Beaches-East York

Toronto needs to carefully balance any addition of density with the underlying infrastructure necessary to support it, and to take into consideration the viability of growth policies weighed against ecological limits and future uncertainty due to climate change.

Yes. We must encourage gentle density, such as duplexes, triplexes, and garden suites, to add missing-middle housing across neighbourhoods. However, this infill must be balanced with community input to respect local character and ensure public services and infrastructure can support growth.

Jennie WordenYes

Yes, but not the same density across the city. Permitting should accommodate gentle density in neighbourhoods, with and greater density along transit corridors, while preserving tress and public space in all areas.

Forcing someone indoors is no different than jail. Encampments needs serious cooperation with the city to organize them better, and strict enforcement to ensure residents have fair access to public spaces.

Yes, with compassion. If an offered space meets all safety, accessibility, and household needs, moving indoors is best. The focus must stay on dignity, social supports, and permanent housing—not criminalization.

Jennie WordenNo

Not automatically. If the person voluntarily accepts a truly suitable indoor space, then we should help them move. If they don't, the City should not immediately move to eviction, but should instead work to understand why the person is refusing and work to remove the barrier.

This should have already happened under Tory but Wynne killed it to appease 905 voters. There should be a catch: no tolls for Toronto residents, only out-of-towners. Such charges should not apply to any driver residing in Toronto/

No. User fees and tolls place an unfair financial burden on working families and low-income commuters. Essential transit and road upgrades must be funded progressively by ensuring major developers pay their fair share, rather than charging residents more to move around the city.

Jennie WordenYes

Road pricing (tolls or congestion charging), works best to reduce traffic and raise revenue when it forms part of an overall transportation strategy, rather than as a simple user-fee or tax. So in addition to devoting revenue from road-pricing to transportation, we must invest in transit.

Begging from senior levels of governments leaves us exposed and vulnerable, Toronto has other revenue tools beyond property taxes to increase revenues.

Toronto should not defer maintenance. Infrastructure must be repaired by raising revenue locally—specifically by ensuring developers pay their fair share and utilizing modest adjustments to protect essential community services.

Jennie WordenYes

Toronto cannot afford to defer maintenance while we wait for other levels of government to come to our rescue. We must both use the revenue tools we have and fight for more tools to keep our roads, transit, libraries, community centres, parks and housing in a state of good repair.

The public should be able to transparently follow the delivery of any city project, especially for things like infrastructure.

Publishing project-level budgets, timelines, and updates ensures municipal accountability. Residents deserve transparency when billions are spent on transit and housing. Clear reporting curbs costly delays and guarantees tax dollars directly strengthen neighborhoods.

Jennie WordenYes

If we are spending public money on public projects, then the public has a right to know where that money is going, and if projects are on time and on budget. However, this reporting must be a tool for stronger long-term financial and project management, not just numbers after the fact.

There is no improving public safety without improving poverty, mental health, and addiction.

Investing in mental-health response, addiction treatment, and youth intervention addresses root causes of distress with care rather than criminalization. Expanding crisis teams saves lives, connects vulnerable residents to care, and keeps communities safe without unnecessary police enforcement.

Jennie WordenLighting, maintenance, sanitation and active use of streets and parks

The intervention that will most improve public safety is housing. Following that, the wrap-around services that support people living in crisis AND public-space management.

There is only one police service to be cut: the mounted unit. They serve no purpose and are dangerous for animals and riders. But that money should go into increased training, especially for mental health crisis management.

Keeping the police budget stable after inflation maintains essential services while preventing unnecessary cost escalations. This balanced approach protects core policing capabilities while allowing the city to focus new on community crisis teams, youth outreach, and vital public infrastructure.

Jennie WordenDecrease after inflation, with some responsibilities and funding transferred to civilian services

Toronto cannot keep adding money to the police budget without interrogating what we are asking police to do and whether the police service is the best service provider for these tasks. In the case of activity related to mental health crises, homelessness, and addiction, it is not.

I am not against such surveillance as studies do show it helps guide behaviour, but there must be strict safeguards in place to ensure it doesn't become government surveillance.

Permitting surveillance tools only under strict citywide limits balances public safety with civil liberties. Enforcing clear rules on data retention, access, mandatory auditing, and sharing prevents overreach, protects resident privacy, and ensures technology serves the public interest responsibly.

We need better accountability and oversight of drivers to have more reliable routes.

Prioritizing frequent, reliable service on existing routes directly supports daily commuters and essential workers. Investing in dependable transit cuts emissions, eases crowding, and immediately improves neighborhood livability rather than making riders wait years for expansion lines.

Jennie WordenMore frequent and reliable service on existing routes

In a world where we had just one pot of transit-funding money, I'd prioritize service, with state-of-good-repair protected as an essential investment and other levels of government funding their share of rapid-transit expansion.

I picked #2 but the real answer is it depends on the street. The city's "complete streets" initiative is flawed, it means every street is a jack of all trades and master of none. Streets need to be able to specialize where appropriate.

Prioritizing transit, walking, and cycling maximizes passenger capacity and cuts emissions, making streets safer and greener. However, emergency vehicles and essential access must remain non-negotiable priorities alongside sustainable transit to ensure community safety is never compromised.

