Scott Morrison

Run the town like a corporation: council as a board of directors, taxpayers as shareholders; opposes council pay raises.

• Focus on needs over wants to keep property taxes under control.
• Says council should act like a board of directors respecting taxpayers as shareholders.
• Voted against council pay raises (record on his /history page).

“Focus on needs and not wants to make sure that we keep our property taxes under control. Run the town like a true corporation where council acts like a board of directors, respecting the needs of the shareholders, which are the taxpayers and residents.”

(several paragraphs)

Source: Scott Morrison campaign website — Fiscal

Year-round departmental budget committees (parks and rec, finance, operations) with the mayor on all, going line by line.

• Replace committee-of-the-whole budgeting with departmental committees.
• Mayor would sit on all committees; they meet all year, not just year-end.
• Go through budgets line by line to find savings.

“The next stage is to go to a committee structure as opposed to a committee of the whole. The committee structure has each department having, and the mayor would sit on all of these committees, parks and rec, finance, operations. They'd be meeting all year, not at the end of the year. And they'd be going through line by line.”

(a few sentences)

Source: Sept 17, 2026 mayoral debate, Algonquin Theatre — candidate's own remarks (0:35:33) · September 17, 2026

Would publish video and audio from every meeting and answer his own phone.

• Names podcasts of meetings and a video from the mayor after every meeting.
• Frames accountability as being personally reachable by phone.

“The biggest thing is transparency: podcasts at the meeting to go out to the public, videos from the mayor after every meeting, so you know what we discussed and why, and an accountability where you can call me anytime and I'll answer the phone”

(reported remarks)

Source: Huntsville Doppler — Mayoral candidates make their pitch at Chamber meet and greet (event 9 Sep 2026) · September 11, 2026

Hopes never to hear "strong mayor powers" again; lead as a consensus builder so they never need using.

• Plans on avoiding strong-mayor powers at all costs.
• The key is being a strong leader and consensus builder.
• The mayor should lead so the powers never need using.

“I personally hope that this is the last time I hear the word strong mayor powers because I plan on avoiding using it at all costs. I think the key is to be a strong leader, be a consensus builder. I think the mayor needs to lead so you never ever have to use strong mayor powers.”

(a few sentences)

Source: Sept 17, 2026 mayoral debate, Algonquin Theatre — candidate's own remarks (0:53:37) · September 17, 2026

Reformed the planning process to cut red tape while protecting what matters; proposes a meeting podcast, post-meeting mayor videos, and direct accountability: call anytime and he will answer.

• Says he reformed the planning process to reduce red tape while protecting what matters.
• Proposes a podcast of each meeting released to the public.
• Proposes videos from the mayor after every meeting explaining what was discussed and why.
• Offers direct accountability: residents can call him anytime and he will answer.

“I uh tried to reform the planning process to make um the red tape go away a little bit while still protecting the stuff that matters Biggest thing is transparency. podcast of the meeting to go out to the public, videos from the mayor after every meeting so you know what we discussed and why and an accountability where you can call me anytime and I'll answer the phone. That's my plan.”

(several paragraphs)

Source: Sept 9, 2026 mayoral meet-and-greet (YourTV Muskoka) — candidate's own remarks (1:25, 2:10) · September 11, 2026

Council should decide for future generations, not chase quick wins within a four-year term.

• Decisions that consider future generations at all times.
• Stop trying to get quick wins during a 4-year term.

“We need a council that is willing to make decisions that consider future generations at all times... trying to get quick wins during your 4 year term has to stop.”

(a few sentences)

Source: Climate Action Muskoka candidate survey — Scott Morrison (candidate's own answers) · January 1, 2022

Introduced AI opportunities to district and town — implement AI for better, more efficient public services, automate routine workflows, save taxpayer money; "I work for the people who pay my salary — you, the taxpayers."

• Implement AI to deliver better, more efficient public services and automate routine workflows.
• Save taxpayer money through AI-driven efficiencies.
• I work for the people who pay my salary — you, the taxpayers.

“Introduced the opportunities AI provides to district and town — starting to implement AI to deliver better, more efficient public services, automate routine workflows, and save taxpayer money. I work for the people who pay my salary — you, the taxpayers. I will always do the right thing for the taxpayer, no matter who is on the other end of the line.”

(a few sentences)

Source: Scott Morrison campaign website — history · October 1, 2026

Would avoid using strong-mayor powers; a strong mayor builds consensus among the nine elected, not one.

• Would avoid using strong-mayor powers at all costs.
• A strong leader builds consensus — nine people were elected, not one.

