A few people have asked me lately who I’m supporting for mayor. I’m voting for Neil Morton.

I’ve lived in Peterborough my whole life. I know what this city looks like when it’s working and when it isn’t. Homelessness and addiction are not abstract issues for me. I grew up with them in my own house. My mother struggled with both. That experience is a big part of why I went back to school at Fleming, after working in corrections, and now do placement work at Right to Heal in mental health and addictions. It’s also why I started PTBOStrong – to raise money and awareness for the organizations actually trying to help people here.

City Hall cannot fix this alone. We need a mayor who will keep pushing Queen’s Park and Ottawa for real treatment, housing, and mental-health resources instead of just managing the visible crisis downtown. We also need someone who understands what it takes to run a business in this city and who will work with Cavan Monaghan and the rest of the region instead of treating them like competitors.

Neil isn’t a career politician. He grew up here, built businesses here, and raised his family here. The “100 Coffees” approach told me what I needed to know: he went out and listened before he asked for the job. That’s the kind of leadership Peterborough needs right now – someone who will sit down with people who disagree with him, find common ground, and take responsibility for results.

I don’t expect any mayor to have all the answers. I do expect one who will listen, work with neighbouring communities, and treat the addiction and homelessness file as more than a municipal inconvenience.

That’s why I’m supporting Neil Morton.

Do your own homework. Then vote. Online voting starts October 5. Election Day is October 26. Peterborough is our city. We should all have a say in where it goes next.