Jennie WordenTransit, walking and cycling

When street space is limited, we should prioritize the ways of moving that allow the largest number of people to move, while also protecting essential access, such as emergency vehicles, deliveries, accessibility and trade.

We don't need more units, the supply myth was a self-serving lie told by developers to justify more building. Toronto has a glut in the condo market with over 10K units unsold, and house prices keep dropping because the demand isn't there. We need rent controls back and more publicly-owned housing.

Publicly building and financing deeply affordable and supportive housing tackles Toronto's crisis at its root. Direct public investment ensures homes remain permanently accessible for low-income earners, seniors, and vulnerable residents rather than relying solely on market-rate development.

Jennie WordenBuild or finance substantially more affordable and supportive housing

Housing is a human right. Leaving housing affordability up to private interests has not served Toronto very well over the past many years. Non-market, public models including co-op housing, supportive housing, and community housing are essential to addressing our housing crisis.

In this day and age of the commodification of housing, only public housing can create a buffer between renters and investors.

Toronto must partner and finance by leveraging underutilized city-owned land, funding, and incentives for non-profits, while also building publicly. Direct investment and smart land use ensure deeply affordable and supportive housing remains permanently accessible.

Jennie WordenBuild, acquire and own significantly more housing

Toronto must use as many of its resources as possible to create and preserve permanently affordable housing. This means both expanding its role as a direct provider and partnering with community-based non-profit partners to meet specific community needs.

The real answer is nowhere do we need new density. Overdensity is crushing the city, we need to fully utilize the existing buildings we have (repair, renovate, retrofit), make more realistic projections of dropping future demand, and focus on resiliency to withstand climate change.

Concentrating density along major corridors and transit hubs optimizes existing infrastructure, cuts emissions, and connects residents directly to transit. This approach unlocks underutilized land for affordable housing while protecting local green spaces and neighborhood integrity

Jennie WordenPermit more apartments and multiplexes in nearly every neighbourhood

Toronto has a lot of space, but very little of it is downtown. Detatched-house neighbourhoods cannot exist as museum pieces while we stack human beings in boxes in designated growth centres. Our most vibrant neighbourhoods and streets feature a mix of housing types and heights.

None of the above. We have a glut in the condo market, dozens of approved designs on lots vacant for years, house prices falling, and thousands of units mid-construction. Building more is not what we need right now.

Expanding as-of-right zoning and pre-approved plans speeds up missing-middle construction without giving tax breaks to developers. Streamlining routine permits cuts costly bureaucracy while ensuring developers still pay their fair share to fund local parks, transit, and infrastructure.

All of the above, but what must underly it is stopping the focus on facilitating growth and start focusing on sustainability and a circular economy.

Strengthening project management, procurement, and contracting enforces strict accountability on private vendors. Holding contractors to high delivery standards prevents costly overruns and delays, ensuring public funds build reliable transit, housing, and infrastructure on time.

Jennie WordenStrengthen professional project management, procurement and contracting

Toronto cannot afford to defer needed capital projects. Nor can we squander public money and trust delivering these projects badly and slowly. The City needs stronger project management and procurement, more rigorous oversight of contracts, and transparent reporting when schedules change.

On a long enough timeline privatization never works for the better. We need a robust public service that expands with the population.

Expanding permanent city staff and direct delivery protects public accountability and service quality. Investing directly in municipal workers ensures dedicated, reliable delivery of transit, childcare, and park maintenance focused on community well-being rather than private profit margins.

Jennie WordenExpand permanent city staff and internal operational capacity

Toronto should deliver core public services directly whenever we can do so efficiently. Using City staff, equipment, and expertise allows us to retain institutional knowledge and maintain quality and accountability.

Aligning tax revenues with inflation and population growth protects vital services like transit, childcare, and parks without placing an unfair burden on families facing high living costs. Major new growth must be funded equitably by ensuring private developers pay their fair share.

Jennie WordenGrow approximately with inflation and population

Toronto needs predictable revenue growth to maintain services and address our infrastructure backlog. Property taxes should generally keep pace with inflation or grow slightly faster while the City pursues more progressive revenue sources. Ultimately, we need better revenue sources.

#1 and #3, and try to target them to be as progressive as possible, like bringing back the vehicle registration tax, but making it dependent on a formula that takes into account the number of dependents and the gas mileage.

Relying on growth and transaction revenue ensures private developers and real-estate investors pay their fair share to fund municipal growth. This shields working families from regressive user fees or heavy tax hikes while directly funding parks, transit, and affordable housing.

Jennie WordenProperty taxes or new municipal income or sales taxes, if authorized

Few people like paying taxes. But Toronto needs access to stable revenue sources that grow with the economy. Property taxes -- with adequate relief for seniors -- should remain a key part of our financial ecosystem, but Toronto should seek authority for broader progressive municipal revenue tools.

We also need to play hardball with the province and the feds, because we are the tax revenue cash cow of the province and country and get far less back in services and funding than we give in taxes.

