2026 London Municipal Election: Roger Caranci – Councilor Ward 1

Name: Roger Caranci

What position are you running for? Councilor Ward 1

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 still has all the ingredients of a strong mid-sized city, including hospitals, Western, Fanshawe, a serious manufacturing and logistics base, and people who want to build something here. The obstacle is that too many streets, storefronts, and parks do not feel safe or reliable. Talent does not stay in a city where open drug-use, disorder, and neglected public space are treated as normal. Employers will not expand if approvals are slow and basic services slip. City Hall should get the fundamentals right. Enforce by-laws. Keep main streets moving. Repair roads. Make it faster to open or expand a business. Work with Western and Fanshawe on housing that students and new graduates can actually use, and on keeping skilled people in London after they train here.

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.

Downtown will not revive on a $48-million wish list if people do not feel safe walking to work or to Covent Garden Market. The first priority is public order. Police and by-law enforcement, no open drug-use, and regular clean-up of parks and sidewalks. Businesses cannot hire, and housing conversions cannot succeed, if the street in front of them is lawless. I would prioritize results over new offices and new governance layers. Activate the public spaces we already have, including Victoria Park and the Market. Support office-to-housing conversions where the building and the neighbourhood can take them. Londoners should see fewer vacant, intimidating blocks and more people using downtown because it is clean and usable. Implementation should be measured by those outcomes, not by how many actions on the list have been started.

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?

These problems are related. They are not the same job. The City should keep streets, parks, and business areas usable. By-law enforcement, clean-up, occupancy standards, and forbidden open illegal drug-use. We need to act with compassion, set boundaries, and enforce those boundaries. Police should handle crime, violence, and public safety. By-law officers should be able to enforce rules in parks and public spaces. Where it is unsafe to send them alone, pair them with police. Health care, detox, and recovery beds are provincial and health-system work. Housing allowances and many homelessness programs need Ottawa and Queen’s Park to pay their share. Community partners can deliver services, but contracts should be signed with the group doing the work. If an intermediary is absolutely necessary, then elected-officials must be able to see the detailed financials without an MFIPPA request. Measure success by people housed and streets that function, not by activity reports.

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

Build more housing that fits established neighbourhoods. Partner with established nonprofit builders for multi-bedroom homes that local families can use. Add senior-specific buildings so older residents can downsize in their own neighbourhood and near family and free up larger houses. Tighten occupancy standards so rentals are not packed beyond what a property can safely hold. Supply matters and so does the neighbourhood. Parking, sewers, schools, and parks have limits. Approvals should be faster for good projects and firmer against overcrowding and designs that ignore the character of the community.

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?

Riders should be able to tap a card or phone instead of hunting for exact cash. Service to industrial areas and shift work has to match when people actually start their day. Frequency and reliability matter more than a new brand. Intercity bus, rail, and the airport are not owned by City Hall, but Council should be an advocate for connections that employers need. Businesses should expect roads that are plowed and repaired and construction that does not close or constrain multiple parallel routes simultaneously.

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?

Shorter, clearer approvals. Published timelines. One answer from the City instead of a tour of departments. Procurement should be competitive and readable. Councillors and the public should be able to see where money goes. Customer service is a key part of economic development. A plumber, a shop owner, or a small builder should not need a consultant to get a permit. Enforce the rules we have instead of writing new ones that we are unable to enforce.

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?

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?

London’s first job is to keep the city working. Water, sewers, roads, snow, garbage, parks, and emergency response come before new programs. Growth that skips those files just leaves a bigger bill and a worse street. I would prioritize fixing what is failing and what protects health and safety. I led the HELP Clean Water Initiative on Council for that reason. Roads that carry cars, buses, trucks, and ambulances come next, which is why the Hale-Trafalgar Overpass mattered and why potholes and plowing still matter. In Ward 1 that means weekly garbage pickup in summer and on Hamilton Road, where overflowing bins bring rats. It means windrow clearing for seniors and people with disabilities after major snowfalls. Transit should take a tap card or phone, not exact cash. New growth will pay its share through development charges. Occupancy rules belong in this file. A packed house overloads sewers, parking, and emergency access. Contracts should be signed with the group doing the work, with open books. Hold administration accountable. Protect front-line work. Test new spending against the tax bill. A well-run city does the basic things on time.

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?

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

Strong-mayor powers exist. They do not replace City Council’s job. When they are used, Council should demand the legal basis, the cost, and the public record. Debate the substance in open session. Vote when a vote is available. Do not treat a mayoral directive as the end of oversight. As Councillor, I would read the contracts, review financial statements, and reject the idea that taxpayer money routed through a third party is off limits without an MFIPPA request. City Councillors serve in a governance capacity and scrutiny is a part of the job. When Ward 1 sends me to City Hall, I will do that job.

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?

Culture is part of a living city. Festivals, venues, and the Market bring people downtown and support small businesses. The City should keep public spaces usable so those events can happen, and it should spend on culture the same way it should spend on anything else: with a clear purpose, transparency, and accountability for results.