Kelly Oucharek

Two city-wide priorities, and how to achieve them

• Value for money: says residents are paying for parks that are not safe and sidewalks full of garbage, and she wants to apply an “efficiency lens” (better, cheaper or faster) to City Hall spending.
• Rebuilding trust in City Hall: says she hears distrust after costly financial scandals, and would carry herself with integrity, follow through on her word and advocate for her voters.

Two changes to improve City services

• Hire a new city manager who is a true leader with fresh ideas and experience with large, diverse communities; she says turnover in senior leadership slows momentum and hurts staff morale.
• Move from reactive to proactive service so residents do not have to complain; also make streets more accessible, cleaner and safer for seniors and people with disabilities, and expand recreation choice and hours, especially for youth in high-priority areas.

Two changes to improve quality of life in Hamilton

Not asked in this interview.

Two priorities for Ward 2

• Make all residents feel heard, based on canvassing nearly 5,000 doors: she says people are concerned about public safety and she would work closely with police and other stakeholders to increase safety.
• Affordability: she says the current councillor defended hiring 800 FTEs and she would work with colleagues and staff to take a hard look at staffing, the city’s largest cost.

Three words for a four-year term (looking back from September 2030)

Principled, effective and responsive.