The East Gwillimbury Ward 2 Candidate Accountability Questionnaire

My Straight Answers to the East Gwillimbury Ward 2 Candidate Accountability Questionnaire

This week, I issued the Ward 2 Candidate Accountability Questionnaire and sent it to every Ward 2 candidate’s email (except Jim Kiely, as I couldn't find his public email—if you have it, please send it to me). I expect to receive their responses by today, Saturday, September 26, at noon. This is one of the most crowded wards in Ontario. Why? Because the establishment has no assurance of winning the Ward 2 seat, so they are crowding the race with more insiders.

Here is the reality: Every voter in East Gwillimbury gets two votes for electing two Ward Councillors. I have two votes. My first vote goes to my first choice, an independent engineer candidate, Shahab Aryan, absolutely. My second vote? It has to be earned. I didn't just ask these questions as a candidate—I asked them as a taxpayer demanding accountability. I will decide where my second vote goes based on who actually has the courage to answer these questions.

Real leadership means going on the record. Below are my straight answers to the Accountability Questionnaire. I am posting them here and on my website. If any other candidate steps up and responds, I will gladly publish theirs too.

Let's see who is actually ready!

1. Public Deputations & Democratic Rights 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?

My Answer: No. I absolutely oppose restricting public deputations. Town Hall belongs to the taxpayers, not the politicians. The idea that council meetings are "their meetings" and not public forums is completely backwards. If a councillor introduces a motion to restrict your democratic right to speak, I will vote it down immediately. We need more public oversight in East Gwillimbury, not less. I will champion a strict town-wide policy requiring broad, transparent community consultation and clear, accessible public notices for all municipal decisions that impact your day-to-day life.

2. Respect and Accountability at Town Hall 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?

My Answer: YES. I commit to a zero-tolerance policy for dismissing or demeaning residents. Taxpayers are the employers of Town Council and municipal staff. When residents bring forward legitimate grievances—whether it is about a dangerous intersection or a zoning issue—they must be met with transparency and respect, not arrogance. I will enforce a strict standard of professional accountability across the board. Furthermore, respect must be mutual. This standard of dignity and fairness applies not only to residents, but also to how Council members and municipal staff treat one another. A healthy Town Hall requires a collaborative, professional environment for everyone. I will remain constantly available to neighbours and will publish a formal Semi-Annual Ward Accountability Report detailing my voting record, key project milestones, budget allocations, and how effectively constituent issues are being resolved.

3. The East Gwillimbury Public High School 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?

My Answer: YES. I will aggressively champion a new high school. The current establishment uses the excuse that "schools are a school board decision or provincial issue" to justify doing nothing. As we have seen in Bradford, when a municipal council actively advocates, uses land-use tools like Ministerial Zoning Orders (MZOs), and pushes the Ministry of Education, their second high school gets built. I will not accept the status quo of our teenagers commuting out of town while our municipality rapidly expands. School boards rely on municipal growth data. If a municipal council simply throws its hands in the air and says "not my jurisdiction," the Ministry of Education will gladly divert capital funding to municipalities whose councils are actively fighting for them. Our residents should not fill the capacity demands of neighboring towns' high schools. They deserve to study in their hometown.

4. Road Safety & Regional Advocacy 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?

My Answer: YES. I will hold York Region to the 2027 timeline because I am the one who secured it. When the establishment was silent following the crash at Leslie and Doane, I organized the community petition, gathered over 400 signatures, and forced the Region to commit to traffic signals in writing. I will ensure that timeline is met, and I will demand reliable east-west transit connecting Mount Albert to our communities, alongside regional road network upgrades.

Leveraging my professional background in transportation engineering and project management, I will work aggressively with all levels of government to advance vital road networks. We must urgently expedite Doane Road improvements, secure the Highway 404/Doane Road interchange, and widen Leslie Street to prevent gridlock and keep our community moving safely as it grows before the new Southlake hospital is built. Beyond regional corridors, I will prioritize local neighborhood traffic calming and safe school zones with enhanced pedestrian crossings, sidewalks, and automated speed enforcement where our children walk and play.

42% of our local property taxes go directly to York Region. I will work relentlessly with Council to hold the Region accountable, ensuring our tax dollars are fairly prorated and reinvested directly back into our community for essential regional infrastructure, visible police presence, enhanced paramedic services, upgraded utilities, and better public transit.

• Direct GO Station Access: Connect us directly to the East Gwillimbury GO Station through a new route or by modifying Route 50.

