With the municipal election coming up on Oct. 26, CBC Niagara asked those running for mayor in St. Catharines to discuss the main issues facing our community. Below are their responses, edited only for spelling and grammar, along with photos they submitted or images from social media.
Five candidates are competing for the mayoral position in this election. Besides leading city council, the mayor also takes a seat on the regional council, which will consist solely of Niagara’s 12 mayors plus a regional chair following changes mandated by the provincial government.
CBC Niagara posed several questions to each candidate about how they plan to tackle their top priorities. Their answers are presented here in alphabetical order by last name.
Anthony Adeoye
Anthony Adeoye has experience in business management and has worked with municipal governments; he’s running for mayor of St. Catharines. (Submitted by Anthony Adeoye)
Anthony Adeoye, 43, mentioned that he has over 15 years of experience in operations, administration, team leadership, customer service, and business management while working with municipal governments.
Why are you running for mayor?
I’m running for mayor because I think St. Catharines can improve and residents deserve effective leadership that is accountable and delivers real results. My focus will be on key issues like housing affordability, responsible financial management, community safety, economic development, and open governance. I aim to leverage my operational experience to collaborate with residents, businesses, community groups, and all levels of government to create a better future for our city.
What are your top three priorities if elected?
1. Housing affordability and homelessness: increase affordable housing options and seek practical solutions to homelessness.
2. Responsible fiscal management: ensure every taxpayer dollar is used wisely while controlling property tax increases and attracting investment to expand the tax base.
3. Community safety: enhance collaboration with police forces, regional partners, and local organizations to address public safety concerns effectively.
How would you address those priorities?
I would prioritize actionable steps that lead to measurable outcomes while maintaining accountability. This includes accelerating affordable housing initiatives and improving coordination regarding homelessness efforts. Every taxpayer dollar needs careful oversight through increased transparency and efficient spending that also helps grow our tax base; enhancing community safety involves stronger partnerships with law enforcement agencies as well as outreach organizations.
Furthermore, I would keep residents updated regularly so they can see progress being made.
What are the greatest achievements of the current council? Name up to three.
1. Securing $25.7 million from the Housing Accelerator Fund while speeding up housing approvals including more than 1,000 new dwelling unit permits set for 2025.
2. Ongoing investments into infrastructure such as roads water mains sanitary systems parks among other vital facilities via multi-year capital budgeting plans.
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