Before I had the privilege to serve the people of Mississauga as their new mayor, I was privileged to represent the people of Ward 5 as their City Councillor. One of my first initiatives after winning my seat on City Council back in 2011 was to hold community office hours. This was an opportunity for me to bring City Hall directly to the people of Ward 5, and in particular, communities like Malton located in the far north eastern part of our City. Every single week for three consecutive years, I would meet with residents one-on-one, and address their issues on the spot. We always had great turnout.
Now that I represent eleven different wards, and not just one, I am carrying on with the practice of holding community office hours. It was a campaign pledge of mine, and I’m following through with this commitment. Each month I work alongside an area councillor to hold ward-based one-on-one meetings. I’ve already held meetings with Ward 1 Councillor Jim Tovey and Ward 2 Councillor Karen Ras; just last night, Councillor Chris Fonseca and I met with her Ward 3 residents at the Burnhamthorpe Library.
By the end of 2015, I plan to hold meetings in all corners of our city. Please stay tuned for information about dates and times for your particular ward.