Sigmund Lee
Ward 2 Resident | Candidate for Richmond Hill Council
Practical leadership you can trust.
Key Issues and Community Updates
Clear positions. Practical action. Accountability for results.
Residents raise concerns about rising costs, community safety, traffic, development, local businesses and the value of municipal services. This page explains what I am hearing, where I stand and the practical action I would pursue.
Property Taxes and Affordability
Residents are concerned about affordability and rising taxes. Repeated increases compound over time, adding pressure on homeowners, seniors, families and small businesses.
The
City’s Financial Master Plan (PDF)
provides important background for examining long-term spending and funding decisions.
What the Financial Forecast Shows
The City’s Financial Master Plan forecasts the following average annual real tax levy increases under its modelled capital spending plan:
7.4%
Average annual real tax levy increase
Forecast real tax levy increase for 2027 to 2031.
6.0%
Average annual real tax levy increase
Forecast real tax levy increase for 2027 to 2035.
These are overlapping forecast periods. The 6.0% figure covers the full nine years, including the first five.
After allowing for projected assessment growth, the corresponding averages are 5.4% and 4.2%. The forecasts are in constant 2026 dollars and exclude inflation. They concern the City’s tax levy, not the total property-tax bill for an individual home, and are not approved annual tax increases.
The report identifies the forecast capital spending level as unsustainable and says reducing its scale would help limit tax levy increases and the need for debt.
These figures do not represent every cost facing residents. Water and wastewater rates, stormwater charges, York Region taxes and other fees can add further pressure to household budgets.
Spending commitments made today shape the taxes and fees residents will face for years.
My Position
Tax increases must be justified, manageable and tied to clear value for residents. Before asking residents to pay more, Council should demonstrate that it has reviewed non-essential spending, reduced unnecessary bureaucracy and protected essential services.
What I Would Push For
Review Spending
A line-by-line review of major spending pressures and non-essential commitments.
Set Priorities
Clear distinctions between essential services and projects that can wait or be phased.
Disclose the Trade-Offs
Explain how projects will be funded and which other priorities may be affected.
Examine Long-Term Costs
Review operating, maintenance and replacement costs before new commitments are approved.
Report Clearly
Better public reporting on reserves, reallocations, debt and financial trade-offs.
Show the Full Bill
A complete discussion of the taxes, rates and fees residents are being asked to carry.
Accountability and a Better-Run City Hall
Residents should receive clear information, understandable decisions and municipal services that operate efficiently.
City Hall should also listen to the people who work with municipal systems every day and the residents and businesses who must use those systems.
My Position
City Hall should be understandable, efficient and accountable for results. Good ideas can come from frontline employees, residents and businesses. Council should create safe ways to hear those ideas, reduce unnecessary procedures and report publicly on what changed.
A Red Tape Reduction Initiative
Frontline Employees
A confidential channel allowing employees to identify duplicated work, outdated procedures and unnecessary administrative steps, with the option to submit ideas anonymously.
Residents and Businesses
A separate public channel for identifying confusing forms, repeated requirements, inconsistent instructions and avoidable delays.
These channels would not replace existing complaint, workplace, appeal or service-request processes. Their purpose would be to identify recurring administrative problems and opportunities for broader improvement.
What I Would Push For
Measure Results
Annual public reporting on suggestions received, reviewed and implemented.
Protect Employees
Appropriate confidentiality and protection for employees making good-faith suggestions.
Explain Decisions
Clearer City reports, summaries and public-facing documents.
Review City Hall Processes
Examine whether the two-step Committee of the Whole and Council process continues to provide sufficient value.
Focus on Municipal Results
Prioritize matters within municipal authority where Council can produce meaningful results.
Improve Transparency
Clear reporting on Council compensation, expenses and decisions affecting public money.
Community Safety
Residents have reported concerns about safety and quality of life near Yonge Street and Crosby Avenue, including discarded needles, suspected drug activity, property crime, trespassing and disturbances.
These reports should be examined carefully, without assuming who is responsible. Residents, businesses and people using support services all benefit when safety concerns are addressed early and responsibly.
My Position
Compassion and public safety must go together. Support services need appropriate supervision, community coordination and respect for the surrounding neighbourhood, while vulnerable youth continue to receive help.
What I Would Push For
Direct Coordination
Bring together the City, York Regional Police, service providers, residents, businesses and the youth centre.
Practical Safety Measures
Review on-site supervision, security practices and conditions in the surrounding area.
Hazard Reporting
Clear reporting and cleanup procedures for discarded needles and other hazards.
