Compare candidates

Hopkins backs Core Area Initiatives and CIPs, citing office-to-residential successes, to keep getting eyes on the street.

• Supporting London's Core Area Initiatives, Economic Prosperity Plan, 10-year Downtown Plan
• Supporting CIPs
• Seen some success on office-to-residential conversions; continue finding ways of getting eyes on the street

Confidence:High

Jose: homeless people can be rehabilitated through organizations — there are hundreds of examples.

• Homeless can be rehabilitated through organizations
• There are hundreds of examples

Confidence:High

Thomas: faster approvals, density along major corridors and transit routes, a mix of rentals, townhomes, apartments and affordable housing.

• Faster and more predictable approvals
• Appropriate density along major corridors and transit routes
• Mix of housing: rentals, townhomes, apartments, affordable housing; coordinate growth with infrastructure

Confidence:High

Millar: the honest housing fix is speed — pre-approved designs like the federal housing catalogue and faster permits so supply grows.

• 'Faster approvals, not more subsidy'
• Pre-approved designs like the federal housing catalogue
• Faster permits so supply actually grows

Confidence:High

Abi-Khalil: growth must be planned properly and protect established neighbourhoods' character — scale, trees, heritage, privacy.

• Growth must be planned properly and protect the character of established neighbourhoods
• New development should fit surroundings: scale, trees, heritage, privacy, quality of life
• Infrastructure planned with growth, not added afterward; meaningful resident input early

Confidence:High

Warner backs tiny-home initiatives on the city's outskirts, naming the old River Road golf course as ideal land.

• Asked what changes she would support to increase housing supply and affordability, Warner said there must be an initiative for tiny-home living on the outskirts of town, naming the burned-out old River Road golf course land as perfect for it.

Confidence:High

Keeping property taxes low is a priority, citing affordability; calls the province's municipal funding formula unsustainable

• Asked whether keeping property taxes low is a priority for her.
• She ties affordability to young renters/buyers and seniors aging in place, and calls the province's municipal funding formula unsustainable.

Confidence:High

Thomas: growth should pay its fair share via development charges — existing taxpayers shouldn't carry costs of new development.

• Growth should pay its fair share through development charges and growth-related funding
• Existing taxpayers should not carry costs that result from new development
• Consider full lifecycle costs; maintain what the city already owns

Confidence:High

Millar: 'I won't vote for any property tax increase, for any reason during my term.' London has a spending problem, not a revenue problem.

• Would not vote for any property tax increase during his term
• London has a spending problem, not a revenue problem
• Every tax dollar taken is a dollar out of a family's or small business's pocket

Confidence:High

Abi-Khalil: unused money shouldn't quietly fund more spending — surplus not needed for a defined obligation should go back to taxpayers.

• Searchable online portal for every budget, reserve, project, development-charge fund
• Unused money should not quietly fund more spending
• Surplus not needed for a defined obligation should go back into people's pockets

Confidence:High

Warner criticizes the 33% property tax rise over four years and Council's ~35% pay raise.

• Asked how she would keep property taxes competitive, Warner said taxes rose 33% in four years while Council gave itself a 35% raise to about $94,000, and most people she asks are fed up and want to move.

Confidence:High

Hopkins wants continued local transit improvements and provincial talks on regional rail and air links.

• Asked how she would improve transit and regional connections, Hopkins said the city must continue improving local transit and keep negotiating with the Province on regional rail and air service.
• She said London Transit Commission faces pressure from a growing city and Londoners' dependence on reliable service.

Confidence:High

Thomas: more frequent, reliable transit to employment areas — service for early-morning, evening and shift workers, not just 9-to-5.

• More frequent and reliable transit to major employment areas
• Service for early-morning, evening and shift workers, not just 9-to-5
• Work with employers on corridors and shift patterns; strengthen intercity bus, rail, air links

Confidence:High

Millar would finish BRT without more cost overruns while protecting arterial capacity for drivers.

• Asked how he would improve transit, Millar said he opposed BRT in 2018 but it is underway, so his focus is finishing it without further cost or schedule blowouts and without harming arterial capacity for drivers, who still make most commutes.
• He opposes building light-rail or an in-city passenger rail line since BRT covers that corridor.

