George Stanko For Mayor

Priorities

My platform offers a practical case for change as household affordability will not improve if Sarnia only argues over the same tax base year after year. The City must control costs, modernize service delivery and grow at the same time. That means faster approvals, investment-ready land, stronger partnerships with SLEP and regional institutions, disciplined use of City-owned assets, a visible downtown and waterfront strategy, and public reporting that shows residents what changed, what was delayed and why and how we can change Sarnia for all of us  - together.

Here outlined is my list of goals to improve our beloved city starting at City Hall:

 

Affordable, Accountable City

Residents deserve value for every tax dollar and clear evidence that City Hall is improving. A modern Continuous Improvement Program (CIP) should be permanent, practical and public.

Jobs, Investment and Housing

Economic growth is the strongest long-term answer to tax pressure. The City should lead as convener, regulator, infrastructure partner and champion, while using the Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership (SLEP) and other specialized organizations rather than duplicating their work. Create the position of Growth manager within the city organization to be the focal point to drive growth. Form a task force that includes our MP, MPP, growth manager and mayor to identify opportunities to drive growth

An age-friendly Sarnia benefiting everyone

The focus should be independence, mobility, social connection, housing choice, safety and easy access to information. Young people stay when they can see a future. The City should connect education, work, recreation, culture, housing and civic leadership into one youth-retention agenda. We are blessed with all it takes to make this happen.  We just need the will and new leadership.

Health, Access and public safety 

Hospitals and physician funding are principally provincial responsibilities, so a mayor must be honest about municipal authority. The City cannot order a hospital to reduce waits. It can convene partners, advocate with evidence, support recruitment, address local barriers and help residents reach the right care

First actions

  • Launch a City-wide service and process review focused on duplication, procurement, approvals, fleet, facilities, technology and customer service. Establish CIP as part of City culture.
  • Require every department to publish service standards and performance measures, including response times, project delivery and budget variance.
  • Apply a vacancy-control process while the organizational review is underway, while protecting front-line and safety-critical positions.
  • Review the management structure and use attrition, redeployment and digital tools to optimize the organizational structure.
  • Build internal planning, engineering and project-management capacity where a business case shows it will reduce recurring consultant costs. An experienced urban planner capable of completing studies will reduce most consulting costs
  • Create the position of Growth manager within the city organization to be the focal point to drive growth
  • Form a task force that includes our MP, MPP, growth manager and mayor to identify and drive growth opportunities
  • Hire an experienced airport manager with the demonstrated ability to develop a business hub at Sarnia's airport
  • Publish a quarterly Mayor’s transparent Results Dashboard with costs avoided, service improvements, permits issued, investment leads, housing approvals and partnership outcomes.