What Jugraj stands for
Three priorities for Wards 3 & 4 — and the through-line that ties them together.
The priorities
Preventing auto theft, property crime, extortion, and other illegal activity.
Protecting our youth from organized criminals and gangs.
More ideas on the way. Please stay tuned.
Reducing red tape, development fees, and permit costs to increase the supply of affordable housing.
Cutting wasteful spending and respecting your tax dollars, to slow down property tax increases.
Improving consultation for zoning changes in neighbourhoods, so residents aren't surprised.
Supporting land for employment use to bring jobs back to Brampton, as 60% of residents leave for work now.
Ensuring infrastructure keeps up with population growth.
A moratorium on hyperscale data centres.
Advocating for lower auto insurance rates by working with our MPPs (including the Minister of Transportation) to push for a public model.
Expanding free buses to youth, while still supporting the seniors who already ride free.
Supporting conversion of the decommissioned OBRY railway into a GO train line connecting Brampton to Caledon and Mississauga.
Encouraging alternatives to driving that reduce congestion.
Also important
Brampton spends the least per capita on libraries of any major city in Ontario. It's no surprise our youth are being recruited for crimes when we aren't prioritizing funding the places where prevention actually happens.
Higher education here at home, so our students don't have to leave to get it. Brampton is the largest city in Canada without its own university. Bringing one here means opportunities, jobs, and talent will stay local.
Every contractor on a city project should be putting Brampton residents to work. Require contractors on city work to hire Brampton residents if they want funding, so public dollars build careers right here at home.
How it connects
Look closely, and several of these priorities point to the same place.
Too often, it's organized criminals preying on our most vulnerable young people and recruiting them to do the dangerous work. If we want to prevent crime instead of only reacting to it, we can't keep answering every problem with a bigger police budget. We have to give young people somewhere to be and something to do.
That means more programming (including activities, sports, tech events, and mentorship) run out of our libraries and recreation centres, which today receive the lowest per-person funding of any major city in Ontario. It means free transit so youth can actually get there, or stay after school and participate in extracurriculars. Keeping kids out of the recruitment pipeline will stop crime before it starts, which is why many of these priorities are actually related.