Property taxes, development and strong mayor powers took centre stage Wednesday night as seven candidates for mayor of Pickering laid out competing visions for the city ahead of the Oct. 26 municipal election.
More than 200 people filled a hall at the Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex for the forum, organized by the Fairport Beach Neighbourhood Association.
Incumbent Mayor Kevin Ashe faced challengers Doug Cornell, Janice Frampton, Zargham Rasool, Coun. Lisa Robinson, Andrea Wood and Shaun Rickard. Although candidates were asked not to name one another, exchanges between Ashe and Robinson grew heated at points, reflecting a longer history of clashes at city council.
Competing tax promises
Property taxes drew some of the sharpest disagreements. Pickering's city portion of the property tax levy is rising 3.49 per cent in 2026.
Rickard pledged to freeze the city's share of taxes in his first budget.
In my first budget, I'll freeze the city's portion of your taxes at zero, and again, that's the city's portion
Robinson also promised a zero per cent increase in the city's portion, saying she would review spending, consulting contracts and departmental expenses.
We need to live within our means and spend what we can afford because you taxpayers are not ATMs
Cornell questioned whether a zero per cent increase was realistic given the financial pressures facing municipalities.
Anybody who tells you that they're gonna turn around and give you a zero tax break, it's not gonna happen
Ashe argued Pickering must attract more commercial and industrial businesses to ease the burden on homeowners.
In Pickering, eighty-one percent of my revenue comes from the residential and only nineteen from commercial and industrial
Wood said she would not cut services residents rely on.
I don't want to affect your services. Actually, I think that we need to spend more money on services, better bus service, more investment in fire hydrants and so on, more parks and more things that bring our community together
Strong mayor powers divide field
Candidates were also asked how they would use the strong mayor powers granted under provincial legislation, which gives mayors added authority over budgets, senior staff and certain bylaws tied to provincial priorities.
Wood said she prefers working with council and would likely never use the powers.
I strongly believe in democracy, and I am also not so arrogant to think that I have all the answers for everything
Ashe said he has used the budget authority as mayor but has not vetoed bylaws or reassigned staff. Cornell said he does not support the powers, while Rasool said mayors should consult council and residents.
In a democratic society like here in our country we don't need any dictators here
Rickard said he would use the budget powers to freeze the city's tax share while keeping council involved. Robinson said she has opposed the powers since joining council, and would use them once to change three City Hall positions before asking the province to reconsider the legislation.
Development and farmland
Land development also divided the field, including the plan for northeast Pickering, a proposed residential community that could eventually house about 72,000 people and has drawn opposition from environmental groups and the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation.
Candidates also discussed roughly 9,300 acres of federally owned land in north Pickering, originally set aside more than 50 years ago for a second airport that was never built. The federal government ended the airport plan in 2025, according to Wesal TV.
Frampton said farmland should be protected and that growth must pay for growth. Robinson called for completing development in Seaton before opening more farmland and for protecting the Carruthers Creek headwaters. Rickard said development in northeast Pickering should be paused until environmental and traffic studies are finished.
Ashe said the city needs to protect land while creating opportunities for housing and employment, and defended his record on condominium construction, saying three condos are currently under construction. Frampton and Robinson cited far higher numbers of units in the planning process — figures presented by the candidates and not independently verified, Wesal TV reported.
Residents said the forum helped them prepare to vote. Ravi Iyer, a Pickering resident since 2009, said hearing candidates directly left him better informed.
Municipal and school board elections in Durham Region take place Monday, Oct. 26. Advance voting is available, though dates and options vary across the region's eight municipalities.
