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I made 30 commitments during the 2016 election, and I am proud to say as of August 2020, 21 are done, 6 are partially completed, while 2 are not done and one is no longer applicable.
I will continue to work on these and expect all will be completed in the next few years.
You can read more about what I promised and the current status below.
| NEIGHBOURHOOD PRIORITIES | ||||
| Housing affordability a critical issue for HRM and District 7 | Notes | |||
| Ensure that all plans, especially the Centre Plan, support inclusive zoning and affordable housing requirements as a part of a density bonusing plan. | Done | While the province has not allowed inclusive zoning any building over 2000 square meters has to contribute to affordable housing funding in the Centre Plan | ||
| Request that province hand over funding and the responsibility of managing and delivering affordable housing and social housing in HRM over to the municipality
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Done | A motion was made and passed, the request to the province is under discussion. | ||
| Consider development permit relief and Charter changes to allow multi-year tax relief for not-for-profit housing providers, but tied to increased provincial funding, and to the five-year targets, for existing and new affordable stock. | Done | NEW – Passed Council Sept 29 | ||
| Protecting our homes and neighbourhoods in District 7 | Notes | |||
| Invest more resources in HRM’s heritage staff and programming, and get the province to allow HRM to create new, stronger heritage protection rules than the provincial act currently allows. | Done | Staffing has increased, grant funding for heritage has increased, requests for changes are before the Minister | ||
| Restrict the ability of staff to approve variances and spell out that a variance decision does not create a precedent. | Done | Changes in administrative approach have resulted in clarity around variances. | ||
| Complete the Centre Plan and include strong protection for residential (R1, R2) areas. | Partial | package B delayed due to COVID expected winter 2021 | ||
| Continuing to renew our aging parks and rec infrastructure | Notes | |||
| Increase reinvestment in existing parks and recreation spaces to protect and improve what we already enjoy. | Done | BMBC, Shaw Wilderness Park, Gorsebrook Master Plan, Common investments approved including new pool. | ||
| Make it easier to formalize relationships with delivery partners to help deliver programming or improve facilities. | Done | Leases and usage agreements signed or about to be signed for all rec partners. | ||
| Expand after-school, March break and summer programming, increasing the amount of programming to meet the demand. | N/A | Space and staff issues mean this is not possible for current programming | ||
| STRONG COMMUNITIES | ||||
| Safer streets for everyone in HRM | Notes | |||
| HRM will provide funding and staff to ensure a network of connected cycle paths is completed within three years. | Done | Federal and Provincial funding secured, construction underway. | ||
| HRM will adopt NACTO standards, especially minimum lane widths and traffic calming in residential neighbourhoods, so that everyone can share the roadway safely. | Done | HRM joined NACTO and revised Red Book standards are about to be presented. | ||
| HRM will adopt the Vision Zero mandate for traffic engineering, and start working toward the goal of no traffic fatalities or serious injuries. | Done | Towards Vision Zero framework adopted. | ||
| Let’s Make Halifax a place that young people rave about! | Notes | |||
| Endorse the Little Easy platform in principle and work to implement its goals during the next term. | Done | |||
| Ensure the municipality and its partners actively work in support of the 2016-2021 Economic Strategy. | Done | |||
| Change the way we engage with citizens to make sure all voices are heard, especially young people’s voices. | Done | |||
| Better tax plan for people and business | Notes | |||
| Keep average residential taxes paid per dwelling from rising by more than inflation | Done | Average taxes have increased by less than inflation for four years | ||
| Ensure the province delivers on essential Charter changes that will provide tax relief for small businesses | Done | Charter change done, report presented to committee and approved for inclusion in 2021 budget pending council approval. | ||
| Obtain tax flexibility for residential dwellings from the province | Partial | Waiting on report and debate next fiscal year | ||
| BUILD A BETTER HRM | ||||
| Becoming one of the most accessible communities in Canada | Notes | |||
| All facilities and events accessible by 2020, accessibility in roads and sidewalks increased, as well as a one time blitz in 2017/18 | Partial | Significant progress made, not all buildings/spaces updated yet. | ||
| Transit made more accessible by utilizing taxis to augment accessible bus service, and focusing on making the conventional bus service more accessible. | Partial | Taxi grants require provincial participation/legal changes. Still trying to get them on board. Conventional bus goals achieved. | ||
| Set a target of workforce equality by 2024, with a goal of changing HRMs organizational culture to reflect needs of people with disabilities in both long term planning and daily operational activities, including an “Accessibility Impact” section to staff reports. | Partial | Diverse workforce policies are in place, accessibility impact section not yet included | ||
| It’s time to expand our rapid transit network | Notes | |||
| Transit priority measures, busways and HOV lanes will be mapped out and funded for rapid implementation on key corridor routes. | Done | Bus HOV lanes built and under construction throughout the municipality. | ||
| Make a new policy the states when buses should have priority on city streets, even if it reduces that roadway’s capacity for single-occupant vehicles. | Done | Integrated Mobility Plan adopted Dec 2017 does this. | ||
| HRM shall commit to a higher-order (rapid) transit network expansion, with analysis and decisions completed by 2017/18 and implementation underway in 2018/19. | Done | System is now designed, awaiting provincial confirmation of funding. | ||
| Supporting arts, culture and community in District 7 & HRM | Notes | |||
| Fund and deliver the Halifax Public Libraries strategic plan while stopping decreases and indexing a renewed Supplementary Funding program. | Done | Council voted for my motion in 2020 budget to fully fund the HPL plan | ||
| Launch the $30 million Cultural Spaces funding program. | Done | Moved to per-project special funding as arts and culture funding is too diverse to fit in a single program | ||
| Increase arts funding every year so it has doubled by 2020 (from $365,000 to $730,000). | Partial | Got it to 440K this year despite COVID, hoping for 540K next year. | ||
| Campaign Finance reform and building | Notes | |||
| Complete strong campaign finance regulations. | Done | Still working on social policy, fair wage and contracting in | ||
| Support the creation of “bids” prepared by staff showing the current cost of “contracting in.” | Partial | Still working on social policy, fair wage and contracting in | ||
| Implement a new conflict of interest, transparency and ethics package for Council. | Not Done | Supported motion, council voted no. | ||
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