Campaign Priorities — Ray Millar for Councillor

01

Infrastructure First

Tiny’s infrastructure includes roads, drainage, water systems, facilities, equipment, vehicles and other municipal assets. Council needs a clear picture of what it owns, the condition of those assets, what must be maintained or replaced and what taxpayers can reasonably afford. Postponing or ignoring a growing infrastructure deficit carries a probable and very serious risk.

Fund essential and existing infrastructure before lower-priority discretionary projects.
Use asset condition and lifecycle information to set capital priorities.
Make the growing infrastructure deficit visible in budget decisions rather than pushing it forward.

02

Budget for Need

A serious budget discussion starts with priorities and ends with numbers. Every new expenditure has to be paid for. Every reduction in revenue has consequences. Money directed to one purpose is money that cannot be spent somewhere else.

Use a zero-based approach where practical — examine current need, priority and value rather than automatically carrying historical spending forward.
Manage debt according to asset life, affordability and the municipality’s existing obligations.
Require major proposals to answer: What does it cost? Where does it rank? How will we pay for it?

03

Responsibilities, Law & Property Rights

Municipal authority is not unlimited. Tiny should focus its resources on responsibilities that belong to Tiny and avoid spending local tax dollars trying to resolve matters that properly belong to another level of government or to private parties. No one expects Tiny to spend tax dollars paving provincial highways. Why are we spending our tax dollars to address other provincial issues?

Regulations should be clear, evidence-based, necessary and proportionate.
Environmental protection and property rights should be balanced through defensible rules rather than overreach.
Council should understand jurisdiction before committing staff time, legal costs or taxpayer dollars.

04

Meaningful Public Engagement

Council meetings are essential for conducting public business, but they are seldom the best place for meaningful two-way public engagement. Council meetings are governed by agendas, time constraints and procedural rules. Public engagement should inform representative decision-making, not replace it. The goal should be better access, better information and better problem solving.

Regular office hours so residents have direct access to an elected representative.
Issue-specific meetings where there is an identified need.
Start day-to-day service questions with staff, then bring policy, priority and Council decisions to elected officials.
Explain important decisions openly and clearly.

05

Administration Centre: Know the Facts Before the Next Decision

The next Council will inherit a major project already under construction. The responsible question is not whether anyone likes or dislikes a decision already made. It is what remains legally and financially open to change and what course now produces the least harmful long-term result for taxpayers.

Establish the current legal, construction and financing commitments.
Identify remaining costs to complete, operating costs, lifecycle obligations and any realistic opportunities to alter scope.
Understand tenant plans and what they say about the amount of space Tiny itself requires.
Avoid new discretionary commitments until Council has a clear picture of the municipality’s overall financial position.

06

Core Services Before New Promises

Residents depend on roads and winter control, drainage, fire protection, policing, planning and building services, parks, recreation and access to community facilities. These services should be managed around demonstrated need and sustainable cost.