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← Councillor Ward 14

Sarah Lehman

Candidate for Councillor Ward 14

In their own words

This candidate hasn’t listed a campaign website or social account with the Town. That says nothing about them as a candidate — it just means less of their material is published online for us to summarise.

Where they stand

Every candidate in this race is shown against the same 16 issues, in the same order, whether or not we’ve found something for each one. Why we do it this way.

Housing

Will I be able to afford to live here?

Lehman: treat affordable housing as essential infrastructure — build more, protect existing stock, use city land with non-profit partners.

  • Treat affordable housing as essential infrastructure
  • Build more affordable and supportive housing; protect existing stock
  • Use City-owned land and financial incentives to partner with non-profit housing providers
Show their words & source (several paragraphs)
“City Council needs to treat affordable housing as essential infrastructure. I would support building more affordable, and supportive housing, protecting the affordable housing we already have, and using City-owned land and financial incentives to partner with non-profit housing providers.”

Source: Council of Canadians London Chapter — 2026 Municipal Candidate Survey (Sarah Lehman, Ward 14)

Confidence:High

Taxes & spending

What happens to my tax bill, and where does the money go?

Would keep property taxes competitive through efficiencies, lifecycle planning and provincial/federal funding, not service cuts alone.

  • Competitive property taxes mean finding efficiencies, planning infrastructure over its full lifecycle and pursuing senior-government funding.
  • Council should be transparent about trade-offs; invest where needed while maintaining what gets built.
Show their words & source (one sentence)
“Maintaining competitive property taxes means finding efficiencies, planning infrastructure over its full lifecycle, pursuing provincial and federal funding, and being transparent about the trade-offs Council is making.”

Source: London Chamber of Commerce — 2026 candidate survey (Sarah Lehman, Ward 14)

Confidence:High

Emergency services

When I call for help, will it come fast enough?

Not reviewed yet. Know something?

Transit

Can I get where I need to go without driving?

Lehman: transportation is access to opportunity — reliable, affordable, accessible transit plus better connections and Paratransit service.

  • Reliable, affordable, and accessible transit
  • Better connections and improved Paratransit service, including booking and response times
Show their words & source (a few sentences)
“Transportation is access to opportunity. We need reliable, affordable, and accessible transit, better connections, and improved Paratransit service, including booking and response times.”

Source: Council of Canadians London Chapter — 2026 Municipal Candidate Survey (Sarah Lehman, Ward 14)

Confidence:High

Government

Will decisions be made in the open, and will anyone answer for them?

This candidate has spoken about this issue more than once. Each statement is shown with its own source.

Lehman: multi-year funding lets programs run, review and improve — 'difficult to prove success in under a year.'

  • Pillar Nonprofit Network 2026 candidate survey — Q8: Support multi-year funding & longer-term partnerships (Yes/No + why).
“Yes — It is difficult for an organization to run a program when they are concerned about where funding will come from in the next 12 months. As someone who has worked at nonprofits, multi year funding means a program has a chance to run, review, and improve for the next group of people. It is difficult to prove a program is successful in under a year.”

(a few sentences)

Source: Pillar Nonprofit Network — London 2026 Candidate Survey (candidate's own Q&A answers)

Confidence:High

Would make City Hall easier to navigate and more responsive, with clearer timelines, points of contact and outcomes measured.

  • Would expand accessible online services and help small businesses understand requirements before investing.
  • Procurement should be more accessible to local and smaller businesses while staying fair, transparent and competitive.
“That means reviewing approval processes to eliminate unnecessary duplication, establishing clearer timelines and points of contact, and improving communication when applications or permits are delayed.”

(one sentence)

Source: London Chamber of Commerce — 2026 candidate survey (Sarah Lehman, Ward 14)

Confidence:High

Lehman: bring nonprofits to the table when revising the London Plan to find the gaps.

