City Council Isn’t a One-Person Job. Stop Campaigning Like It Is.

There are a lot of promises for change and plans to make a difference, but you should know it takes more than one vote, and one person.

Election campaigns are full of promises. We hear candidates talk about lowering taxes, fixing roads, attracting new businesses, addressing homelessness and changing the way City Hall operates. Those are important issues, but I think voters should ask a simple question when they hear those promises: does one councillor actually have the authority to do what is being promised?  In most cases, the answer is no.

A councillor is one vote at a table of 13. One councillor cannot independently lower your taxes, order a road repaired, solve the infrastructure gap or bring a new business to Thunder Bay. Suggesting otherwise may make for a good campaign promise, but it simply isn't how municipal government works. I know that because I've spent a lot of time watching it work.

For more than a decade, I followed and reported on virtually every Thunder Bay City Council meeting. Through my City Council Round Up, I took what happened around that table, formed my own opinions and brought those opinions to the public. I questioned spending, criticized decisions and challenged both council and administration when I believed taxpayers deserved better. I watched good ideas succeed because councillors did their homework, built support and worked together. I've also watched good ideas go nowhere because that support wasn't there. That experience matters, and I believe it should matter when you cast your vote.

Having an idea is the easy part. Understanding how to move that idea forward is much harder.  I know the difference. 

My experience goes beyond watching and reporting on council. Throughout my professional career, I've managed people and budgets, set priorities and made decisions where what we would like to do has to be balanced against what we can afford to do. My years of volunteer work on community boards and committees have reinforced the same lesson. Leadership means listening, learning, asking difficult questions and respecting the experience of others. It means being prepared to defend your position while also being willing to work with people who don't always agree with you.

That's how I would approach a term on council. No claims that I can fix everything myself and no promises about things one councillor simply doesn't have the power to deliver.

I cannot promise to eliminate Thunder Bay's infrastructure gap, but I can keep it front and centre, question our priorities and work with administration and council on realistic solutions. I cannot personally lower your taxes, but I can scrutinize spending and bring the concerns of taxpayers into every budget discussion. I cannot single-handedly attract investment, but I can be a strong voice for local businesses and support policies that make Thunder Bay a better place to invest, grow and create jobs.

I also won't pretend to be an expert on everything. I don't think voters should expect that from any councillor, regardless of what you may hear during an election campaign. What they should expect is someone prepared to listen to the people who do have expertise, do the research, ask hard questions and make an informed decision. I've been doing that publicly with City Hall issues for more than a decade.

I understand how council works. I understand the relationship between council and administration. I understand budgets, competing priorities and the reality that getting something accomplished requires more than standing up and saying you want it done.

One councillor cannot do it alone. But one experienced, informed and determined councillor can influence the conversation, build consensus and become a strong voice around that table.

That's what I bring to this campaign: leadership experience, a deep understanding of our local government and a record of asking questions and forming my own opinions on the issues facing Thunder Bay.

I'm not asking for your vote based on promises I can't keep. I'm asking for it based on the experience I can bring to the council table and the kind of strong, informed voice I believe Northwood needs there.

On October 26, Vote John Ongaro - Northwood.

If you have questions or comments, would like to request a sign, or donate to the campaign, please reach out. We'd love to hear from you.