We sent all candidates running for Mayor and City Council a questionnaire about key climate and environmental issues. Head to the main page to learn about the policy positions of mayoral candidates and City Council candidates in other districts.
Kingscourt-Rideau Candidate List
- Kevin Smith: Broad Priorities & Vision | Key Policy Commitments
- Michael Judd: Broad Priorities & Vision | Key Policy Commitments
- Brandon Tozzo (has not responded)
We contacted non-responding candidates multiple times via their official campaign channels. This page remains open for updates, should they decide to fill out the questionnaire before election day.
Compare Candidate Policy Commitments at a Glance
Click on any of the coloured buttons below to read more about a candidate’s answer.
| Policy Commitment | Kevin Smith | Michael Judd | Brandon Tozzo (Did not respond) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Corporate GHG Emissions Target (45% by 2030) Full question: “Will you vote for the City of Kingston to adopt a corporate greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal of 45% by 2030 to align municipal operations with science-based targets and show leadership to the rest of the Kingston community?” | Yes ↵ | Conditional ↵ | No Response |
| 2. Climate Impact Assessments & Carbon Budgeting Full question: “Will you vote to mandate climate impact assessments and carbon budgeting for all municipal policy, planning, and procurement decisions?” | Yes ↵ | Conditional ↵ | No Response |
| 3. 26°C Maximum Temperature Bylaw Full question: “Will you vote to pass a comprehensive Maximum Temperature Bylaw setting an upper limit of 26 °C for all rental housing, paired with measures to protect tenants from additional costs?” | Yes ↵ | Conditional ↵ | No Response |
| 4. Free Air Conditioners for Vulnerable Residents Full question: “Will you vote to maintain and scale the municipal pilot program supplying free air conditioning units to low-income seniors and vulnerable residents?” | Yes ↵ | Conditional ↵ | No Response |
| 5. Heat Protections & Encampment Protections Full question: “Will you vote to end encampment displacements and, during extreme heat events, expand 24/7 cooling centres and guarantee continuous clean drinking water distribution at sites like Belle Park?” | Yes ↵ | Conditional ↵ | No Response |
| 6. Better Homes Kingston Funding Full question: “Will you vote to establish multi-year capital funding to scale the Better Homes Kingston program?” | Yes ↵ | Conditional ↵ | No Response |
| 7. Mandatory Green Development Standard Full question: “Will you vote for Kingston to develop a mandatory Green Development Standard, following the lead of other Ontario municipalities like Toronto, Whitby, and Ottawa?” | Yes ↵ | Conditional ↵ | No Response |
| 8. Hold Urban Boundary Line Full question: “Will you vote to hold Kingston’s urban boundary where it is and prioritize infill, gentle density, and brownfield development within current urban limits rather than expanding into rural/agricultural lands?” | Yes ↵ | Yes ↵ | No Response |
| 9. Maintain Direct Council Oversight of Utilities Full question: “Will you vote to maintain direct City Council oversight of water and wastewater decisions instead of approving a Municipal Services Corporation?” | Yes ↵ | Yes ↵ | No Response |
| 10. Defend Planning Decisions at OLT Full question: “When developers appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) to force urban boundary expansions on lands excluded from the draft Official Plan, will you vote to instruct City legal staff to defend Council’s and City staff’s planning decisions at the OLT?” | Yes ↵ | Conditional ↵ | No Response |
| 11. Data Centre Moratorium Full question: “Will you vote for a moratorium on resource-intensive data centres?” | Yes ↵ | Conditional ↵ | No Response |
| 12. Protected Bike Lanes & Winter Maintenance Full question: “Do you support accelerating the construction of protected bike lane networks and improving bike lane winter maintenance?” | Yes ↵ | Yes ↵ | No Response |
| 13. Zero-Emission Bus Fleet Expansion Full question: “Will you vote to expand the zero-emission bus fleet?” | Yes ↵ | Conditional ↵ | No Response |
| 14. Fare-Free Transit Pilots Full question: “Will you vote to pilot expanding fare-free transit beyond youth to post-secondary students, seniors, and low-income residents?” | Yes ↵ | Yes ↵ | No Response |
| 15. Seasonal Pedestrian Streets Full question: “Will you support pedestrian-friendly street conversions during high foot-traffic seasons?” | Yes ↵ | Conditional ↵ | No Response |
Broad Priorities and Vision
Kevin Smith
Website: https://1997smithkevin.wixsite.com/candidate-connect
1. What do you consider to be City Council’s greatest climate action success over the past term? (max. 1,000 characters)
Electric bus
2. In terms of climate action, where do you think City Council fell short over the past term? (max. 1,000 characters)
I don’t know
3. If elected, what would be your top climate action priority in the 2026–2030 term? (max. 1,000 characters)
I don’t have one
Michael Judd
Website: michaeljudd4u.ca
1. What do you consider to be City Council’s greatest climate action success over the past term? (max. 1,000 characters)
This term’s most meaningful climate progress came when the City worked alongside residents. The Neighbourhood Climate Action Champions program supported dozens of resident-led projects, from pollinator and edible gardens to home energy workshops. Council also passed an Interim Woodland Preservation By-law and began a Forest Management Strategy, important steps as woodlands continue to be lost to development. Kingston completed a Climate Change Adaptation Plan identifying our most serious climate risks. Much of the real leadership came from the community itself: No Clearcuts Kingston, whose advocacy has helped protect local woodlands and wetlands; the Belle Island Caretakers Circle; and the volunteers who run community gardens across the city. The lesson is clear: climate action works best when the City supports people already doing the work. The next step is turning plans into protection for the neighbourhoods most exposed to heat, flooding and aging infrastructure.
