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Turning to your campaign, you should be running for a clear purpose because many people will ask you why you want the job. If your answer is because you need a job or are self-proclaimed politico, you will need to do better. You need to be running for the right reasons. For example, I ran in 2006 primarily because I wanted to fix Limebank Road, which had been voted Ontario’s Worst Road. Remember the credo that all politics are local, especially at the municipal level where you deal with important but granular issues such as traffic lights, bus stops and parking.

When outlining your passion and political motivation to voters, make sure the issue is within the jurisdiction of the municipal government. If it’s a federal or provincial problem, you are on the wrong bus.

You will need to knock on lots of doors and speak to as many people as you can first-hand. There is no substitute for connecting with voters and identifying potential and real support. However, you should resist being all things to all people and telling everyone what they want to hear by pandering to every cause. It raises expectations that you won’t be able to deliver on, and propagating dishonest responses is just wrong.

You should have a very close look at your tax and water bill and understand the financial impacts of such bills on your constituents. Every promise you make will likely have a direct impact on the tax bill. You need to have a good idea on how you plan to pay for your priorities. I always had my city tax bill tucked away in my jacket pocket because it reminded me that I needed to be grounded to the financial bottom line and that I had skin in the game.