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Name: Leroy Osbourne

What position are you running for? Councilor Ward 3

What do you see as the principal opportunities and obstacles facing London’s economy over the next Council term? What should the City do to support business growth, job creation, entrepreneurship and investment, and how should it work with employers, Western University, Fanshawe College and others to attract and retain the talent London needs?

I think the two biggest challenges we are facing right now is the cost of housing and brain flight. A lot of people do not want to stay in London, either due to the high cost of housing, or they do not see a future where they can stay here due to a lack of opportunity. Moreover, the City should create a community benefits agreement at the city and ward level so that there is proper work opportunities for graduates in London. If we address the housing crisis, which I will outline further into the survey, and create more opportunities for younger generations, we can hit 2 birds with 1 stone.

London now has a new Downtown Plan. Which elements would you prioritize and what results should Londoners expect to see during the next Council term? Please address the downtown business environment, public spaces, housing and office conversions, cultural and civic destinations, safety, transportation and implementation accountability.

Housing, and office to residential conversions would be one of my top priorities. We have an urgent housing crisis that is driving young talent out of the city due to costs. We need more units, plain and simple, and not just of one type, but multiple options around housing. We need mixed-use buildings, zoned for both commercial and residential use, small home land trust communities for young professionals starting a new path towards home ownership. Further more supporting and expanding the down payment program and starting a rent plus equity initiatives will create more opportunities for individuals to lay down roots in London building a talented and in demand workforce.

London faces an urgent health and homelessness crisis. Residents, employees and businesses also have concerns about violence, property crime, public disorder and confidence in public spaces. These conditions require related but distinct responses. What actions would you support in each area, and what responsibilities should fall to the City, police, the health system, other orders of government and community partners?

The provincial government put forward more money to allow police forces to conduct patrols and engagement in downtown cores. This should be pursued and ensure accountability through impact measures via data collection from residents and businesses in areas of focus. The city should continue the investment and expansion of COAST in collaboration with non-profit operators that work with unhoused populations. Ensuring a comprehensive action plan that addresses in the moment situations and tackles the long term challenge.

What changes would you support to increase housing supply and affordability and create neighbourhoods with access to employment, services, transportation and public amenities?

I support expanding our housing supply, such as through the city’s existing office-to-residential conversions, building mixed income housing like at SOHO, along with Tiny Homes for young professionals with low cost construction, with a real path towards homeownership via Community Land Trusts, especially if they are built near transit stops, which would lead to better access to transit and other public amenities. For example, building them across the new BRT line would be excellent.

London’s cultural facilities, venues and public spaces are essential to the life of the city, and several face age, capacity or funding pressures. What cultural infrastructure should be prioritised during the next Council term, and how should the City decide where to invest?

I think more, proper movie festivals would be great, like how Toronto has TIFF, but more specialized for London. Food festivals, like Londonlicious on a grander scale would also be great, as it would get Londoners to spend money less on big chains, but more on local businesses with a real identity in London. We need food festivals that show off our city’s diversity, but also should ensure that it is affordable as well, which should be doable with simpler licensing, lower the vendor costs so it is cheaper to set up, so that people actually spend money, instead of being worried about the prices.

London’s economic success depends on reliable local, regional, national and international connections. How would you improve local transit and service to major employment areas and shift workers, intercity bus and air links, and passenger rail? What should businesses and employees be able to expect in terms of frequency, reliability and access?

I think we need a proper bus terminal in London, and partner with the province on possibly extending GO buses towards London. Moreover, I strongly agree with the city and other southwestern Ontario mayors that we need High Performance Rail, to improve existing rail service, and to build a better mobility network. Better connectivity would lead to more job opportunities across the region, and access towards other services like healthcare, education, or tourism. Exploring initiatives such as on-demand buses for residential neighborhoods that connect with major routes and better collaboration with employers that wish to work with the LTC to bring bus services to their site. Be that current employers or future employers taking an interest in a London location.

What changes would you make to municipal approvals, regulation, procurement and customer service to make it easier to invest, build and operate a business in London?