2. In terms of climate action, where do you think City Council fell short over the past term? (max. 1,000 characters)
Council fell short on oversight and transparency. Too many decisions were made in camera or without citizen input, and Council too often worked in silos. The clearest warning is the Kingston Area Taxi Commission, an arm’s-length body Council could not oversee properly, which had to be brought back into the City. Now a Municipal Services Corporation is proposed for water and wastewater, which is far more important financially and for public health, and it would move another step away from Council. That carries real financial risk, including changes to borrowing capacity, while we face a $1.3 billion infrastructure deficit. Climate resilience depends on keeping essential infrastructure accountable to the public.
3. If elected, what would be your top climate action priority in the 2026–2030 term? (max. 1,000 characters)
My top priority is protecting our water from the growing pressures of climate change. Heavier rainstorms and flooding are straining stormwater and wastewater systems, and extreme heat and aging pipes add further risk, while Kingston already faces a $1.3 billion infrastructure deficit. These systems must stay under direct public oversight. Walkerton showed what happens when oversight fails: seven people died and more than 2,000 became ill. I bring 25 years as a marine surveyor and years in the water-systems industry. When an abandoned sailboat leaked diesel and chemicals into the Great Cataraqui River, I pushed for a year until it was removed. I will keep water accountable to Council, invest in climate-resilient infrastructure before expanding it, make sure growth never outpaces what our systems can handle, and keep climate measures accessible for everyone.
Key Policy Commitments
District 7 (Kingscourt-Rideau) — Comments on Policy Commitment Answers
Candidate indicated a “Yes” position without additional written comments.
Candidate indicated a “Yes” position without additional written comments.
Candidate indicated a “Yes” position without additional written comments.
Candidate indicated a “Yes” position without additional written comments.
Candidate indicated a “Yes” position without additional written comments.
Candidate indicated a “Yes” position without additional written comments.
Candidate indicated a “Yes” position without additional written comments.
Candidate indicated a “Yes” position without additional written comments.
Candidate indicated a “Yes” position without additional written comments.
Candidate indicated a “Yes” position without additional written comments.
Candidate indicated a “Yes” position without additional written comments.
Candidate indicated a “Yes” position without additional written comments.
Candidate indicated a “Yes” position without additional written comments.
Candidate indicated a “Yes” position without additional written comments.
Candidate indicated a “Yes” position without additional written comments.
District 7 (Kingscourt-Rideau) — Comments on Policy Commitment Answers
“An important goal. I’d need to see a realistic, costed plan that gets us there without unaffordable costs to residents. I’d be happy to discuss it.”
“Worth serious study, but it must stay practical and not add costs or delays that residents end up paying. I’d be happy to discuss it.”
“Having been a renter, landlord and maintenance contractor, and now a homeowner, I know this is complex. In older homes with boilers or 60 to 100-amp service, upgrades can cost more than is recoverable. Start with new rentals. For existing homes, discuss a cost cap, with buildings above it exempt, so homes stay on the market.”
“This item is more complex than the format allows. I’d be happy to discuss it.”
“Encampments, including at Belle Park, harm the environment and are unsafe for all. In extreme heat, cooling must be available and clean water is a right: refill stations at key sites and the portable water stations the City owns, not bottled water…. as becomes an environmental issue. We need safe, warm, dry shelter and transitional housing, with clear rules and accountability.”
“The City’s core job is essential infrastructure, and with a $1.3 billion deficit I’d need clear evidence of value and repayment before committing multi-year capital. I’d be happy to discuss it.”
“I support greener building, but walkability can’t come at the cost of access. Because Kingston ties accessible parking to regular parking, a large condo built without parking has no accessible spaces. For many residents, a vehicle is a legal accessibility aid. Any standard must protect accessible parking.”
“Infill on existing footprints has the least environmental impact. We should enable secondary suites and carriage suites above garages, and Kingston needs a clear student housing plan. Growth must never outpace services and infrastructure for current residents.”
“Water is critical public health infrastructure. In Walkerton, failed oversight killed seven people and made more than 2,000 ill. We already had to bring the taxi commission back under City control. The MSC changes borrowing capacity and moves water further from Council. The burden of proof lies with the proposal.”
“This is an extremely complex issue that deserves more weight than this format allows. In principle, Council and staff planning decisions should be defended. But OLT hearings are costly to taxpayers, so each case should be weighed on its merits and the strength of the City’s position.”
“Any large water or energy user needs full public review. Our water infrastructure already faces a major deficit.”
“Yes, with a reminder: our bike lanes are not well integrated with each other or tied into the main trail network. We need a connected network, winter maintenance that includes sidewalks, designs that work for people using mobility devices, and better education and enforcement on motorized vehicles using lanes and paths.”
“Cleaner buses matter, but we must confirm our electrical infrastructure can support more of them and spend taxpayer money wisely. Riders also need decent stops: many in Kingscourt and Rideau Heights still have bare shelters.”
“I support free off-peak transit for seniors, such as 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and after 6 p.m., when buses have room. Getting shut-in residents out and connected matters: social connection is a key determinant of health. A pilot would show the real costs and benefits.”
“Yes, with an important reminder: accessible parking, drop-off zones and access for people with disabilities must be maintained so everyone can enjoy these spaces.”
Head back to the main page to learn about the policy positions of mayoral candidates and City Council candidates in each district.