Establishing a dedicated revenue source ensures roads, transit, and community facilities are properly repaired without cutting essential services or selling off public assets. Targeting funds directly to maintenance protects local infrastructure while keeping growth sustainable and equitable.

Jennie WordenIntroduce a levy or other recurring source reserved for maintenance

Toronto's infrastructure deficit is the result of refusing to provide the city with the revenue it needs to maintain our assets. Letting infrastructure continue to deteriorate is not the answer, nor is selling these assets. We need to raise the revenue necessary for maintenance and invest in growth.

We need a divorce from the province. Check out Charter City Toronto to see how a single province constitutional amendment could circumvent the province and pull Toronto out from under Ontario's thumb.

Public advocacy for a new fiscal deal and greater municipal authority ensures Toronto secures the funding it deserves. Pushing for fair provincial investment and revenue tools protects local decision-making and delivers the funding needed for transit, shelter, and vital infrastructure.

These powers should never have existed, the mayor is not a king/queen.

Strong mayor powers fundamentally undermine local democracy and bypass the collective voice of elected representatives. Key municipal choices—from housing to city budgets—must be forged through democratic council debate and consensus, ensuring every neighborhood has a meaningful say in city hall.

We don't need more growth, safety and order need work but aren't as bad as exaggerated in the media, so core services is where we will see the most difference.

Prioritizing core services protects the daily essentials residents rely on—reliable TTC transit, safe roads, vibrant parks, and clean neighborhoods. Focusing on robust local infrastructure ensures our ward remains livable, connected, and supportive of working families as our city grows.

As a ward is not a fiefdom, and councillors can't do many things unilaterally, the only fair thing to evaluate must be something they had control over.

Success means delivering deeply affordable, supportive, and missing-middle homes so families and seniors can stay. Voters should assess my performance by our progress in leveraging public land, non-profit partnerships, and building homes that serve real community needs.

Jennie WordenA specific measurable result identified by the candidate

We have thousands of homes being built in Ward 19. What we lack are the public-realm improvements to support our burgeoning population. This means preserving, cleaning, and maintaining our existing public spaces and investing in the infrastructure and public amenities to support our population.

All of the above. Some bike lanes were ill-conceived. Some roads need new bike lanes. Some current projects need to be finished first, others may need to be scrapped.

Expanding protected bike lanes directly cuts emissions, protects cyclists, and builds a safer, greener Toronto. Reallocating road space where viable connects our cycling network and encourages active transit, while smart, practical design ensures local businesses and transit routes thrive.

The right to protest is important, but not if it infringes on people's movement and right to access core services.

Protecting peaceful assembly must be balanced with clear, evidence-based limits that maintain access to hospitals and transit. Defensible rules on locations and routes safeguard fundamental Charter rights while ensuring vital community services and emergency access remain uninterrupted.

Jennie WordenAccept significant disruption unless there is an immediate safety threat

I am in favour of fundamental rights to freedom of expression and freedom of association.

As with the TTC, performance measures need to be kept track of and plans devised based on them to improve.

Investing in internal operations gives our municipal workforce the modern tools needed to deliver reliable public services. Upgrading procurement and staffing systems strengthens direct public delivery, eliminates administrative bottlenecks, and stops private contractor waste.

Specifically we should be going to the feds and the province and telling them that as the economic engine and tax revenue cash cow of the nation they had best start stepping up to give us the funding we need.

Closing budget gaps requires raising revenue equitable, making private developers and wealthy speculators pay their fair share. Generating sustainable public revenue protects frontline union jobs, safeguards essential community services, and stops austerity from hurting working families.

Lower costs, but not by the suggestion. We need a commercial vacancy tax, so that landlords either lower rent or pay through the nose.

A thriving economy requires strong public fundamentals. Investing in affordable housing, reliable transit, and safe streets ensures workers can live and commute affordably, creating the stable, vibrant environment local businesses need to succeed.

Make the city livable and affordable, both commercially and residentially, and the rest will follow.

Major employers and investment come to cities that work. Investing in affordable housing, dependable transit, safe streets, and strong public services creates the high quality of life and reliable workforce needed to attract lasting economic opportunities to Toronto.

All of the above, but we should definitely have public workforces dedicated to such works, instead of always contracting out to the private sector.

Expanding apprenticeships, union training, and credential recognition builds the skilled workforce Toronto needs. Investing directly in working people creates well-paying careers, fills critical labour shortages, and ensures local infrastructure is built safely to the highest standards.

Getting the basics right means investing directly in frontline municipal workers to keep streets clean, roads repaired, sidewalks clear, and park washrooms open. Prioritizing routine maintenance ensures safe, reliable public spaces in every neighbourhood across our city.

All of the above, but ideally we shouldn't have to subsidize so much.

Protecting grassroots music venues, galleries, and rehearsal spaces from speculative condo redevelopment preserves the heart of Toronto’s culture. Using municipal planning tools to stop artist displacement ensures vibrant, working-class creative communities aren't priced out.

If autonomous taxis operate in Toronto, they must meet strict service obligations. Mandating wheelchair accessibility, equitable suburban coverage, and minimum service standards stops private operators from cherry-picking routes and ensures mobility remains accessible to all residents.