Confidence:High

Abi-Khalil: flexible neighbourhood transit with smaller shared vehicles in underserved areas, connecting to hubs and rapid transit.

• Flexible neighbourhood transit model using smaller shared vehicles
• Serve underserved or lower-demand areas, connecting residents with hubs and rapid transit
• Start with proposed on-demand service in southwest London; test, measure, publish results

Confidence:High

Warner says buses run empty and dirty and the bus system needs a full overhaul.

• Asked how she would improve local transit, Warner said so many buses run around town empty, the buses are dirty, and the bus system needs an overhaul.
• She cited mud-pit bus stops with no benches or garbage pickup, and buses with no benches at stops people use for Springbank Park.

Confidence:High

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Abi-Khalil wants approvals standards, one case manager, concurrent reviews, timelines and auto-escalation on misses.

• Asked what changes she would make to approvals and customer service, Abi-Khalil said she would support published service standards, a single accountable case manager, concurrent departmental reviews, clearer checklists and automatic escalation when an application misses its timeline.

Confidence:High

Warner wants more bylaw enforcement — rules are no use without officers responding to complaints, including in Springbank Park.

• More bylaw enforcement is her one thing she'd change
• Rules are no use if no bylaw officers come when complaints come in
• Ward 9 residents want bylaw officers in Springbank Park

Confidence:High

Hopkins warns development charges will fall on the tax levy since growth no longer pays for growth.

• Asked how she would prioritize infrastructure and pay for growth, Hopkins said growth no longer pays for growth: development charges for future growth will now fall on the municipality, paid from the tax levy.
• She said keeping tax increases low must account for inflation, development charges and maintaining community services.

Confidence:High

Thomas backs development charges so existing taxpayers don't carry costs of new development.

• Asked how he would pay for growth fairly, Thomas said growth should pay its fair share through appropriate development charges and other growth-related funding, and existing taxpayers should not carry costs from new development.

Confidence:High

Millar would sequence water, wastewater and emergency capacity ahead of new discretionary projects.

• Asked how he would prioritize infrastructure investments, Millar said water, wastewater and emergency services capacity already falling behind population growth should come before new discretionary projects.

Confidence:High

Abi-Khalil would put water, wastewater, roads, bridges and emergency services ahead of less urgent projects.

• Asked how she would prioritize infrastructure investments, Abi-Khalil said priorities should protect public safety and core services: water, wastewater, roads, bridges, emergency services and community facilities must come before less urgent projects.

Confidence:High

Warner wants more spending on wastewater treatment and sewers, citing Greenway flooding into the Thames.

• Asked how she would prioritize infrastructure investments, Warner said wastewater treatment facilities and sewers are one of the most important things to put money into, noting Greenway is flooded too often and wastewater runs into the Thames.

Confidence:High

Hopkins wants the Economic Development Strategy, Downtown Plan and next Strategic Plan aligned, with real funding.

• Asked what Council should do for business growth and talent retention, Hopkins said the recently approved Economic Development Strategy, the 10-year Downtown Plan and the next Council's Strategic Plan must align, and Council must add funding to make the recommendations real.

Confidence:High

Thomas: growth isn't just attracting the next large employer — small businesses, entrepreneurs, local companies and graduates must thrive.

• Predictable approvals, strong infrastructure, available employment lands, efficient transportation
• Connect post-secondary institutions with local employers through co-ops and internships
• Keep more graduates in London; help small businesses succeed and local companies expand

Confidence:High

Millar: a growing tax base, not higher tax rates, is how London pays for services people actually rely on.

• Economic development grows the tax base instead of taxing it
• Growth should pay for growth: new development covers the roads, water, sewer it demands

Confidence:High

Abi-Khalil wants service standards, a single contact for major investments, maintained employment lands and published timelines.

• Asked what Council should do for business growth, Abi-Khalil said the City should set clear service standards for business applications, assign a single contact to major investments, maintain employment lands and publish timelines and outcomes.
• She would bring employers, Western, Fanshawe, newcomer organizations and workforce agencies together around co-ops, apprenticeships and pathways into local jobs.

Confidence:High

Warner wants incentives and programs to keep top talent in London and make the city attractive to newcomers.

• Asked what Council should do for business growth and talent retention, Warner said the city needs incentives and programs so the best people stay in London and new people move here.
• She tied economic attraction to cleaning up downtown, calling it 'despicable' and damaged by open drug use, street sleeping and doorways soiled by businesses.

