News and Blogs

Over the years, I’ve learned that it’s easy to make promises during an election. What matters is what you stand for, the decisions you make and the results you deliver. My record on Council reflects the issues I’ve fought for and my commitment to protecting the community I’ve called home for more than 30 years. I don't make a lot of promises on the campaign trail. I believe residents should judge candidates on their record, their principles and their willingness to stand up f

Property taxes are one of the most misunderstood parts of municipal government. Every election, we hear promises to "keep taxes low" or claims that taxes are increasing because of one project or another. The reality is much more complicated. Since I've joined Council I've taken courses to better understand how Municipal Finances work and I've put together a little explainer to help spread that knowledge. Who receives your property taxes? Many people are surprised to learn tha

The next Council will face unprecedented growth and change. The decisions East Gwillimbury Council makes over the next four years will shape our communities for decades. And for the first time, I may be the only returning Councillor. That matters. Not because experience means accepting the status quo. It means knowing when the status quo isn't good enough. It means understanding how municipal government works and having the experience to challenge decisions, ask difficult que

You may have heard that East Gwillimbury has the lowest relative property taxes in the region. But what does “relative” actually mean? It’s pretty simple: like is compared with like. Take a typical home in East Gwillimbury and compare its property taxes with a similar home in another municipality. The East Gwillimbury homeowner pays less. That’s what “relative” means. It’s not about comparing tax rates or percentages. It’s about comparing the actual property tax bill for simi

As a former school trustee who first ran for election when our children’s education was under threat from the Mike Harris “Common Sense Revolution”, I am worried about the future of democratic representation in our school system. I applaud the trustees running for re-election who know that, in this moment, their voice matters more than ever. The ones standing up to cuts to funding and staffing. Like many trustees across Ontario, I stepped up when trustee compensation had been

There is an important election happening in EG right now. The York-Simcoe Provincial By-Election has been called, and residents of East Gwillimbury will have the opportunity to choose our next Member of Provincial Parliament. Election Day is September 3, with advance voting available August 26–28. I encourage everyone who is eligible to vote, to take the time to do so because I believe, strongly, that voting is one of the most important responsibilities we have as citizens. U

There’s been a lot of talk on social media and in the local media about an “EG high school”. As a former public school board trustee for 15 years, including Chair of the York Region District School Board, Chair of their Property Management and Budget Committees, and a former Vice President of the Ontario School Boards' Association, I thought it might be helpful to go through the history of why EG doesn’t currently have its own high school and, more importantly, how we will g

Years of service with volunteer organizations and elected office have taught me that having a “good idea” will only get you so far. You also need to know HOW to see your ideas turn into reality. Like so many other things in life, we can post all we want on social media but that doesn’t make it real. What turns good ideas into reality is the hard work and know-how that goes on behind the scenes. We’ve all seen election promises and social media posts that go nowhere. Promising

This is not about “feeling uncomfortable”. (Taken from a Facebook post I wrote on March 27 of this year) I feel a duty to clarify what’s been circulating about Council’s recent refusal to hear three deputants. Contrary to the social media narrative, “free speech” in the form of speaking to Council is alive and well in EG. Council has heard over 165 deputations just since September. Of the individuals that were refused this week, two of them have had many deputations before Co

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Loralea Carruthers Announces Re-Election for East Gwillimbury Ward 1 Experience. Commitment. Results. EAST GWILLIMBURY, ON - Ward 1 Councillor Loralea Carruthers has officially announced her candidacy for re-election to East Gwillimbury Council, pledging to continue delivering the experienced leadership, strong community advocacy, and proven results that residents have come to expect. "Serving the residents of Ward 1 in East Gwillimbury has been one of t