HaltonHillsToday is profiling every candidate in the upcoming municipal election. Up next - candidates running in Ward 2 (rural Halton Hills, Glen Williams and Norval).
Jason Brass has jumped into the fray along with seven other candidates for the now-vacant seats of Ward 2. The local businessman's biggest goal for his potential time on council is simple: to maintain the small town character of his beloved Halton Hills “while balancing the need to to have some growth.”
“I think my approach is more centred in that way - it's more responsible growth than anything else,” said the president and CEO of Terra Cotta Cookie Co.
Central to his ethos is to “involve everyone in the community,” to “not bulldoze and go,” and “maintain steady growth.”
When planning growth, Brass said he feels it's important to ask business stakeholders: “If there were more employment lands, would you build another plant? Would you build another warehouse? Would you build something that employs people? What tools do you need to succeed in this town?”
One of his more immediate concerns is bringing garbage collection to rural Halton Hills. The Glen Williams-area resident said the situation his elderly neighbour is facing made him realize that timely garbage collection in the rural area is a must.
“She doesn't have the means to take her garbage to the dump, so someone has to do it for her. I think we can do better in that regard,” he said. “There's no garbage pickup in rural areas and that needs to be addressed because there's a dumping issue in the town.”
Overall, he still sees this as a minor issue that needs to be ironed out and believes the municipality does a good job.
In addition to responsible growth, Brass' other key platform points include property tax accountability, addressing concerns on speeding and commercial truck traffic, and improving resources to better support youth and seniors.
The local father wants to make it easier for young people to access jobs that are too far away for a bike ride. Based on constituent feedback, Brass said he's also concerned that the ActiVan is “fairly rigid in terms of the booking process” and wants to address that for older adults.
In the community, Brass sits on the board of Bennett Village long-term care home and formerly served as the vice chair of the Halton Hills Chamber of Commerce board.
