Andy Fillmore, a Halifax MP, has announced he’s running for mayor.
He said the city is going through a record moment of growth, which he and many others worked very hard to accomplish for a long time.
“But now I feel a call to be back home in Halifax to help us navigate through the challenges of growth that we’re experiencing, and feel that I’m uniquely positioned and qualified to do that,” Fillmore told reporters.
He said he’s been “a champion for Halifax” as an MP, at city hall as a planner, and at the Waterfront Development Corporation, which has since amalgamated with Build Nova Scotia.
He announced his campaign, alongside people from the community, at the Alderney Landing Rotunda on Wednesday.
Councillors Pam Lovelace and Waye Mason have announced their plans to run, along with five newcomers.
Fillmore has been Halifax’s member of parliament since 2015 for the Liberal party.
He recently announced he would step down from the role amid rumours he would run for mayor.
If he wins, he said he wants to freeze the municipal tax rate for two years and improve affordable housing.
Affordable housing
He said freezing the tax rate would “allow people to just take a breath” and prevent them from having to spend more money because the cost of living is so high.
“Although renters don’t see a tax bill every month, it’s buried in their rent every month,” he said.
During the two year pause, he said he wants to study how to more effectively deliver services in the municipality.
He also said he would look at amending building codes to allow different types of construction, which could help build more homes faster.
With a lot of growth, one of the challenges is preserving the character of the city, the “very essence of what our communities are and why people want to be here,” he said.
“The path ahead is to make sure that all of our communities are inclusive, that they’re affordable, that they’re safe and welcoming.”
Improving ferry service
Halifax Transit has had issues with ferry staff in recent months, and Fillmore says that needs to change.
He said he also wants to improve transit, too.
The city needs to talk to the union and figure out how to hire more ferry operators and bus drivers, he said.
Subdivision egress routes
He also said, going forward, bylaws should require that subdivision designs include secondary egress routes.
After wildfires in Tantallon and Hammonds Plains in May 2023, many questioned why there were not more egress routes, which would have helped people evacuate faster.
Stepping down as MP
Fillmore still has some work to finish up as the member of parliament for Halifax.
He said the municipal election period begins in September, and he “will have resigned by then.” But he has yet to set a date.
He’s not sure what will happen with his position as MP, if there will be a by-election, because it depends on when the government calls the next federal election.
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