Opinion: The Election Is Over. Now It’s Time to Deliver.

Municipal elections are about choices, but they're also about expectations. Over the past several months, candidates have shared their visions for Greater Sudbury. Residents have weighed competing priorities, asked tough questions and ultimately chosen the people they believe should lead our city for the next four years.

Now comes the harder part. Greater Sudbury Council begins this term from a position of strength. Major private-sector investments continue to move forward. Employers are hiring. Key sectors of our economy are growing.

Economic growth alone is not a measure of municipal success. Council's role is to create the conditions that allow that growth to continue, and over the course of this election campaign, businesses were clear about where they want to see progress.

The Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce advocates on behalf of our members and helps ensure their voices are heard by decision-makers at all levels of government. Through our engagement with members during the campaign period, we identified five priorities: safer commercial districts, financial accountability, municipal efficiency, strategic infrastructure investment and policies that
support housing and economic growth.

Those priorities are not new. Neither are the concerns behind them. They came from ongoing member feedback and our task force recommendations, which were communicated and brought to City staff and members of the previous council on many occasions, including through the 2026 budget engagement process.

Businesses continue to raise questions about rising costs, the affordability of city services, public safety, transparency, and the pace at which municipal decisions are made. They want to know whether plans are producing results and, if not, what happens next. This is what our members expect of their municipal government.

One of the first tests for the new council will be transparency around the city's financial position. As budget pressures continue to mount, taxpayers deserve clear information about where the city stands, what challenges lie ahead and how decisions are being made. We look forward to engaging in the 2027 budget process, and better understanding how decisions related to the City’s new organizational structure, downtown action plan and other initiatives have been reflected.

Earlier this year, I wrote about incomplete budget information on consultants. I also raised concerns about the Downtown Action Plan, noting that it requires more than brief Council report updates. It requires clear actions, budgets, timelines, accountabilities and measurable outcomes.

These concerns remain relevant today. Whether the issue is downtown revitalization, public safety, housing, financial reporting, infrastructure or social challenges, residents deserve to know what the plan is, who is responsible for delivering it and how progress will be measured. Strong organizations succeed because they establish clear objectives, assign responsibility and measure results. Municipal government should be no different.

Businesses understand that complex challenges do not have quick fixes. What they do expect is clarity, transparent decision-making and accountability for results.

Greater Sudbury has enormous potential. We see it every day in the people investing here, building businesses here and choosing to make this community their home.

The Chamber looks forward to working with council to turn that potential into progress. The campaign is over. The promises have been made, and now it’s time to deliver.

Marie Litalien
President and CEO
Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce