Inform Your Vote
Ward 1 Councillor Candidates for the 2026 Municipal Election Share Their Insights
Q & As
1. If elected to Council, what would be your top priority, and how will you address it?
Jeffrey Halsall:
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Kate Hepworth: Begin the process of improving communication. There needs to be more contact between residents and council. Applications, Notices, General Committee, Planning and Development, Council, Committee of Adjustment and so many more, these meetings are available to be watched and involved with. Sharing of agendas, encouraging involvement.
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Keri Parfitt:
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Aanya Shahi:
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Tom Sweeney: My top priority is to first address the common issues experienced and reported by Ward 1 residents. I plan to build positive relationships with the rest of council and the OPP to increase police presence in our ward, and to increase traffic calming measures in our villages and hamlets. I will collaborate with council to find “outside the box” solutions to our lack of services such as recreation facilities. I will join council to strongly advocate to the province against the approval of the blasting quarry threatening the Cataract and Alton.
2. How have your education, skills and experiences prepared you for the role of Councillor?
Jeffrey Halsall:
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Kate Hepworth: In my 25 years of EMS/Fire Dispatch, not once was it ever an option to just give up on a call. I will not give up on residents. Everyone is entitled to a response that gives as much clarity as possible.
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Keri Parfitt:
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Aanya Shahi:
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Tom Sweeney: My life experience has been quite varied. My B.A. in History/Philosophy started me off in my career with an ability to understand the perspectives of both sides of any issue. This was helpful later in my logistics career as an operations manager when dealing with a high stress environment, and allowed me to boil things down to root causes and find solutions quickly. As the owner of a masonry repair and restoration company since 2005 I have gained valuable insight into the construction industry, business ownership and customer service. My 16 years with the Caledon Lions Club has given me deep insight into our community and how to deliver what they need. I am ready to serve Ward 1.
3. How does the use of Strong Mayor Powers impact the role of Council? How will you move your priorities forward in a Strong Mayor environment?
Jeffrey Halsall:
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Kate Hepworth: Strong Mayor Powers doesn’t impact the role of Council, it destroys it. When the ability of a councillor is eliminated then they are not able to speak for the residents.
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Keri Parfitt:
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Aanya Shahi:
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Tom Sweeney: I believe that the use of Strong Mayor Powers are inherently undemocratic and should not be used in our town full stop. Unfortunately the Strong Mayor power exists. In the Strong Mayor environment I will work with council to hopefully guide the Mayor’s actions to remain in line with the communities wishes. As was seen in some instances public outcry and pressure from the community was able to overcome misguided actions by a Strong Mayor.
4. How will you balance the needs of your own ward(s) with the needs of the Town as a whole?
Jeffrey Halsall:
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Kate Hepworth: While each ward brings it’s own issues, each councillor will certainly advocate for their residents, however, when so many topics overlap, business, traffic, development for example then councillors need to discuss each others issues. While I understand all councillors cannot be in the same room at the same time outside of chambers (otherwise it is considered a quorum) I would hope that councillors could attend various community meetings in each others Wards and listen, so much can be learned from listening.
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Keri Parfitt:
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Aanya Shahi:
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Tom Sweeney: Ward 1 residents are traditionally left behind on their wants as well as their needs . Collaboration and relationship building with other councillors is the only way forward for Ward 1. We are few in number, but bear the burden of many challenges for the Town of Caledon. Ward 1 hosts most of the aggregate extraction with the associated trucks, ruined roads and dangerous traffic. We also host most of the trailways and associated day-trippers and tourists. I recognize that each ward has varying requirements that we might not share with them and we need to help accommodate if it is in the best interest of the rest of Caledon, and if it will help Ward 1 achieve their goals.
5. How will you balance maintaining affordable property taxes while investing in the services and infrastructure residents rely on?
Jeffrey Halsall:
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Kate Hepworth: Current residents cannot take on the cost of residents of the future, it’s a simple fact that todays dollar does not buy as much as it once did. I would ask that the Town reconsider just how much warehousing and logistics we need. How much do these massive structures actually contribute to the tax base? Who currently pays their fair share into the tax base? We know it isn’t aggregate. This question is complex to answer in 700 characters.
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Keri Parfitt:
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Aanya Shahi:
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Tom Sweeney: Yes, Caledon is growing, no it is not a city yet, and its budget should reflect that. The Town of Caledon has massive changes coming, and it may have massive budget short-falls coming. With the downloading of the Regional Roads cost on Caledon with no funding reported we have an issue. The Town has reported on February 4th that a 3-year-old study confirms that we need $80 million to run the Region roads next year, and it could result in a 73% tax increase. With this in mind, council must apply greater scrutiny to spending and focus budget discussions on needs – not wants. The family that is short money should not be going to the movies every week. We can grow, but cautiously.
6. How will you manage growth while protecting Caledon’s agricultural lands, natural environment and water table?
Jeffrey Halsall:
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Kate Hepworth: Growth in Ward 1 MUST be carefully assessed. There are settlement area boundaries for a reason. If the growth can happen within the SAB without causing impacts to residents and infrastructure then it might be possible, however, Ward 1 has already had growth attempted and now sits at OLT, there is more on the way, we must be diligent and residents have every right to speak to it. You cannot promote an area for tourism, then cover it in cement.
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Keri Parfitt:
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Aanya Shahi:
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Tom Sweeney: Ward 1 and its’ natural beauty is the jewel in the crown of Peel. I will strive to protect what we have here. This means ensuring that development takes place within urban boundaries, and is not building for the sake of building. Each application, (which there will be) must be carefully studied to safeguard that it is first, within urban boundaries, that there is sufficient water and septic capabilities and that it doesn’t negatively affect the surroundings.
7. How will you keep residents informed and engaged, ensuring transparency and accountability at Town Hall?
Jeffrey Halsall:
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Kate Hepworth: By encouraging public meetings at locations available to residents. More emails with upcoming topics on the agenda, items that can be disscussed, making location specific items available to local residents. Email, website, phone calls, public meetings, all this can happen, but it only works if residents participate.
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Keri Parfitt:
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Aanya Shahi:
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Tom Sweeney: This is difficult in Ward 1 due to our spread out population. However, I would like to work on a monthly update on Town Hall activities. This could be done through an email sign-up or just a Facebook page which would be accessible to the community. While it won’t be always all-inclusive of Town Hall work, it would at least be able to give a view of big-ticket spending and anything affecting those in Ward 1.
8. What is one challenge facing Caledon that you believe deserves more attention? How will you move this forward?
Jeffrey Halsall:
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Kate Hepworth: Being prepared for the future. There is a tendency to be reactive instead of proactive. The Town of Caledon has growth coming, but are we prepared? One major item that comes to mind is EMS, I do not see anyone advocating for an increase in staff. Municipalities around us are also growing and that can stretch the EMS resources to the detriment of our residents. Again, this is another topic that will take more than 700 characters to explain.
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Keri Parfitt:
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Aanya Shahi:
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Tom Sweeney: The Town of Caledon needs desperately to look forward at the start of the 413 construction and resulting aggregate flow out of our community to the work site. Environmental Defense reports an estimate of 130,000 loads of aggregate for the 413 and Bradford Bypass. We already suffer from truck traffic and the damage to the roads. The 61% of the Aggregate Levy that the Town receives has amounted to less than $400,000 in recent years. This does not pay for the damage caused by current trucking, and with future development and 413 trucking, our roads will suffer. We need to advocate to the province for more of a share, or an increase to the levy to match current costs.
9. How will residents know whether you have been successful at the end of your four-year term?
Jeffrey Halsall:
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Kate Hepworth: I would hope that residents will see success, as they will have been part of the journey.
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Keri Parfitt:
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Aanya Shahi:
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Tom Sweeney: Residents will know that I have been successful because I will have responded to them in a timely fashion, worked with them to achieve their goals and stood by them to protect our community. Council’s goal should be to make sure that the Town of Caledon does everything it can so residents can thrive and prosper.
10. Is there anything else that you would like voters to know about you or your priorities for Caledon?
Jeffrey Halsall:
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Kate Hepworth: Yes, something about me. I am ready to serve, to be every residents voice, we may not always agree, I may not always have the ability to do everything the residents need, but only because it may be out of my hands, not because I don’t want to try.
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Keri Parfitt:
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Aanya Shahi:
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Tom Sweeney: I want Ward 1 to know that I hear their concerns and hopes, and will do everything in my power to successfully bring the issues of our villages, hamlets, lines and sideroads to the table at Town Council.