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Name: Mario Jozic

What position are you running for? Councilor Ward 4

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?

London’s strengths include its location, skilled workforce and growing advanced manufacturing, healthcare, technology, agri-food and construction sectors. Key obstacles are rising costs, slow approvals, labour shortages, housing affordability and tariff uncertainty.

The City should streamline permits, keep taxes competitive, prepare employment lands and support local businesses in finding new Canadian and international markets to reduce tariff exposure. Working with employers, Western and Fanshawe, we should expand apprenticeships, co-op placements and job-matching programs so graduates can build careers in London. Safe neighbourhoods, attainable housing and reliable transportation are also essential to attracting and retaining talent.

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.

As a former business owner in the downtown area for almost 10 years, I have very strong opinions on this.

1. A safer, cleaner and more business-friendly downtown: In addition to working toward solutions to homelessness, we must eliminate encampments and open drug use so people feel safe visiting downtown and supporting local businesses.

2. Make downtown a permanent destination: Downtown should be a year-round destination, not simply a weekend event destination during the summer. We must reduce vacancy rates, attract viable businesses and consider grants and other financial incentives.

3. Housing and office conversions: Vacant upper floors and obsolete offices should be converted into housing where feasible, supported by faster approvals and incentives tied to firm construction, occupancy and affordability commitments.

4. Parking and transportation: If we encourage public transportation, we must provide longer service hours. Since many downtown businesses are bars, restaurants and event spaces, people need access to transit after their evening ends. We must also recognize that many people drive. Free or affordable parking would help attract more people downtown.

5. Public spaces and cultural destinations: I would prioritize active public spaces, more events and cultural programming, improved connections to the river, and destinations that bring residents downtown throughout the day and evening.

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?

Homelessness, addiction and mental illness require a health-and-housing response. I support coordinated outreach, emergency shelter, supportive and transitional housing, withdrawal management, treatment, mental-health care and employment supports. The City should coordinate housing, outreach, property standards, sanitation and public-space management. Community organizations should deliver specialized services, with funding tied to measurable outcomes.

Violence, theft, vandalism, trafficking and threatening behaviour require an effective public-safety response. Police should investigate and enforce the law, while the City enforces bylaws and promptly addresses encampments, open drug use, garbage and damaged property. Compassion cannot mean accepting dangerous or unlawful behaviour, and enforcement should connect vulnerable people with appropriate services wherever possible.

Healthcare is primarily a provincial responsibility. Ontario must fund treatment, psychiatric care, withdrawal management and supportive housing at the scale required. The federal government should support affordable housing and address organized drug trafficking. All partners need one coordinated plan with named responsibilities, timelines and public reporting on housing placements, treatment access, repeat overdoses, crime and neighbourhood conditions.

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 faster, more predictable approvals and increased housing on vacant and underused land, particularly near employment areas, transit corridors and existing services. We should encourage a range of housing, including affordable infill, additional residential units, townhouses, apartments and conversions of vacant offices and upper floors.

I support a permanent Affordable Infill and Additional Residential Unit Matching Fund, with priority given to projects offering meaningful affordability commitments. The City should also use surplus municipal land and partnerships with non-profit providers to create affordable and supportive housing.

Growth must be responsible and fit the surrounding area. New development should not overwhelm established neighbourhoods or proceed without adequate roads, transit, water, schools, parks and community services. Better coordination between housing, transportation and infrastructure planning will create complete neighbourhoods where people can live close to jobs, services and public amenities.

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?

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?

public spaces before committing to major new facilities. Investments should be based on safety, condition, accessibility, community use, economic and cultural benefits, operating costs and opportunities for provincial, federal or private partnerships. Funding decisions must be transparent and supported by measurable results.

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 would establish clear approval timelines, online application tracking and a single City contact to help businesses resolve delays.

Procurement should be transparent, competitive and accessible to qualified local businesses.

City departments should also have measurable customer-service standards, with regular public reporting on approval times and performance.

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?

I support expanding Indigenous procurement and employment opportunities, incorporating Indigenous perspectives into planning and municipal services, and investing in Indigenous-led cultural projects and public spaces. Progress and spending should be reported publicly each year to ensure these commitments produce meaningful results.

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 would prioritize infrastructure based on public safety, urgency, population growth, existing capacity, economic impact and long-term value. Maintaining current roads, pipes and facilities should come before committing to projects we cannot afford to operate.

Competitive property taxes require disciplined spending, coordinated construction, preventative maintenance and transparent cost-benefit analysis. Londoners should know what each major project costs, why it is needed, who is paying and what results they should expect.

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?

Since we are not even close to meeting those targets, the next Council should concentrate funding on the measures producing the greatest verified reductions at the lowest cost.

The City should maximize provincial, federal and utility funding rather than place the full burden on property taxpayers. Programs should remain accessible to lower-income households and small businesses. Every major initiative should publicly report its costs, energy savings, emissions reductions and jobs created so funding can be directed toward measures that deliver proven environmental and economic benefits.

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?

Strong-mayor authority should never replace transparent debate, independent scrutiny or accountability to residents. Council should review each use of strong-mayor powers independently and on its merits. Councilors should require a clear public explanation, supporting evidence, legal authority, financial implications and expected results.

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