When talking to Barrie residents, I’m hearing that we need greater affordability and safer streets. We’ve made progress, but here’s more work to do. Here are answers to the questions that I often hear from residents.
01 / 14Has Alex kept his campaign promises?
Yes. Alex made commitments to Barrie residents in 2022 and has delivered on key promises by better managing the City’s budget, investing in infrastructure, fixing more roads and increasing police presence downtown.
Alex and Council held City Operations tax increases at 0% for four consecutive years, cancelled the separate Stormwater Charge and reduced City debt by 25%. Barrie also earned its first-ever AAA credit rating. Road work included 62 km of lanes paved in 2023, 57 km in 2024 and 44 km in 2025.
For safer streets, the City invested in 44 new frontline police officers and ended Penetang Jail prisoner drop-offs in downtown Barrie. Alex also advanced targeted affordable-housing incentives, supported treatment and recovery through the HART Hub, and secured provincial and federal investment for housing and infrastructure.
The Promise Made, Promise Kept page connects his commitments with results from the term. The Term in Review provides a broader record with linked sources.
02 / 14Alex Nuttall’s 2026–2030 commitments focus on greater affordability by keeping taxes low, safer streets, investing in affordable housing, new libraries, recreation services and bringing local jobs to Barrie.
His commitments outline the work he will pursue in Barrie’s next term, building on the progress made over the last four years.
03 / 14What are Alex Nuttall’s policies on housing, taxes and public safety?
Alex’s tax policies focus on greater affordability through disciplined City spending and keeping taxes low. His affordable housing policies focus on municipal incentives and government partnerships that help developers and housing partners bring more affordable homes to Barrie. His public safety policies focus on safer streets through stronger enforcement and funding for mental health and rehabilitation supports.
For the next term, his commitments include working with Council, developers and housing partners toward 800 affordable housing units, continuing to fight high taxes and investing $3 million in traffic calming. He will also advocate for treatment centres and implement Compassionate Intervention when approved by the Government of Ontario.
04 / 14How has affordability improved in Barrie?
Council held the City Operations tax increase at 0% in each budget from 2023 through 2026 and removed the separate stormwater charge from its first budget. Those decisions limited some City-controlled costs.
They were not a freeze on the entire property tax bill. The City continued to fund roads and other infrastructure, while costs from outside agencies also increased. Nor do these budget decisions alone show that the overall cost of living fell for Barrie households.
05 / 14What is the stormwater tax?
“Stormwater tax” or “rain tax” is a nickname for a separate user charge intended to pay for managing runoff from rain and melting snow. The previous council approved the charge for introduction in 2023. Alex Nuttall and the new council removed it during the 2023 budget process, before it appeared on water bills.
That removed the separate charge, not the need to manage stormwater. Barrie still maintains drains and other infrastructure to limit flooding and protect waterways; those costs continue to be funded through the City budget, including property-tax-supported infrastructure funding.
06 / 14How has affordable housing been addressed in Barrie?
Alex has pursued affordable housing through practical initiatives and partnerships: targeted incentives that secure affordable units for 25 years, infrastructure investment and collaboration with Council, developers, housing partners, Ontario and Canada. Together, these measures help qualifying projects move forward and expand the supply of homes residents can afford. [1] [4]
Under Alex’s leadership, Council introduced a development-charge waiver pilot in August 2025 to encourage affordable homes in new apartment buildings of five storeys or more. The program was expanded in June 2026. Its rental agreements require at least 20% of the units to remain affordable for 25 years; qualifying ownership projects must provide at least 60% affordable units, also secured for 25 years. [1]
The City’s June 2026 report identified eight projects that secured waivers through the first intake, representing 1,117 new homes, including 224 affordable units, with $35.6 million in development-charge relief. These are projects moving forward through the program. [1]
Separately, Council approved a 50% reduction in residential development charges on September 16, 2026, applying to permits issued from March 30, 2026 through March 31, 2029. On September 28, Ontario and Canada announced up to $129.2 million through the Development Charge Reduction Program for Barrie’s wastewater infrastructure, supporting the capacity needed for more housing. [2] [3]
Federal support also includes $25.7 million through the Housing Accelerator Fund. The City has allocated funding from that program to its Housing Community Improvement Plan, which provides incentives to increase housing supply with an emphasis on affordable housing. [4]
These incentives and government partnerships encourage developers and housing partners to build more affordable homes in Barrie, helping more residents find a home they can afford.
07 / 14How has the mayor supported job creation in Barrie?
Alex Nuttall has worked to make more land available for employers and attract manufacturing investment. He worked with neighbouring municipalities and the Province on regional land and servicing plans. The provincially approved annexation of land from Springwater and Oro-Medonte in January 2026 gave Barrie more room to plan for future employment. Turning that land into employment sites still requires planning, servicing and private investment.
Alex also announced an initial $50 million incentive program intended to attract defence and advanced-manufacturing investment, including reduced development charges for qualifying projects. His 2026–2030 goal is to attract 2,000 military-related manufacturing jobs to Barrie. That is a target, not 2,000 jobs already created or guaranteed to arrive soon.
08 / 14Is downtown Barrie safe?
Yes, many residents are feeling safer as they enjoy downtown Barrie’s restaurants, local businesses and events like Open Air Dunlop and the Troubadour Festival. Barrie has increased its dedicated downtown police presence through the Downtown Engagement Team and City Guardians. Their patrols, business engagement and connections to support services matter, though more needs to be done.