I think streamlining business licensing and signage would be a good start, along with getting rid of legacy bylaws that are outdated or out of touch with the modern city’s needs, which we should figure out with an audit of said regulations, with a focus on ones that are duplicative as well. Moreover, when looking at site planning, we should have building permits, engineering reviews, and site approvals occur all at once. I also think aligning with the province’s buy local guidelines would be good for our businesses to ensure smooth compliance across multiple jurisdictions. I also think more mixed-use zoning would be helpful, as it would cut down on red-tape, when wanting to either create a new business on an area, or building new housing, or both. In addition to that, mitigation funds for small businesses that will be impacted by road construction and create a streamline process for other areas of the city that want a BIA. Additional collaboration between the city and BIAs to assist member businesses in accessing government grant programs and resources related to tariffs and fluctuating trade policies.

London City Council approved the 2025–2035 ReconciliAction Plan in May 2025, committing the City to 155 actions over ten years. What should the next Council do to translate these commitments into a clear, properly resourced implementation plan developed with Indigenous partners? How would you advance reconciliation through economic development, procurement, planning, cultural investment and municipal services?

155 actions, over the course of 1 council term means we would have to choose which ones to prioritize. I think one of the most important ones we can focus on is economic reconciliation, development, and partnerships. Partnering with indigenous peoples, with investing in businesses led by them, or developments, and job training is one of the best ways we can start to reconcile with them, given they did not have access to many opportunities that Londoners have right now. Lets partner with them, lets build a better city together, create more job opportunities for them, such as procuring from indigenous businesses, to ensure they are included in the policymaking within the city. Moreover, we should work with the city to identify any barriers indigenous people may face in economic development, and partner to overcome them together. Additionally, we should work with them as well to tackle indigenous homelessness, with solutions appropriate to their needs.

London’s growth depends on roads, transit, water and wastewater systems, emergency services and community facilities. How would you determine which investments proceed first, pay for growth fairly and maintain competitive property taxes?

I will be honest, the property tax system is outdated, and does not bring in neither enough, nor fair revenue. I strongly agree with the mayor that cities need a slice of the growth revenue that the province gets, be transferred to municipalities like ours, given when the economy of London grows, it does not reflect in our city finances. Moreover, I support a community wealth fund system, where we leverage city’s assets as revenue generating entities without selling them off, so we can fund the city better, and as the revenue grows, we can use it to cut property taxes. This system has been done before, in cities like Singapore or Copenhagen, where city directed commercial development raises revenues for the city which can be used for other purposes.

London City Council approved the Climate Emergency Action Plan in 2022. The Plan calls for a 55 per cent reduction in community-wide greenhouse-gas emissions from 2005 levels by 2030. Which elements of the Plan would you prioritise, accelerate or change during the next Council term? How would you ensure that climate action strengthens resilience, affordability and economic competitiveness for residents and businesses?

I think electrification of city buses would be one of my first priorities, as the return on investment is excellent on them, given they have far lower maintenance costs. Moreover, we need more charging stations, whether for bikes or personal EVs. An increased investment in electrical heating, like through heat-pumps, would do wonders. Electrical heating, combined with London and the province’s already largely non-emitting energy grid, would ensure more stable energy prices in London, one that is not bound by global energy prices. Non-emitting energy sources like solar, wind, or hydro would lead to lower energy prices, and it would also save a lot of money for businesses, especially in manufacturing, given one of their biggest expenses is the cost of energy, which should help with the city’s competitiveness.

How should Council respond when strong-mayor powers are exercised, and how would you use your role as a councilor to provide effective scrutiny and accountability?

First of all, I would want to know why this was exercised in the first place, by demanding to hear their reasoning. Secondly, I would seek consensus with other city councillors, to see if we can override them together given an override needs 2/3rds majority, and I think if it is abused, then the council should work together, regardless of beliefs, to ensure voices of our constituents are heard instead of skipped over. I fail to see a situation where strong mayor powers are warranted, or justifiable in usage, and it is up to us as council to ensure that we maintain a healthy, democratic city.

What role should arts, culture and the creative industries play in London’s economic and community development? How should the City support cultural organisations, artists, venues, festivals and creative businesses while ensuring that municipal investment produces lasting public value?

I think public engagement with cultural events like Sunfest, or other festivals in itself creates lasting public value. Better advertising certain events could help, like home county, given it draws out people from other parts of the city and gets them to spend money in local businesses, which increases the economic well-being of our local chains, businesses and all. Better advertisement of these events, and considering hosting other festivals or events like that could help ensure that London businesses thrive, whether it is locals coming out, or tourists visiting the city.

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