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Name: Randi Prunner

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?

There are many opportunities readily available in London, however the obstacles far exceed the potential from these opportunities. Commercial units sit vacant due to major disrepair/neglect, asking for rent that isn’t sustainable for local small business ventures. Concerns around the unhoused presence have also been a major deterrant. The City needs to support business development with reasonable, accessible rental costs that will maintain much-needed local talent, and invest in supports for the non-profits that help the unhoused population directly. Creating a Community Land Trust for small business start-ups can provide locked-in, reasonable rental pricing that will help both non-profits (keeping operational costs low) and small business 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.

While I believe it’s important to implement the new Downtown Plan as a whole approach in order for it to be the most effective, I do feel the number one thing to focus on is supports for the unhoused population in the area. This belief comes from anecdotal information gathered through speaking with the community, as this has been the primary reason most people feel deterred to participate downtown. The second reason closely following this is more frequent and accountable public transportation; in speaking with LTC members, they have expressed all available buses are currently in use. This means, if we are to improve our public transit system, more buses will be required to increase frequency and consistency for riders.

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?

Firstly, we do need more financial support from provincial and federal governments to properly address this crisis and provide supports like a mental health facility. As a City, we can support our non-profits by establishing clear language and definitions (ie. what constitutes a snack, a meal, etc.) to improve the quality of data they collect and provide to upper levels of government for funding. In terms of our police force, a social worker branch that works alongside officers when answering calls pertaining to mental health (from unhoused and housed alike) would be more effective and alleviate officers who can respond to more criminal calls. These are immediate actions we can take to greatly improve the current crisis.

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

I have done more research into the efficacy of Community Land Trusts, which continues to yeild positive results in neighbourhoods they are established in. Working alongside non-profit developers to create affordable housing solutions utilizing land designated within a Community Land Trust would provide consistent, sustainable and affordable housing opportunities, as well as open doors for similar business opportunities and an increased participation from the community the Land Trust is built in; part of the decision-making process within a Community Land Trust relies on community members directly voting in favour or against proposed projects, giving more residents a meaningful voice.

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?

The City should start with looking at which buildings are falling into states of disrepair beyond what could be maintained by the facility operating in that space, and offer assistance for major repairs that would render the facility inoperable if left untreated. Not only would the elimination of these spaces be a painful cultural blow to the communities they service, it would add yet another building in London to the growing list of buildings that sit vacant and in varying states of decay and disrepair. In many cases, it will likely cost less money to repair and then maintain, as opposed to allowing the decay to overtake a space that requires a complete teardown and reconstruction. These are wise investments we can make now that yeild net-positive outcomes for decades into the future for our city’s welfare.

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?

At the moment, London Transit has one route that connects individuals to the London Airport from Fanshawe College. This requires a bus connection that gets you from wherever you are in London, out to Fanshawe College, and then to catch bus route 36 that takes you to the airport. When we currently have Express bus routes that run with less stops, and take people from north to sound or east to west faster than a normal route, it would make more sense to amend this route to an Express bus that goes through the City from downtown London, connecting it to even more routes and making it easier to access from anywhere in London. This will require investment into London Transit, as they are already running all available buses for existing routes, as well as assessing current route coverage compared to rider’s needs.

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 see how much of the application process can be streamlined, in order to uphold the same process to all applications fairly and not favour specific applications. I would implement a requirement for neighbourhood/community feedback, giving a period of time for residents to respond to potential development projects.

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 would create measureable checkpoints, available for all to see at any time, that show what actions have been successfully implemented, which are next, and which are still to come. I would frequently consult with Indigenous partners to get feedback on measures implemented, what needs to be adjusted within the measure for more practical input, and how both the adjustment and the success or failure of the measure will impact the next actions (both positively and negatively), to see where to course-correct for best 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?

It’s prudent to maintain a baseline of funding for roads, water and wastewater systems, to ensure consistency in efficacy. Deligating roadwork more strategically, being mindful of what projects are still in progress and which projects arise, to reduce the impact on drivers and traffic congestion. We’ve had a period of rapid overdevelopment across London, and our emergency services haven’t been funded at a rate to keep up and serve the expansion of the population. The same can be said for community facilities. If there are areas where we can save in the budget and help to reduce property taxes without harming services, we should consider those. Additionally, if our services are better supported and functional for the majority of Londoners, and Londoners are able to see a tangible, positive impact in their day-to-day lives from this, the weight of the property taxes won’t feel so heavy.

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 all elements of the Plan need to be implemented holistically and in tandem with each other to be completely effective. I would look at more effective avenues for supporting cycling and alternative modes of transportation; creating bike lanes alongside sidewalks instead of on the roads, like the section of Dundas Street. Looking at connecting the bike lanes to the bike paths that snake throughout London, creating shortcuts where possible. I think we can also change how the compost program runs; expanding the households that participate and looking at ways to invest our organic waste into renewable energy options that feed back into our local power grid through Generate Upcycle and biogas energy. All of these measures will make London more resilient to infrastructure changes, and increase affordable ways to live and move about the City.

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?

As a councillor, I would require justification from the Mayor for why the powers are being exercised, detailing rationale as to why. I would then gather feedback from constituents, scrutinize the proposal, and work alongside other councillors to present strong evidence to the Mayor to either support or oppose the proposal, or contribute amendments. I would continue to be honest and transparent as a councillor, keeping the general public updated on matters that these powers are exercised upon and why, so they can understand how it will impact their day-to-day lives. I would listen to feedback from constituents, and use my position as councillor to advocate for their needs.

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?

London is already growing into a large creative hub, being home to numerous indie video game companies and growing artists across all creative spheres. Word of Rock the Park has been reaching as far as Sault Ste Marie in terms of drawing potential tourist interest. The City should continue to support this sector as it has been, with room to expand and support additional cultural efforts, festivals, and events that display London’s diversity more. Investing repairs into historical venues and cultural facilities will help to expand the number of events and creatives attracted to London.

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