College: Pat McGarry — Let's bring balance and civility back to Ottawa council

The Citizen asked candidates in the Oct. 24 municipal election to share their thoughts:

On Oct. 24, we have an opportunity to bring balance and civility back to Ottawa council. This is more important than ever with a new mayor and many new councillors poised to take seats after this municipal election.

They will need to be independent and open-minded, and already skilled at developing collaborative and effective solutions to the issues. Running a big city is a complicated undertaking, and we cannot afford to have a third-party campaign behind a voting bloc of any size on council — particularly with the new “super mayor” powers being conferred by the province.

I am uniquely positioned to provide College ward with independent, experienced and proven leadership, and a strong voice on city council. I have no ulterior motives, nor am I affiliated with any third-party political organizations. My sole focus is the best interests of the residents of College ward and the city of Ottawa as a whole.

Successful political leadership is about the art of compromise: bringing people with different views and priorities together and moving forward in a way that satisfies everyone’s core needs.

During my three decades with Hulse, Playfair & McGarry, I have served not only thousands of families in College ward in my capacity as a funeral director, COO and co-owner, but I’ve also served our community extensively through my board work with non-profit and charitable organizations. I’ve become highly skilled at bringing order out of chaos through relationship building, negotiation and problem-solving.

I’ve combined these skills with effective listening, seeking expert advice and a commitment to doing the right thing at the right time. I will bring this effective, informed leadership style to better serve the residents of College ward, and our city, at council.

I’m concerned about keeping Ottawa affordable, and I will work towards keeping increases to our property taxes low, and sensible. Now is not the time for large tax increases. In a time of rapid inflation with family budgets already at the breaking point, I will focus on ensuring people get value for their tax dollar, and making life in our city more liveable: for families trying to purchase their first home, for seniors concerned about keeping their home, and for those who employ so many others in businesses large and small.

I’ll work to promote healthier living, active transportation and I will work towards developing cost-effective transit ridership and other incentives to reduce the number of cars on our already over-capacity roads.

The continued growth of our city is of particular importance to me. I will work to promote smarter, resident-informed development and a balanced housing spectrum involving mixed use, walkable communities, affordable housing, manageable traffic, and thoughtful private and public-sector solutions. While I support smart development, I do not accept donations from developers; my votes within council will always be unencumbered by allegiances to third parties.

Let’s move College ward forward, together. I’m here to help. www.patmcgarry.ca

Pat McGarry is running for city council in College, ward 8.

1. Here are the candidates for the 2022 Ottawa municipal election

2. How and where to vote in the 2022 Ottawa municipal election