A Lean, Highly Motivated Team

THE SOLUTION TO YEARS OF TAX INCREASES

Owen Sound’s median after-tax household income is just $57,600—meaning half our residents are struggling to make ends meet. Why? Because the well-paying jobs that once sustained our community—at Goodyear, Pittsburgh Glass, Keenans, Russel Brothers, Kennedys and others—left town decades ago.

Despite years of effort and millions spent on “economic development,” those jobs have not returned—and they are not coming back. The reality is clear: Owen Sound’s future will not be built on manufacturing wages. Instead, we are seeing steady growth in two areas only: health care and retirees choosing Owen Sound as a place to live out their later years. There is nothing wrong with that. But it does mean that council must get serious about living within our means.

Where City Hall Went Wrong

The issue isn’t that City Hall staff are paid too much—it’s that there are too many of them, and far too many layers of management.

> In 2022, Owen Sound had 79 employees on the provincial Sunshine List (earning over $100,000).

> By 2024, that number had ballooned to 85.

> Comparable municipalities delivering the same services have 20–30 fewer high-paid staff.

It’s not the pay scale—it’s the inefficiency.

When seven City staff attend a single DIA meeting—outnumbering the business owners they are there to “support”

that’s not service delivery. That’s waste.

The Smarter Path Forward

We don’t need more managers. We need fewer—but better—managers.

> Fewer positions at the top, but with higher pay to attract real talent.

> A performance-based incentive system tied to efficiency and cost reduction.

> A laser focus on delivering core services efficiently—and on growing revenues from sources other than taxes and fees.

This isn’t about cutting for the sake of cutting. It’s about building a lean, highly motivated team whose mission is simple: deliver the best possible services at the lowest possible cost.

The Bottom Line

Owen Sound residents cannot afford business-as-usual at City Hall. Our expenses keep rising faster than inflation, and every year that gap is closed with yet another tax hike.

It doesn’t have to be this way. With a smaller, sharper, and results-driven leadership team, we can finally stop the cycle of rising costs and rising taxes—and build a City Hall that works for the people, not against them.

Lean. Motivated. Accountable. That’s how we remake council.