Police have also reported increased harm and calls for service downtown, while residents continue to raise concerns about open drug use. The response needs both public safety and access to care. Alex’s position is to say no to injection sites and yes to treatment facilities, including the HART Hub. Several opioid-treatment clinics operate close together around Dunlop Street West and Toronto Street, and some also advertise prescribed safer-supply services. Methadone treatment and safer supply are different services. Alex has asked Ontario to address the clustering through better oversight and location planning without cutting off access to treatment.
Alex is calling for a dedicated compassionate intervention team of police, firefighters and paramedics to connect people in crisis with treatment. The team needs provincial approval before it can operate. He’ll keep advocating for the care people need and a downtown that feels safe and welcoming for everyone.
09 / 14How has Alex supported better mental health care in Barrie?
Alex has advocated for better mental health supports in Barrie by pressing the Province of Ontario for more accessible care and working with municipal and healthcare partners. Alongside Ontario’s Big City Mayors, he has called for rehabilitation, support and mental health services to be available in communities facing homelessness, addiction and mental health challenges. [1]
His work includes supporting the provincially funded HART Hub Simcoe County. In October 2024, Council backed the County’s application to Ontario and authorized a mayoral letter of support. The Hub connects people with mental health and addiction services, primary care, crisis support and supportive housing through partners including the County of Simcoe, RVH, the Canadian Mental Health Association, Waypoint and Indigenous healthcare providers. [2] [3]
Alex also supports fundraising for Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) and its expansion through the Boots and Hearts Barn Burner charity event, which he hosts and chairs. At the 2025 event, he announced CanadaOne Auto’s $1-million gift to RVH’s Keep Life Wild campaign. RVH says the donation supports expansion of its regional mental health program, including more inpatient beds, enhanced outpatient services and new spaces for care. [4]
For the next term, Alex will keep advocating for treatment centres and compassionate intervention when approved by the Government of Ontario. These commitments build on his work to connect people with care, recovery and stable housing.
10 / 14How is Barrie supporting individuals suffering from addiction?
People facing addiction need more than a response at the moment of crisis. They need timely access to outreach, health care, withdrawal management, treatment, recovery support and, where needed, stable housing. HART Hub Simcoe County connects local health and social-service partners to help people navigate that care, but treatment capacity and follow-up support still need to grow.
Alex is asking Ontario to invest in more rehabilitation facilities and change provincial law to allow compassionate intervention or mandatory rehabilitation. He has also launched a petition asking for a clear, safety-based way for police to bring someone severely intoxicated in public to medical care, withdrawal management, treatment or another appropriate setting when needed for safety. The goal is to connect more people with care and make our community safer.
11 / 14How did Barrie end the prisoner drop-off?
In 2023, Barrie and Ontario agreed on an alternative shuttle for people released from Central North Correctional Centre in Penetanguishene. Instead of routinely leaving people whose destinations were elsewhere at Barrie’s downtown bus terminal, the City-funded service takes them closer to their home communities and support networks.
This changed a transportation practice, not anyone’s right to come to Barrie. People returning to Barrie still need appropriate release planning and support. The City pays for the additional shuttle service. As of September 14, 2026, the City reported that 877 people released from CNCC had been diverted from being dropped off in Barrie.
12 / 14Where do people go when an encampment is cleared?
Before an occupied encampment is cleared, Barrie enforcement staff work with County of Simcoe outreach teams to identify available, appropriate indoor accommodation and offer people shelter and support services. Ontario’s courts have made clear that shelter must be genuinely accessible and suited to the people affected; an empty bed alone is not the whole test.
Some people move into shelter or other accommodation, but an offer does not mean everyone is housed immediately. Outreach teams can also connect people with housing, health and other supports. For someone dealing with addiction, HART Hub Simcoe County offers a pathway to treatment and recovery services; it is not itself a guaranteed shelter placement. Alex Nuttall has called on the Province to expand access to treatment and rehabilitation.
13 / 14What has Barrie’s state of emergency accomplished?
A good number of people have received real help. Mayor Alex Nuttall declared the state of emergency on September 9, 2025 as growing encampments raised safety concerns for people living in them and for the broader community. The City and County of Simcoe have coordinated outreach, offers of appropriate indoor accommodation, added shelter capacity, and action to restore public spaces.
At the one-year mark on September 9, 2026, the City listed 340 permanent housing outcomes reported by the County of Simcoe, 64 additional beds secured in the County shelter system, and 424 unique people engaged through the HART Hub Navigation Team. It also reported 221 encampments addressed in Barrie. These are different measures: addressing an encampment does not mean everyone living there has entered permanent housing, and the housing figure should not be read as 340 people moved directly from cleared sites. The City and County continue to respond to new and recurring encampments.
14 / 14Has Barrie’s state of emergency failed?
No. Homelessness remains a serious challenge, but the City is measuring and reporting what the emergency response has achieved, including shelter capacity and permanent housing outcomes, not just the number of encampments addressed. Its one-year update listed 340 permanent housing outcomes reported by the County of Simcoe.
Barrie has also added a dedicated Encampment Response Team for earlier outreach and site monitoring. The City and County have developed a shared process for outreach, offers of appropriate indoor accommodation, documentation and ongoing monitoring, so people can be connected with shelter and other supports. The City cautions that homelessness counts fluctuate and cannot capture everyone. The work is not finished; progress should continue to be judged by whether more people reach stable housing and the care they need.
