Pickering mayoral hopefuls outline affordability plans ahead of Oct. 26 vote

All seven candidates for mayor of Pickering — Kevin Ashe, Doug Cornell, Janice Frampton, Zargham Rasool, Shaun Rickard, Lisa Robinson and Andrea Wood — shared how they would address the high cost of living in a feature published October 21, ahead of the October 26 municipal election.

Property taxes dominated the answers. Ashe, seeking re-election, would expand the property-tax credit for homeowner seniors, grow the commercial and industrial tax base, and cap tax increases. Cornell proposed doubling the low-income seniors and persons with disabilities property tax grant from $620 to $1,240, publishing a plan to keep the city's tax share low, an independent cost check on the Seaton Rec Centre before the 2027 tender, and more missing-middle and non-market housing. Rickard would freeze the city's portion of the levy at zero per cent, insist growth pay for growth, and commission a forensic audit of city finances within 100 days. Robinson also pledged zero per cent on the city portion and vowed to stop the Seaton Recreation Complex as approved, citing projected debt of $331 million by January 2027.

Frampton promised a line-by-line review of municipal spending with affordable tax increases a clear priority, plus attainable housing and local job creation. Rasool focused on affordable housing partnerships with Durham Region, non-profits and developers, eviction-prevention and rebate programs, and transparent spending reviews. Wood proposed identifying sites for rental apartment development, a tax on empty housing units, and working with other governments to grow subsidized housing supply.