Insanity: "Doing the Same Thing, Election after Election, and Expecting a Different Result"

For over 30 years, Owen Sound residents have headed to the polls every four years—choosing from the same narrow slate of candidates. Each time, we hope for a council that will finally listen, that will recognize that more than half of our residents are struggling financially, and that will deliver meaningful, lasting change.

But hope isn't a strategy—and this approach keeps failing us.

Real change won't come until we expand the candidate pool to include people who truly understand the growing disconnect between the city’s spending priorities and the everyday needs of its citizens.

There is something deeply wrong when $25 million is poured into an art gallery that few residents visit—while basic necessities, like public washrooms for the unhoused, go ignored.

It’s time for a new approach!

What We Need to Change

Our mission is simple: to inspire Owen Sound residents to participate meaningfully in the next municipal election—and to help shape a local government that truly represents the community it serves.

We Need New Voices

We’re calling on people from all walks of life — those with lived experience, fresh ideas, and a commitment to their community — to consider running for City Council. If that’s not for you, consider supporting someone who shares your vision. At the very least, be informed: research the candidates and vote for those who reflect your values and priorities for Owen Sound.

Demand Transparency and Public Input

Over the past year, many residents have voiced concerns that City Council is becoming increasingly disconnected from the community. Consider the following:

• Council reduced public speaking time from five minutes to just three.

• A promised Town Hall—meant to foster direct community dialogue—was downgraded to a passive departmental open house.

• The City spent $85,000 on a 2050 visioning study, then withheld the resulting community survey from public view.

• A $100,000 municipal services review was completed, but its findings were embargoed by the city manager.

These are not isolated missteps—they represent a pattern. Residents are being sidelined in decisions that affect them directly. We believe that needs to change.

Insist on Fiscal Responsibility

Despite a population that has slightly declined over the past 30 years, the size and cost of our municipal administration continue to grow:

• Management salaries in Owen Sound are now 30% higher than the average across eight comparable municipalities.

• Between 2011 and 2023, total salary costs rose 38.4%, far outpacing the 31.2% increase in the cost of living.

• That’s an extra $1.6 million in salary growth beyond inflation—money that could have gone toward critical services like public transit or community infrastructure.

This is not sustainable. Council must do better at aligning staffing and spending with the city’s actual needs and economic realities.

Serve All Residents—Not Just a Few

City Council recently approved over $100,000 in consulting fees to explore a $25 million expansion of the Art Gallery—a facility that sees relatively low use. At the same time, they declined to fund a handful of portable washrooms that would bring basic dignity to unhoused residents downtown.We need leadership that prioritizes essential services and supports the most vulnerable members of our community—not just high-cost capital projects with narrow appeal.

Remove Barriers for 50% of Residents

Currently each councillor receives an annual compensation of $26,572, the mayor receives $58,780 and the Deputy Mayor 30,300. The problem with the current compensation is that it excludes the 50% of the households taking home less than $57,600. Wage earners in many of these households would have to give up one of their part-time jobs in order to run for city council which is not a viable option.  To address this inequity the next council needs to reduce the size of council from nine(9) to five(5). This would enable a remuneration increase for councillors to $57,259 without the need to increase the budget. This would effectively open the door for all Owen Sound residents to run for council.