✅ The Blue Mountains Mayoral Candidate Questionnaire Questions 21 and 22 | The Shulman Report
Questions 21 and 22 of the twenty-two put to the three candidates for mayor of The Blue Mountains on 30 August.
All three returned a questionnaire. Every answer below appears in full and unedited, in alphabetical order, with nothing added.
21. What you should be judged on
The question asked: Name up to three commitments you are prepared to be held to at the end of the term. Each must carry a number and a date. Outline how you believe a mayor’s performance should be measured, and what you would consider a failed term.
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Peter Bordignon
1. By September 30, 2027, complete and publish a project-by-project review of 100% of The Town of The Blue Mountains’ capital plan, including costs, funding sources, debt impacts, priorities and timelines.
2. By June 30, 2027, establish a public performance dashboard containing no more than 12 council-approved measures, with results reported every quarter for the remainder of the term.
3. By December 31, 2027, adopt a ten-year financial plan that establishes annual reserve-rebuilding targets and shows the projected tax and water-rate impact on a typical household through 2030.
A mayor should be measured by whether they lead an effective municipal council that delivers our priorities, keeps major projects on schedule, clearly reports financial pressures, and provides reliable core services and meaningful public participation. Progress should be reported through a small set of quarterly measures.
I would consider the term a failure if the Town of The Blue Mountains ended it with a divided or ineffective council, weaker finances, repeated project overruns, declining services, and residents still unable to understand what the Town spends, owes and owns. Leadership must produce measurable results, accountability and greater public trust.
Marni Moreau
- Work with the CAO to hire new talent and retain good staff, helping foster a collaborative Town Hall.
- Examine the Asset Management Plan against current economic forecasts and decide with Council which projects to complete, rescale, pause or complete.
- Prioritize updated Master Plans for Parks and Trails, Drainage and Flood Control and Transportation including point to point options.
A mayor that uses strong mayor powers to overrule council has not done the work the voters sent them in to do. Fostering a collaborative relationship between staff, council and residents is crucial. We need a mayor to attend and lead in person and be approachable by residents with criticism and questions.
The job of a mayor is to set the tone from the Chair, tell the truth in a timely manner and be the mayor of everyone, not just the latest and loudest voice in the room.
It is also crucial that communication about the Town’s current and future expenses and revenues, and projects be managed appropriately to prevent surprise overruns.
My timeline is as follows:
- Treasurer and Planner hired by June 30, 2027, and no senior vacancy open longer than six months for the rest of my term.
- Stage gates and the $100,000 variance rule were adopted as Council policy by March 31, 2027, and every capital project reported quarterly against its original budget from that date.
- A point-to-point ride service, starting with medical appointments, running by Summer 2027
Voting is October 16 to 26, 2026, by internet and phone only.
You can vote at your principal residence AND your seasonal home. (and so can your spouse)
Check that you are on the voters’ list at thebluemountains.voterservices.ca
You can register online if you are a qualified voter not on the list.
Paul Reale
- By March 2027, publish a five-year financial plan showing projected taxes, water and wastewater rates, reserves, debt and the full cost of the Town’s existing capital commitments.
- By December 2027, complete a financial and project-health review of 100% of active capital projects valued at $1 million or more, with each project publicly identified to proceed, continue, pause, defer or reconsider, and reported quarterly thereafter.
- By November 2030, have 215 affordable/attainble housing units created.
A mayor should be judged by whether the Town is financially stronger and more disciplined at the end of the term. If, after four years, we are still making commitments first and figuring out how to pay for them later, I would consider that a failed term. The buck stops with the mayor.
22. Leadership and accountability
The question asked: A mayor has one vote. What distinguishes mayors is not their platform but how they work — with council, with staff, and with residents who disagree with them. Council’s only employee is the Chief Administrative Officer. The CAO is responsible for all other staff. Any accountability a mayor wants in the professional ranks has to be built through that relationship. Five situations. Choose one answer in each. A major decision has the support of a bare majority of council. A staff recommendation is competent but less ambitious than what you campaigned on. Council votes against your position on a significant matter. By the end of your first year, the organisation should feel. The larger share of your time in the first year belongs. Accountability for professional staff work should be strengthened by: check all that apply. When a major project fails on cost or on schedule, the person publicly accountable should be. In your own words, what is the job of a mayor? Say what you would do to build accountability into the professional staff role. Then name a decision in your working life where you took a position that was unpopular with the people around you, and say what it cost you.