• Expanding Local Routes: Expand the existing local route within Holland Landing to cover the Sharon and Queensville communities, connecting us directly to our municipal facilities, the Queensville Park and Ride, and the East Gwillimbury GO Station, or establish a new local route entirely. I will also advocate for Mount Albert residents to ensure their community is integrated into the transit network and no longer feels isolated.
  
  

5. Core Services Review & The "Service Match" Standard 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?

My Answer: YES. I fully commit to the Service Match Policy. We cannot keep raising property taxes while delivering subpar core services. I support a rigorous Core Services Review to audit municipal procurement and eliminate waste. As a Professional Engineer accustomed to managing complex infrastructure budgets, I know we can find the operational efficiencies needed to elevate our Fire and Emergency response times to match the highest standards in York Region—without putting the burden on the taxpayer.

A core initiative of my platform is a “Service Match Policy.” Our town services should set the standard in York Region. Simply put: if a neighbouring municipality delivers a service better and more efficiently—whether that is a 3-bag residential garbage limit or fully-staffed fire and emergency services—we will match it, all while maintaining our competitive tax rates. Through this strategic review process, we will uncover the necessary efficiencies and utilize available municipal tools and options to ensure your current tax dollars fully fund these improvements, with zero impact on your tax bill.

6. Electoral Ward Boundary Review 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?

My Answer: YES. We need a "One Ward, One Councillor" system. Our current ward boundaries are outdated. Lumping distinct, growing communities together dilutes representation. Under the current two-member system, responsibility is easily deflected between councillors. A 'One Ward, One Councillor' model establishes clear, direct accountability: when a resident calls, there is one person whose job it is to answer and deliver results. I support initiating a comprehensive ward boundary review so that Sharon, Queensville, and other EG communities have their own dedicated, single-member representation that accurately reflects current populations, future growth, and the distinct identities of our communities. Even if I am not elected, I will lead this change to bring accountability, transparency, and better representation of the public to our Town Hall to ensure the public interest is heard, not the establishment.

7. Public Safety & The Public Interest 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?

My Answer: YES. Public safety is non-negotiable. As a licensed Professional Engineer (P.Eng.), prioritizing public safety is not just a political talking point for me; it is a strict ethical and legal obligation. I will never compromise the safety or long-term viability of East Gwillimbury's infrastructure for private gain or political convenience. I will protect the public interest. My only special interest is the public interest.

8. Residency, Campaign Funding & True Independence

• 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?
  My Answer: I am a proud resident of Queensville, raising my family right here in Ward 2. Because this is my home, I believe Ward 2 will see significant growth and planning in the coming years. Critical infrastructure must be upgraded and ready for the new Southlake hospital and future development. As a resident of Ward 2, I have first-hand experience with the day-to-day challenges and needs of our community, which is why I decided to step up and run.

• Campaign Financing: Who is funding your campaign, and what do your financial backers expect once the election is over?
  My Answer: My campaign is 100% self-funded with a limited budget. True accountability starts with how a campaign is run. I am entirely self-funding my campaign to guarantee that every decision I make is free from developer, corporate, or agency influence. My financial backers expect nothing, because I have none. To demonstrate true transparency, I commit to publishing my complete campaign financial disclosure publicly online well before the statutory post-election deadlines.

• 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?
  My Answer: I am a public sector civil and transportation engineer and public servant. I do not operate private contracting, real estate, or development businesses anywhere. My professional life is dedicated to public infrastructure, meaning my votes will always be strictly in the public interest.

• 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?
  My Answer: I am running fully independent and have zero ties to the current municipal establishment. I owe them nothing. My sole obligation is to the residents of Sharon, Queensville, and East Gwillimbury as a whole. I will put our community first and do the hard work required to secure a prosperous legacy for the next generation. I am dedicated to building safer, more connected, and more prosperous neighborhoods for everyone. I am accepting zero political donations and conducting no fundraising. I am not a political insider—I am entirely free of any conflicts of interest. With no competing business interests, development land, shareholders, or agency affiliations, my only focus is serving you and the public interest with full Accountability, Transparency, and Integrity.
  
  

All of my full platform and detailed plans are available on my website at www.ShahabAryan.ca  . Please read them and reach out directly if you have questions.

𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐜𝐲. In East Gwillimbury, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝟐 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐬, giving you the power to shape our community's future. Make 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐛 𝐀𝐫𝐲𝐚𝐧 your absolute first choice to bring independent, engineered leadership to Town Council.