Summer in the City festival – Michael was the only candidate in 2006 to campaign on a pledge to bring a downtown summer festival to Steinbach. Summer in the City has been a great success and is now a much-anticipated annual event.

Safer streets – Michael consistently advocated for more police officers on our streets. Since 2006, the number of RCMP officers in Steinbach has increased by 30%.

Mosquito control – Michael strongly supports taking action against mosquitoes. Earlier this year, council approved his resolution to permit fogging for mosquitoes.

Renewing basic infrastructure – Michael believes that Steinbach needs to make the maintenance of basic infrastructure a top priority. The lagoon and landfill are being expanded while more money is being spent on underground infrastructure.

More sidewalks – Michael supports increasing the number of sidewalks in Steinbach. In new neighbourhoods, sidewalk construction costs are now automatically included as part of the capital development fees.

Fiscal responsibility – Michael voted FOR the tax freezes in 2007 and 2009 and AGAINST the tax increases in 2008 and 2010. He also voted AGAINST the creation of long-term debt for the mega-library expansion. He is a consistent voice for taxpayers who want to see their hard earned tax dollars spent wisely.

Openness and transparency – Michael believes that city information must be readily available to the public. He continues to advocate for minimizing the amount of time council spends in closed-door meetings.

Long-term planning – Michael was involved in developing and revising the city’s Official Community Plan and new zoning bylaw. He also pushed for a growth study to evaluate the future land needs of the city. The results of this study will be available by the end of the year.

Improved health-care – Michael was the first member of council to publicly advocate for the creation of the Steinbach Community Health Board to address the doctor shortage in Steinbach. He also strongly supports the expansion of the operating and emergency rooms at Bethesda Hospital.

Listening to the public – Michael went door-to-door every summer during non-election years in order to hear directly from people about the issues important to them. He always responds promptly to all telephone calls and emails from Steinbach residents.

Attending council meetings – Michael takes his role as city councillor seriously and believes that staying informed on the issues and attending council meetings regularly are important. He has not missed a single council meeting throughout his four-year term.