THUNDER BAY – Politics 2.0 – Frank Pullia has announced his candidacy for Mayor of Thunder Bay. At an event at the Chantrelle in downtown Port Arthur, to a large crowd of supporters, Pullia says that he wants to make Thunder Bay a more inclusive city.
“I’m passionate about Thunder Bay and all the wonderful people that call this their home and want to be part of creating this future, and therefore today I am pleased and honored to announce my candidacy for Mayor in the upcoming Municipal election,” stated Pullia as he announced his run for Mayor.
Pullia states, “A city that requires the mayor to articulate and execute a vision that is built on our values and aspirations and guided through leadership
“A key priority will be to keep our taxes low and reduce the cost of operations while maintaining and/or increasing investment in infrastructure and services. The creation of an environment and culture of economic development in the city and region will identify new opportunities, ensure workforce readiness, attract newcomers and enable us to grow as a community in a healthy and sustainable way. A future that balances needs versus wants and is built on shared values of financial and social responsibilities, accountabilities and transparency.
“These are the guiding principles that I ran on this term of council and have helped our city move from three years of deficits to three years of budget surpluses while investing in services and infrastructure like roads, a new pothole machine, a new ambulance and lift bus to help seniors with mobility issues, and many, many more.
“Bringing all the key stakeholders together that include all levels of government, Indigenous leaders, businesses, the university, college, chamber of commerce and other services is paramount to growing our economy.
“Economic growth is only part of the solution. Without the development of an inclusive and collaborative social development strategy, we as a community will fall short in transforming Thunder Bay. A future that is attentive to the social challenges of our community where we can provide a hand up while acknowledging the need to find new and innovative solutions in making sure that no one is left behind.
“Specific to the Aboriginal Liaison Office, my intent is to redefine it as the “Office of Indigenous Relations” and bring it under the political leadership of the mayor’s office with particular emphasis on reconciliation.
“Together with all key social infrastructure stakeholders, we can create a community that is welcoming, nurturing, caring, healthy, inclusive and safe while empowering our citizens and our youth to realize their aspirations and hopes.
“In response to the expressed social issues and community safety concerns of our citizens, on April 25 I organized and hosted a town hall meeting at the 55+ Centre. A panel of local experts were invited to provide a better understanding and insights about determinants of health issues like homelessness, housing, poverty, mental health, and addiction.
“Thunder Bay needs to move towards prevention and as the Mayor, I will bring the relevant agencies and orders of government to the table to build Thunder Bay’s social infrastructure and move our city towards solutions, as police, paramedics, and health care resources are being tied up and people are feeling more vulnerable.
“As an advocate of open government through accountability and transparency and through the use of people-centric smart city initiatives, I pledge to create a visual online dashboard that tracks the key performance indicators and insights into how well we are doing as a city, and allow all citizens access online.
“In less than two years we will be celebrating Thunder Bay’s 50th anniversary, and I believe that more than anything else, it will be our improved relationship with the Indigenous community that will define the turning point in our history and ensure that Thunder Bay is the kind of city that we can all be proud to call home”.
Pullia has been a Councillor at Large in the city and city budget chair for the past four years.
