review this project design as it was revealed to the public.
Although the future remains bright for bringing this amazing 15,000 square-metre complex to Ward 6, my advocacy work for its construction is not over. The conceptual design will be developed into tender-ready documents to be presented to council for consideration as part of the 2019 capital budget next year, which is why it's vital to have a strong cheerleader from your Ward 6 councillor during the 2018-2022 term. With council support, I remain committed to seeing the ribbon cutting on your South End Community Centre in 2021!