“I think the key is to be a strong leader, be a consensus builder … I would hate, as a mayor, to look at people around the table that you guys elected to get to that table and not think of the fact that it was nine people, not one.”

(reported remarks)

Source: Huntsville mayoral debate: strong-mayor powers, flooding, welcoming community (Huntsville Forester) · September 18, 2026

Protect community character while keeping Huntsville affordable for families, businesses and young people.

• Frames his platform as protecting community character and affordability together.
• Names families, businesses, young people and value for taxpayers.

“I want to protect the character of our community while ensuring it remains a place where families can afford to live, businesses can succeed, young people can build a future and residents receive real value from their local government.”

(a few sentences)

Source: Scott Morrison campaign website — Meet Scott

Says he tried to cut planning red tape while keeping the protections that matter.

• Frames planning reform as a balance rather than deregulation.
• Cites it as part of his record in the current term.

“I tried to reform the planning process to make the red tape go away a little bit while still protecting the stuff that matters”

(reported remarks)

Source: Huntsville Doppler — Mayoral candidates make their pitch at Chamber meet and greet (event 9 Sep 2026) · September 11, 2026

Brendale Square's residential side should mix market rental and affordable housing, including seniors and Community Living clients.

• Wants Brendale Square residential to mix market rental and affordable housing.
• Housing should suit seniors, Community Living clients and others needing appropriate options.
• Also pushes smaller rural severances and pre-approved additional dwelling units.

“The residential component of Brendale Square should be equally thoughtful — a mixture of market rental and affordable housing, with opportunities to create housing suited to seniors, Community Living clients and others who need appropriate options.”

(a few sentences)

Source: Scott Morrison campaign website — Housing

Points to the doctor recruitment program he says he built with Bob Stone.

• Claims the program has brought almost ten doctors to Huntsville.
• Says he wants to keep focusing on healthcare in a further term.
• Note: this is his own account of his record; SmarterVote has not independently verified the number.

“I built the doctor recruitment program with Bob Stone, which has brought us almost ten doctors now”

(reported remarks)

Source: Huntsville Doppler — Mayoral candidates make their pitch at Chamber meet and greet (event 9 Sep 2026) · September 11, 2026

Downtown revitalization as a next-term focus.

• Names revitalizing downtowns as part of the next-term plan.

“that involves revitalizing downtown downtowns”

(one sentence)

Source: Sept 9, 2026 mayoral meet-and-greet (YourTV Muskoka) — candidate's own remarks (1:55) · September 11, 2026

Brendale financing: public-private partnership, Town owns only the parking lot and public space, brownfield grants, business-paid "Brendale revitalization fee".

• Public-private partnership; the town should not own or rent buildings.
• Town owns only the parking lot and public-space elements (outdoor rink, farmers' market, splash pad).
• Construction leans on brownfield remediation grants.
• Operating costs via a business-paid 'Brendale revitalization fee', not tax dollars.

“The most important part is that it's a public-private partnership. I don't want the town to own buildings or rent buildings. The town needs to own the parking lot, and that's it. That's where the outdoor rink would go, the farmer's market would go, the splash pad. There are brownfield remediation grants. I've already approached the owners in that plaza — would you be amenable to something like the Blue Mountain Village fee. So my plan is, I'd call it the Brendale revitalization fee to make sure your tax dollars aren't paying for it.”

(several paragraphs)

Source: Sept 17, 2026 mayoral debate, Algonquin Theatre — candidate's own remarks (1:19:21) · September 17, 2026

Has made redeveloping Brendale Square the centrepiece of his campaign.

• Launched his campaign on a pledge to redevelop the plaza and end its flooding.
• Shared a conceptual sketch including green space, a public skating rink, a farmers' market and a splash pad, saying any final design would need community input.
• Says he believes much of the cost could be covered by outside grants and brownfield redevelopment programs.
• The site has a history of commercial vacancies, aging infrastructure and contamination from a former landfill and a former gas station.

“It's been way too long that Brendale Square has looked the way it has. It's been a blight on our town. It is one of the most important pieces of our town, and it needs to be better.”

(reported remarks)

Source: Huntsville Doppler — Morrison pledges to end flooding at Brendale Square during mayoral campaign launch · May 21, 2026

Championing active living at every age; developers must fund recreational amenities.

• Backs pump track, mountain bike trails, pickleball, splash pad and a permanent outdoor rink.
• Developers must fund recreational amenities so they don't land on the tax levy.

“Championing active living for every stage of life — youth spaces, trails, and developer-funded recreational amenities that don't land on the tax levy.”

(a few sentences)

Source: Scott Morrison campaign website — Recreation