  • Pillar Nonprofit Network 2026 candidate survey — Q9: Ensuring nonprofits are included in decision-making.
“I would be open to communicating with leaders and front line staff who are experiencing issues affecting the community day by day. An advisory table or a standing committee is something I would be open to. If those from nonprofits are willing to come to the table with ideas or solutions, it would be silly not to sit at that table with them and listen. When we next do a revision of the London Plan, it would be worth it to meet with organizations to see where gaps have formed.”

(several paragraphs)

Source: Pillar Nonprofit Network — London 2026 Candidate Survey (candidate's own Q&A answers)

Confidence:High

Think we’ve got this wrong?

Roads & infrastructure

Will the things I use every day actually get fixed?

Would prioritize infrastructure by public safety, existing needs, service levels, growth pressure and long-term taxpayer value.

  • Supports growth paying its fair share through development charges and other appropriate tools.
  • Favors complete, connected communities using existing infrastructure efficiently over expanding the city's footprint.
Show their words & source (one sentence)
“I would prioritize infrastructure based on public safety, existing infrastructure needs, service levels, growth pressures and long-term value for taxpayers.”

Source: London Chamber of Commerce — 2026 candidate survey (Sarah Lehman, Ward 14)

Confidence:High

Economy

Will our main streets and local jobs thrive?

Would support small businesses and entrepreneurs by making City processes easier and building co-op/apprenticeship pathways.

  • Would strengthen connections between employers, Western and Fanshawe; better education-to-employment pathways.
  • Attracting talent also means addressing housing affordability, transportation and inclusion.
Show their words & source (a few sentences)
“I would support small businesses and entrepreneurs by making City processes easier, supporting local businesses and strengthening connections between employers, Western and Fanshawe. We also need better pathways from education to employment through co-ops, apprenticeships and internships.”

Source: London Chamber of Commerce — 2026 candidate survey (Sarah Lehman, Ward 14)

Confidence:High

Healthcare

Will there be a doctor and a hospital when we need one?

Not reviewed yet. Know something?

Growth & development

How fast should we grow, and who decides what gets built where?

Not reviewed yet. Know something?

Social & community services

Who looks after the most vulnerable residents?

This candidate has spoken about this issue more than once. Each statement is shown with its own source.

Lehman: real success is zero homelessness, no violence against women, everyone fed.

  • Pillar Nonprofit Network 2026 candidate survey — Q11: The nonprofit sector's role & what success looks like.
“Nonprofits will be vital for community wellbeing as long as there is still a need in the community. Success would be needing nonprofits less because we have solved all the issues that determine the need for them.”

(a few sentences)

Source: Pillar Nonprofit Network — London 2026 Candidate Survey (candidate's own Q&A answers)

Confidence:High

Lehman: people struggling with addiction need support, dignity and a pathway to stability, not punishment.

  • Compassionate, evidence-based response addressing immediate safety and root causes
  • Expand access to mental health and harm reduction services
  • Invest in supportive and affordable housing
“People struggling with addiction need support, dignity and a pathway to stability, not punishment.”

(several paragraphs)

Source: Council of Canadians London Chapter — 2026 Municipal Candidate Survey (Sarah Lehman, Ward 14)

Confidence:High

Think we’ve got this wrong?

Active transportation

Can I walk and bike safely around town?

Not reviewed yet. Know something?

Arts & culture

Does the candidate value what makes this place feel alive?

Would maintain and improve existing cultural infrastructure and run a city-wide assessment to find where investment is needed.

  • Decisions should consider accessibility, condition, community use, geographic equity, cultural impact and financial sustainability.
  • Would explore partnerships and adaptive reuse rather than assuming every need requires new construction.
Show their words & source (one sentence)
“I would prioritize maintaining and improving the cultural infrastructure we already have while identifying gaps in facilities and spaces across London.”

Source: London Chamber of Commerce — 2026 candidate survey (Sarah Lehman, Ward 14)

Confidence:High

Data centres

Should energy-hungry data centres be welcomed here?

Not reviewed yet. Know something?

Water & waste

Is our drinking water safe and our waste handled?

Not reviewed yet. Know something?

Bylaw enforcement

Are the rules fair, and are they actually enforced?

Not reviewed yet. Know something?

Think we got something wrong?

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