In East Gwillimbury, you elect two Ward Councillors. Make Shahab Aryan your first choice to bring independent, engineered leadership to Town Council.

Open Letter to the Residents and Candidates of Ward 2

Open Letter to the Residents and Candidates of Ward 2 East Gwillimbury

As a resident of Ward 2, I have to ask: why are there nine candidates on the ballot?

This is one of the most crowded municipal races in Ontario. With so many names running for two seats, finding the right voice will not be easy this term. Voters face a serious challenge in distinguishing who is genuinely prepared to champion our community and who is simply running interference for the political establishment.

With that many names on the ballot, questioning every candidate is necessary. The residents of Sharon and Queensville deserve direct answers on where every candidate stands regarding democratic rights, municipal accountability, and critical infrastructure.

I am emailing the following questions to all Ward 2 candidates and asking them to respond by Saturday, September 26, 2026, at 12:00 PM. I will publish everyone’s responses unedited—including my own—so voters can see clearly where everyone stands.

Ward 2 Candidate Accountability Questionnaire:

1. Public Deputations & Democratic Rights In January, a surprise motion (Resolution C2026-006) was introduced to restrict public deputations, placing new limitations and procedural hurdles on residents seeking to address their elected council. When defending this motion to silence the public, Councillor Scott Crone went on the record stating: "These are council meetings, not public forums. They are our meetings..."

- Spearheaded and Moved by: Councillor Scott Crone

- Actively Backed and Seconded by: Councillor Tara Roy-DiClemente

Recorded Vote:

§ Voted to Restrict Residents (Yes): Councillor Scott Crone, Councillor Roy-DiClemente, Councillor Loralea Carruthers, Councillor Foster, Mayor Hackson

§ Stood with Residents (No): Councillor Brian Johns, Councillor Susan Lahey

Do you support restricting public deputations at Town Council? If a councillor introduces a similar motion this upcoming term, will you commit to voting against it to protect taxpayers' democratic right to be heard?

2. Respect and Accountability at Town Hall Residents must be able to engage with Town Hall without fear of being dismissed, demeaned, or mistreated when voicing legitimate grievances.

Do you commit to enforcing a strict standard of accountability for how Council and municipal staff interact with taxpayers, ensuring every resident is treated with dignity and respect?

3. The East Gwillimbury Public High School Our community has waited years for local secondary education infrastructure, forcing our children to commute outside our municipality.

Will you commit to using the full weight of Town Council to demand that the York Region District School Board (YRDSB) immediately fund, approve, and build East Gwillimbury’s first public high school?

4. Road Safety & Regional Advocacy Following a serious collision at Leslie Street and Doane Road, over 400 residents signed a petition demanding action, securing a written commitment from York Region for 2027 traffic signals and expedited intersection improvement design.

Will you commit to holding York Region accountable to this 2027 timeline? Furthermore, will you champion regional upgrades for Sharon and Queensville, including reliable public transit, regional road network improvements, and increased police presence?

5. Core Services Review & The "Service Match" Standard In the 2026 Business Plan and Budget Survey, residents expressed widespread concern over property tax increases, while identifying Fire and Emergency Services as the highest priority for service-level improvements.

Do you support initiating a formal Core Services Review to audit municipal procurement and drive operational efficiencies? Furthermore, will you commit to a "Service Match Policy" ensuring our core services—especially Fire and Emergency response—match the highest standards in York Region with zero resulting impact on property taxes?

6. Electoral Ward Boundary Review To ensure fair and equal representation as our municipality grows, our governance model needs to be modernized.

Do you support initiating a comprehensive ward boundary review to transition East Gwillimbury to a "One Ward, One Councillor" system—for example, dividing Sharon and Queensville into separate wards so that each community has its own dedicated councillor?

7. Public Safety & The Public Interest Decisions made at Council must place the long-term well-being of the community ahead of narrow political convenience.

Do you commit to prioritizing public safety and the public interest above all else, ensuring that neither is ever compromised for private or political gain?

8. Residency, Campaign Funding & True Independence Voters deserve to know who their candidates represent and whether private interests will influence public votes.

Residency: Which community (Holland Landing, Sharon, Queensville, Mt. Albert) do you currently live in, and why are you choosing to run specifically in Ward 2?
Campaign Financing: Who is funding your campaign, and what do your financial backers expect once the election is over?
Conflicts of Interest: If you operate or hold financial interests in private businesses—particularly within real estate, mortgages, development, or contracting—what potential conflicts exist, and how will you guarantee they never intersect with your council votes?
Independence: What assurances can you provide that your votes will never be cast to enrich yourself, your business, your family, or your close associates? Are you running independently, or are you backed by the existing political establishment? If independent, how do you prove it?

True independence matters. The residents of Ward 2 deserve to know who is running to serve the community and who is running to protect the status quo.

Below is the contact information for all registered candidates across East Gwillimbury. I encourage every resident to reach out directly, ask tough questions, and demand the answers needed to make an informed decision on election day.

Ward 1 Candidates