When you look at the top names who could be the next mayor you see Swan, Caranci, Brown and Cheng. There are others but, it seems like these four have put a big gap between the others. Joe Swan and Roger Caranci are the veterans, as they served the most time on council. Swan on Ward 3, and Caranci on Ward 1 and 4. But then you look at Matt Brown and Paul Cheng who don’t have as much experience but can and are showing they can compete and run for mayor.
Paul Cheng is from Hong Kong, and moved to Canada 45 years ago. What London did for him, is one reason why he wants to help London, to thank London for all it did for his family.
“I don’t need to come back to London, I want to. We’re in a position where London needs help and I can, with what I know, what little I know, I think I can do some good and I want to repay some of the favors that Londoners gave our family.”
Cheng works on oil, as the project manager. He has worked with a lot of money and has gained valuable business skills. He can see council being run just like a business.
“The first thing I want to do and I would like to tell the folks at city hall. I’m not a cutter, I am for accountability, there is a difference. People have criticized… you can’t run city hall like a business, yes you can.”
Just like any other candidate he has jobs high up on the list of “must do”. But he wants to reshape council. He wants council to just get the job done, no controversy, no front page news, just good old fashion politics.
Now if you look at Matt Brown, is currently the Ward 7 councilor, as well as a high school teacher. He has worked in the private sector, which he sees as an experience builder. With all that he doesn’t see people, like Caranci and Swan, who have served on multiple councils having any type of advantage.
From jobs to remodeling downtown, Brown has ideas he wants to see in London. The downtown core being changed is one big vision he has.
“I would like to focus some significant attention over the next four years on the downtown master plan. Moving buses off of Dundas Street, creating that flexible street where in evening, weekends and during the summer, restaurants can spill out into the streets. It can be a real attractive place for pedestrians to walk and connect that place with our riverfront”
Students are also big part of the plan. From keeping them in the city, to making sure they can find jobs. Brown wants the city to appreciate students for who they are.
“One of the things that we need to recognize as a community is the incredible impact that our students have in this community. Both at Fanshawe College and at Western, they have a significant economic impact, they improve our quality of life, as a community. Those young people from the millennial generation also represent our future as a community.
Matt has the ideas: jobs, downtown, students, helping local businesses etc. He has the experience as a councilor and he sees that put together makes him a good candidate for mayor.
Others who are running include: Joe Swan, Roger Caranci, Steven Gardner, Tae Khun Ha, Donna Kelley, Dan Lenart, Alexander Main, Marie Miszczak, Carlos Murray, Aaron Kaplansky, Ma’in Sinan, Dennis Perry and Jim Kogelheide.
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