Peter Bordignon
Bare majority of council: ☒ Delay it to build a wider majority Less ambitious staff recommendation: ☒ Adopt it and pursue the rest separately Council votes against your position: ☒ Implement it and defend it publicly By the end of your first year: ☒ Noticeably different in how it works Larger share of your time: ☒ Running the town’s own business Accountability strengthened by: ☒ A written annual performance agreement for the CAO, with published objectives · ☒ Named professional sign-off on cost estimates and major reports to council · ☒ A fixed period within which staff must report a variance to council · ☒ Independent third-party review of major projects, commissioned by council · ☒ Public reporting of every major project against its original budget and schedule Person publicly accountable when a major project fails: three boxes marked — ☒ The mayor · ☒ Council as a whole · ☒ The CAO — written in: “Shared accountability must not mean unclear accountability. Residents should be able to see who was responsible for delivery, what council knew, when it knew it and what each did in response”
A Mayor’s job is to lead an effective council, build consensus, represent residents and ensure council’s decisions are implemented. Council directs the CAO, and the CAO manages professional staff.
I would strengthen accountability through an annual CAO performance agreement, published objectives, firm variance-reporting deadlines, professional sign-off on major reports and public reporting of projects against budgets and schedules.
I was the first council member to initiate the process that led to The Town of The Blue Mountains new Short-Term Accommodation By-law. It was divisive and brought criticism from those opposing regulation and change, costing me some political support. I accepted that because residents deserved protection from disruptive commercial accommodation in established neighbourhoods. The result is that, for the first time in decades, short-term accommodation problems are not a defining municipal election issue. That demonstrates how taking a difficult position can produce lasting community benefits.
Marni Moreau
Bare majority of council: ☒ Delay it to build a wider majority Less ambitious staff recommendation: ☒ Send it back with your own direction Council votes against your position: ☒ Implement it and defend it publicly By the end of your first year: ☒ Substantially restructured Larger share of your time: ☒ Running the town’s own business Accountability strengthened by: ☒ A written annual performance agreement for the CAO, with published objectives · ☒ Public reporting of every major project against its original budget and schedule · ☒ Senior staff compensation tied to delivery on budget and on time Person publicly accountable when a major project fails: ☒ No individual — it is a process failure
The job of a mayor is to set the tone and lead.
The CAO is the only direct report and should have a written agreement every year with clear objectives.
When Sportsnet restructured to be able to merge their print, radio and television for major campaigns, everyone wanted the best deal for their department. I was chosen to be on that negotiation team because that’s what I do best. Walk into a room where good people have stopped talking and get them working together again.
Town Hall needs that right now. Staff are leaving, residents are outraged, and Council and Staff sometimes seem opposed. If elected mayor, I would foster a collaborative environment that brings out the best in staff, council and residents.
I’ve found that making tough decisions might be uncomfortable at the moment, but when looking at the long term effects of not fixing the problem, that’s always a worse outcome.
Voting is October 16 to 26, 2026, by internet and phone only.
You can vote at your principal residence AND your seasonal home. (and so can your spouse)
Check that you are on the voters’ list at thebluemountains.voterservices.ca
You can register online if you are a qualified voter not on the list.
Paul Reale
Bare majority of council: ☒ Delay it to build a wider majority Less ambitious staff recommendation: ☒ Adopt it and pursue the rest separately Council votes against your position: ☒ Implement it and defend it publicly By the end of your first year: ☒ Noticeably different in how it works Larger share of your time: ☒ Running the town’s own business Accountability strengthened by: ☒ A written annual performance agreement for the CAO, with published objectives · ☒ Named professional sign-off on cost estimates and major reports to council · ☒ A fixed period within which staff must report a variance to council · ☒ Public reporting of every major project against its original budget and schedule Person publicly accountable when a major project fails: ☒ The mayor
The mayor’s job is to lead council, build consensus and make sure seven elected members can work through difficult choices and make decisions together. That means making sure councillors have the information and support they need. The mayor also has to set the tone for accountability and take responsibility for the result.
Professional accountability starts with the CAO. I would establish a written annual performance agreement tied to council’s priorities, with measurable objectives residents can see. When major projects materially change in cost, scope or risk, the process must require that information to return to council while choices remain.
In my business, we moved classes online during COVID. When we could reopen for in-person classes, some customers wanted the online option to continue. I ended it because I believed in-person interaction was fundamental to the quality of our program. We lost some customers, but I accepted that cost because maintaining the quality of what we delivered mattered more than trying to satisfy everyone.
Two Towns, One Failure is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.
