Shana Tova. Best wishes for a healthy, happy and sweet new year to all Jewish readers.

After the last election I had no intention of running again but I never imagined the council passing a by-law to allow houses to triple in size in Old Hampstead or selling Northcote Park with no consultation, so two homes could be built there. I also never suspected the unbridled corruption that started immediately after I was gone. To be clear, no one has violated the criminal code but every member of the current council has violated their oaths of office and the Hampstead Code of Ethics by acting in their own self interest rather than the interests of Hampstead’s residents.

So many Hampstead residents have asked me to run again for Mayor. They say things have deteriorated tremendously since I have been gone. My response has been that I won’t be able to fix the town unless I have a new team of honest, ethical councillors who will work hard for the residents and not for personal gain.

New Council Candidates

I am pleased to announce that I have found five wonderful candidates who will run. If we are all elected, I will provide the experience, and they will bring fresh new ideas. Three have young families and will speak for the new generation. The other two are long time residents. All have outstanding credentials and a true desire to make Hampstead better than ever. We will fix many problems within one month of being elected:

• The excessive council salaries will be reduced to 2019 levels plus inflation.
• Local tax increases will be below inflation once again.
• The by-law change allowing homes in Old Hampstead to triple in size will be rescinded.
• New zoning rules will prevent selling green spaces and parks for development.
• There will be budget provisions for restoring the beautification of our garden city, for the free 10 concert series in Hampstead Park, and for increased spending on roads and sidewalks.

And that is just what will be done in the first month.

So why am I running again after 16 years of running the town so well? First, because I am fortunate to be healthy mentally and physically. Second, because it is a shame to see the hard work and accomplishments of my 16 years steadily being destroyed by a mayor and council who are more interested in themselves than the well being of Hampstead. Third, I am outraged by the corruption of the current council. They have been taking our tax dollars for their own personal benefit. A 40.5% salary increase (8 times inflation) for the councillors, $900 a night for a hotel in Dallas for Mayor Levi, lavish meals for council, trips to Europe and the US, priority paving of the roads and sidewalks around Mayor Levi’s new house, etc.

For more details on the corruption, see Hampstead council’s outrageous use of your tax dollars and for more details on how much the town has deteriorated see The tragic decline of the town of Hampstead.