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Orangeville mayor, deputy mayor candidates lay out priorities at election forum

October 8, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Joshua Drakes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Candidates vying to become Orangeville’s next mayor and deputy mayor laid out their priorities and differing visions for the community during the Dufferin Board of Trade’s 2026 municipal election forum, tackling issues ranging from taxation and economic development to growth, farmland protection and public transit.

Incumbent Deputy Mayor Todd Taylor is campaigning on affordability, accountability and responsible growth, with a focus on controlling spending, protecting services and ensuring growth does not overwhelm Orangeville’s infrastructure.

Former councillor and deputy mayor Nick Garisto is campaigning on controlling taxes, encouraging economic development and increasing public involvement in municipal decision-making.

Political newcomer Sheila Hall is focused primarily on property taxes, municipal services and transparency, calling for the town to find savings and give residents a greater voice in spending decisions.

Incumbent Mayor Lisa Post is campaigning on continued long-term planning around infrastructure, housing, growth and municipal finances, while strengthening partnerships with other levels of government.

Former mayor Sandy Brown is focused on economic development and expanding Orangeville’s commercial and industrial tax base, alongside increasing housing supply and investing in recreational amenities.

Chris DeCastro is campaigning as an alternative to the current direction of town hall, emphasizing new approaches to local issues and stronger advocacy with provincial and federal governments.

Former mayor Jeremy Williams has made controlling municipal spending and taxation his central campaign priority, arguing the town can find significant savings without cutting services or selling municipal assets.

Following their introductions, candidates moved into the question period, where they were asked to address a range of municipal and county issues.

The Dufferin Board of Trade had several questions prepared in advance, while audience members were also invited to the microphone to raise issues they wanted candidates to address.

While the candidates found common ground on several topics, including opposition to the province’s strong mayor powers, other questions exposed clearer differences in how they would approach Orangeville’s future.

All seven candidates said they would not seek to use strong mayor powers, with several describing the authority as an erosion of the traditional council decision-making process.

Future growth

One of the clearest divides came over how Orangeville should accommodate future growth while protecting the agricultural land surrounding the municipality.

With Orangeville facing limited land for new commercial and industrial development, candidates were asked whether they would commit to maintaining the town’s existing urban boundary rather than expanding onto surrounding farmland. They were also asked what they would do as members of Dufferin County council to protect agricultural land across the county.

Post stopped short of committing to maintaining the existing boundary, pointing to a growth study recently undertaken by the town and saying the municipality will need to weigh its options against the potential impact on the agricultural community.

“The town has just actually undertaken a growth study because if we do want to continue to expand lands for industrial or commercial space, we need additional land for it,” Post said. “We don’t have it right now. So that growth study right now, what it’s pointing towards is that there are a few different paths that we could take. The next step over the next couple of years is to determine whether that’s a path we want to go down or not. We need to weigh the pros and cons of it. Of course, we do not want to impact our agricultural partners.”

DeCastro took a more direct position in favour of expansion, arguing Orangeville needs additional land to support economic development and secure access to water.

“We need to expand our area,” he said. “We need to protect our water rights. We get a larger land area, we can have more water access. We need to go to the provincial government to amalgamate and make Orangeville larger, and it is not going to be impacting the farmland that’s around Dufferin County. Orangeville needs to expand, and we need to send a strong message to the province to make it happen for us to protect our water and to have economic development in this area.”

Williams favoured a more restrained approach, saying he wants Orangeville to maintain its small-town character and that future growth should happen slowly and in a controlled manner.

“I like Orangeville as a small town,” he said. “I don’t want it to be another center of huge amounts of growth, and so yes, protecting the farmland is important, but also protecting Orangeville itself. I feel it is important. We need to have some growth, but it must be slow and controlled. And I think it’s a bigger conversation than just protecting the farmland. It’s about protecting our town of Orangeville.”

Taylor and Garisto also supported obtaining additional land for Orangeville’s future growth, while Brown emphasized protecting prime agricultural land and supported the concept of a farm belt. 

Hall said she had not yet determined her position on the issue.

Transit system

Candidates were also divided over the future of Orangeville’s public transit system, particularly its current route structure and whether the service should remain fare-free.

A resident raised the issue, telling candidates that changes to the system had moved the nearest bus stop farther from her home and that lengthy routes could make trips take several hours.

Post acknowledged the system has faced challenges following significant growth in ridership. She said three new buses have now arrived, allowing the town to reconsider route design, timing and whether fare-free transit should continue.

Brown called for significant changes to the current routes, suggesting the town consider returning to approximately four routes to provide riders with quicker service.

“Transit’s been a work in progress for many years now, and I think there needs to be some serious work done on these routes,” Brown said. “I’ve heard from a lot of residents that they’re having trouble with the timing of our transit system. So I’d like to see us go back to maybe four routes, bringing back that more rapid return to the transit hub, and I think that’s the way to get this transit system back working properly.”

Williams described the current system as “a mess” and opposed fare-free transit, arguing users should contribute toward its cost while assistance could remain available for residents who cannot afford fares.

“Quite simply, it’s a mess,” he said. “I have no doubt that it will be sorted out, regardless of who gets elected. And I also have to say, though, that I don’t believe in free fare. There is no such thing as a free fare. There is either paid for by the taxpayers or is paid for by the users. There are ways to make sure that people that have income issues can still get free vouchers through the food bank or through the town or other ways.”

Taylor pushed back on Williams’ characterization of the system, arguing transit is already moving toward improvements.

“The budget that we put forward, we will have expanded transit support,” he said. “This is going to be a better system. The mayor talked about the more reliable service and the better road design. But I’ll also add that we’ll have improved connections to employment and shopping areas. Accessible sidewalks will be part of it. Crossings and public facilities, transportation solutions for seniors and residents with disabilities, and we’re working on better regional connections as well. It is not a mess.”

DeCastro proposed replacing the existing loop system with point-to-point routes and transfers, while Garristo joined Williams in opposing fare-free transit and argued riders should contribute toward operating costs. 

Hall did not provide a response to the transit question.

While candidates found common ground on some issues, the forum highlighted differing approaches to how Orangeville should manage its growth, municipal services and finances in the years ahead.

For residents interested in hearing the candidates’ responses to the full range of issues discussed during the forum, the Dufferin Board of Trade will be posting the full debate on YouTube, and more information on candidate platforms and goals can be obtained through ongoing election coverage in the Orangeville Citizen.

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