Meaningful Follow-Up
Regular monitoring and updates so residents know whether concerns are being addressed.
Neighbourhood Watch and Crime Prevention
Some residents have told me they would like to establish Neighbourhood Watch programs but have struggled to find support and follow-up.
I would help interested residents connect with York Regional Police and available community-safety resources, and work to improve communication among residents, Council and police.
Safer Streets and Sidewalks
Residents raise concerns about speeding, congestion, pedestrian crossings, school-area safety and the use of e-bikes and other motorized devices on sidewalks.
The City should review whether its rules, signage, enforcement and public education address the problems residents are experiencing.
My Position
Safety improvements should fit the location, address the actual problem and consider the needs of nearby residents. Consultation and careful design should guide the choice of measures.
Tools to Consider
Signs and Markings
Improve signs, pavement markings and warnings where existing measures are unclear.
Traffic Calming
Use speed cushions and other traffic-calming tools where the evidence and location support them.
Safer Crossings
Consider curb extensions, protected crossings and school-zone improvements.
Education and Enforcement
Combine public education with targeted enforcement where unsafe behaviour continues.
Design reviews should consider parking, visitor access, walking distances for seniors, emergency vehicles and snow clearing. Safety improvements should be practical for the people who use the street every day.
Development and Growth
Residents have raised concerns about development that adds density without sufficient attention to traffic, infrastructure, services, neighbourhood character and quality of life.
They also want clear explanations when approved projects remain delayed and when promised benefits do not appear.
My Position
Development should respect infrastructure capacity, community needs and long-term planning. Growth should deliver better places to live, together with the services, employment opportunities, commercial space and public areas people need.
Questions I Would Ask
Transportation
Can surrounding roads and intersections accommodate the additional travel demand?
Infrastructure
Are water, wastewater, parks, emergency services and other infrastructure ready?
Neighbourhood Impact
How will the proposal affect nearby homes, businesses and community life?
Public Value
What public spaces, services, commercial uses or community benefits will be delivered?
Employment Capacity
Can the development preserve or expand Richmond Hill’s commercial and employment space?
Follow-Through
What happens if an approved project is delayed, and how will residents be kept informed?
Using Growth to Build a Stronger Economy
Richmond Hill has limited land remaining for new commercial and employment development. Once land is converted to predominantly residential use, it can be extremely difficult to recover that employment capacity later.
Along appropriate sections of the Yonge Street corridor, Richmond Hill should explore allowing additional residential height when a development provides substantial, usable and protected commercial or employment space on its lower floors.
A building could include shops and restaurants on the ground floor, offices or services on the second and third floors, and residential units above.
Any additional height should remain subject to infrastructure capacity, appropriate transitions, emergency-service requirements, good planning and a proper financial analysis.
Growth should not only add residents. It should also create places where people can work, shop and obtain services.
Local Economy, Downtown and Commercial Areas
A vibrant city needs places where people can shop, eat, work, gather and support local businesses. Cleaner streets, welcoming public spaces and a useful mix of businesses and services should be part of downtown planning.
Richmond Hill also has limited land remaining for commercial and employment development. The City should protect that capacity and explore practical ways to create employment space vertically in appropriate mixed-use developments.
My Position
The City can create better conditions for business success through cleaner and safer commercial areas, suitable commercial space, attractive public areas, practical parking and access, responsive municipal processes and planning tools that support employment and investment.
What Richmond Hill Should Explore
Downtown Access
A practical parking and access strategy that considers businesses, visitors and pedestrians.
Welcoming Commercial Areas
Cleaner streets, consistent maintenance and attractive public spaces.
Suitable Business Space
Planning tools that support restaurants, small businesses, offices and employment uses.
Business Retention
Targeted support for retaining and expanding existing Richmond Hill businesses.
Faster Problem-Solving
Help businesses address municipal barriers without unnecessary delay.
Measure the Results
Evaluate programs through jobs supported, businesses retained, occupancy and investment.
Richmond Hill should also prepare for outside economic pressures, including disruptions to Canada-U.S. trade, and connect local employers with the City’s skilled and diverse workforce.
Read More About My Approach
My Public Commentary contains further analysis, sources and proposals. Residents should be able to examine the reasoning behind a position, review the evidence and ask questions about it.
Let’s Talk About Ward 2
Good decisions begin with listening. If you have a concern, question or idea about Ward 2 or Richmond Hill, I would be pleased to hear from you.
Email: votesigmund@gmail.com
Phone: 416 833 4347
If you live in Ward 2, I would be honoured to earn your support and your vote.