Listening to the residents in Guelph, they have made things crystal clear to incumbent mayoral candidate Cam Guthrie. People are worried about affordability pressures such as inflation, rising prices for everyday essentials, and the threat of a looming recession. Guthrie agrees, “I have always looked through the lens of affordability on every decision I make because it’s the taxpayer’s money, not mine. I have a duty to manage and respect those dollars that have been earned by someone else. If re-elected, I will continue to act in this way.”
Guthrie is concerned about the city’s confirmation budget meeting, scheduled for the new term of council in January. Council will be asked to confirm the second year of the 2-year budget, which had been approved by a majority on council. It was a budget Guthrie did not support. Guthrie says, “The combined amount of the budget increase for those two years is almost 10%, and I think that’s completely unacceptable for our citizens.”
Guthrie wants to see the budget reflect the reality of the affordability crisis people and businesses are currently facing, but he stresses that he can’t do it alone, as he is only one vote on council. “Voters need to do their research on council candidates before voting on Monday. They need assurances that council won’t rubber stamp such a significant budget increase for our community. Candidates in past campaigns have said one thing at the door to get votes, but then voted the opposite way once elected,” Guthrie says.
Guthrie’s other priorities
More housing
Guthrie says like many other cities in Ontario, Guelph is facing an urgent housing crisis. He says, “We need all types of housing from supportive housing for the homeless, affordable housing, rental units, and market ownership.” Housing is a problem that needs council, city staff, citizens, developers, and upper levels of government to co-operate to build more units quicker. Guthrie and his wife Rachel have two young adult children. He says they often have conversations at the kitchen table wondering how their children are going to find their own place in this city. “And that’s what I’m hearing from families all across this city,” says Guthrie. “It’s so unfortunate that some members of council have voted against hundreds upon hundreds of housing units this past term that were recommended by planning staff. This has caused delays, unnecessary costs, and has made housing even more expensive for people.”
Community Safety
There is a focus on hiring more police officers and making better use of technology, alongside social programs to create a safer, stronger, and healthier community. Over the past 3 years, Guelph has seen a reduction in serious crime and better police response times. The creation of the new B.E.A.T. (break and enter and auto theft) unit has resulted in significant arrests and the recovery of hundreds of thousands of dollars in stolen property. Guthrie says, “It is very concerning to me to hear of other candidates wanting to defund our police after the progress we’ve made these last few years.”
New hospital and more long-term care beds
Although the province makes the decisions, Guthrie has joined the hospital board and is thrilled to see the master planning process taking shape on the new hospital. He says, “I have already made inroads with the provincial government and created relationships to build on the advocacy work that will be required to shine a light on our healthcare needs for our city. I’m excited to continue that work into the next term with the support from our community on Monday.”
City projects
Guthrie says the pandemic interrupted projects that he would like to see completed, such as the South End Rec Centre. “The project has been approved and tendered for construction, but the impacts of high inflation, material costs and labour shortages have created a perfect storm which required us to pause and review our next steps”, says Guthrie. “It’s important that we have a mayor with experience and leadership skills to move through the next few years of the affordability crisis on city projects like this that our community needs.”
Cam Guthrie was first elected mayor of Guelph in 2014, after serving one term as Ward 4 councillor. In addition to serving as Chair of Ontario’s Big City Mayor’s Caucus, he’s been appointed to the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy Board.
As a licensed insurance broker and local entrepreneur for 16 years, Guthrie understands the challenges facing small businesses. He’s an avid community volunteer who has served on several boards of non-profit organizations. He’s mentored start-ups and small business owners.
Guthrie has deep roots in the city. His great-grandfather founded Guthrie’s Bakery in downtown Guelph. Guthrie has extensive experience in balancing both the work required in a growing city and ensuring that Guelph is affordable, safe, and sustainable for future generations.
To the people of Guelph Cam Guthrie says, “I want to thank you for trusting me these past eight years as your mayor. My focus has been on the job at hand. During these uncertain times of high inflation, the housing affordability crisis and possible recession, I offer the residents of Guelph experience, steady leadership, and the ability to collaborate and build relationships with other levels of government.”
Election Day is Monday, October 24th. You can learn more by visiting: www.camguthrie.ca