Confidence:High

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Thomas would focus the climate plan on resilient, cost-efficient infrastructure like stormwater and tree canopy.

• Asked which Climate Emergency Action Plan elements he would prioritize, Thomas said he would focus on the practical side: sustainable and resilient infrastructure such as better stormwater management, tree canopy, efficient municipal buildings and infrastructure built for extreme weather.
• He said these investments must make financial sense, weighing upfront costs against long-term savings without placing unnecessary costs on taxpayers.

Confidence:High

Millar would approve a data centre only with strong conditions: own power generation, water-safe cooling, noise and setback rules.

• Yes only WITH STRONG CONDITIONS; no moratorium, no rubber-stamping
• Must bring its own power generation adding real capacity to the local grid
• Cooling must not strain municipal water; noise and setback rules must protect homes

Confidence:High

Abi-Khalil would prioritize flood protection, resilient water systems, tree canopy and emergency preparedness.

• Asked which Climate Emergency Action Plan elements she would prioritize, Abi-Khalil said she would review the plan line by line and prioritize practical, measurable measures: flood protection, resilient water and wastewater systems, tree canopy, emergency preparedness and energy efficiency in municipal buildings.
• She would change or reject measures that impose unaffordable costs, shift burdens onto families, or pursue symbolic targets without demonstrated results.

Confidence:High

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Millar backs enforcement on public drug use and disorder, demanding proof homelessness spending gets results.

• Asked what actions he would support on homelessness versus crime and disorder, Millar said public disorder and property crime call for enforcement, and residents expect police to enforce the existing law against public drug use rather than tolerate it.
• He wants proof London's roughly $16 million a year on homelessness and shelter is producing results before adding to it.

Confidence:High

Abi-Khalil: opposes open drug use, unobserved safer-supply distribution, and treating encampments as an acceptable long-term response.

• Opposes open drug use and unobserved safer-supply distribution
• Opposes treating encampments as an acceptable long-term response
• Press province and feds to fund treatment beds, recovery programs, mental-health care; services focused on recovery

Confidence:High

Warner: confront addiction like Vancouver's Harbour Light rebuild — recovery programs, affordable housing, employment skills.

• Model: Vancouver's Salvation Army Harbour Light 'Nine stories of Hope' rebuild
• Funded via galas/auctions, federal affordable housing funds, province
• Rebuilt facility with substance use recovery programs, affordable housing access, employment skills

Confidence:High

Hopkins wants cultural funding allocated through aligned city plans plus a dedicated office linking cultural groups.

• Asked what role arts and culture should play, Hopkins said support for cultural organizations and artists should align with the City's Economic Prosperity Plan and Downtown Plan, with funding allocated and a dedicated office connecting all organizations working together.

Confidence:High

Thomas would first maintain and modernize existing cultural facilities and address venue capacity needs.

• Asked what cultural infrastructure should be prioritized, Thomas said the first focus should be maintaining and modernizing existing facilities while addressing capacity needs for venues, performing arts, festivals, sports and community programming.
• He said major investments should have a clear public benefit and leverage provincial, federal and private funding before committing significant municipal dollars.

Confidence:High

Millar says arts rank below essential services when taxpayer dollars are on the line: roads, water, police, fire first.

• Asked what role arts and culture should play, Millar said their value ranks below essential services when taxpayer dollars are on the line — roads, water, police and fire come first.
• He would promote the arts through marketing and cutting red tape around venues and events rather than direct funding, and would cut arts grants before essential services in a budget crunch.

Confidence:High

Abi-Khalil would maintain and improve existing cultural assets before funding a costly new landmark.

• Asked what cultural infrastructure should be prioritized, Abi-Khalil said her priority would be maintaining and improving assets residents already use before committing taxpayers to a costly new landmark without a sustainable operating plan.
• She wants urgent accessibility, safety and state-of-good-repair work first, with full published capital and operating costs for any major proposal.

Confidence:High

Warner wants a new world-class venue since the Budweiser Centre is too small for bigger artist lineups.

• Asked what cultural infrastructure should be prioritized, Warner said the Western Fair sits basically abandoned except the casino and the city should build something so it can host world-class venues and better artist lineups.

Confidence:High