Reposted by Andy FillmoreLighthouse Media (Lighthouse Radio) @lighthousemedians.bsky.social · 30/09/2026We’re looking ahead to a big Monday on Lighthouse Line. Mayor Andy Fillmore joins Lisa Blackburn and Paul Russell at 10:00 a.m. for a live conversation on Lighthouse Radio. linktr.ee/lighthouseme... 023
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 18/09/2026Success isn't 9 recommendations marked "complete." Success is better decisions with taxpayer dollars. My latest Blueprint looks at what's next and the questions Council should be asking: mayorandyfillmore.substack.com/p/from-an-ac...mayorandyfillmore.substack.comFrom an Action Plan to ResultsHRM now has an Action Plan responding to the Auditor General’s findings on capital budgeting. It’s a meaningful start - the next step is making sure it produces better decisions. 000
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 18/09/2026The administration's Action Plan is a positive step. Now we need clear accountability, measurable results, and evidence that Council is getting better information on project costs, priorities, and trade-offs. 100
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 18/09/2026A checklist can tell us whether an action was completed. It can't tell us whether the problem was fixed. That's the challenge facing HRM as it implements the Auditor General's recommendations on capital planning. 100
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 15/09/2026That's why I want to hear directly from you. Join me at an upcoming budget session or share your priorities through our online survey: www.halifax.ca/city-hall/ma...halifax.caMayor Fillmore’s 2027/28 Budget EngagementHelp shape the choices ahead by sharing your priorities for 2027/28 municipal budget. 000
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 15/09/2026We can't do everything at once. We need to make clear choices about what we protect, where we invest, and how we deliver better value. Before we determine what residents should pay, we need to decide what matters most. 100
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 15/09/2026Let's talk about HRM's budget. Our region is growing, and we need to keep investing in the services and infrastructure residents rely on. But residents are also facing higher costs everywhere they turn. 100
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 03/09/2026And that means understanding the full costs, considering alternatives, and being clear about the trade-offs involved in every decision. Read more in my latest Blueprint article: mayorandyfillmore.substack.com/p/before-we-...mayorandyfillmore.substack.comBefore We Say YesFiscal discipline means asking harder questions before we commit taxpayer dollars. 000
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 03/09/2026The challenge isn't deciding whether these needs are real. It's determining which investments should come first, how they should be delivered, and how we can ensure taxpayers receive the greatest value from every dollar invested. 100
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 03/09/2026Better information won't make difficult decisions disappear, but it helps Council make those decisions with greater confidence & accountability. As Halifax grows, we'll need significant investments in housing-supporting infrastructure, transportation, and public services. 100
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 03/09/2026Fiscal discipline isn't about saying no. It's about asking the right questions before we say yes. The Municipal Auditor General's recent Capital Budget Audit identified important weaknesses in how projects are evaluated, prioritized, and costed. 100
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 28/08/2026Better estimates won't eliminate uncertainty, but they can help Council make more confident decisions and better manage public money. Read more: mayorandyfillmore.substack.com/p/we-need-to...mayorandyfillmore.substack.comWe Need to Know the Cost Before We Make the CallBetter cost estimates will help City Hall make faster, more confident decisions about the infrastructure we need. 000
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 28/08/2026When Council is making decisions involving millions of taxpayer dollars, we need to understand not only what a project is expected to cost, but how confident we are in that number. 110
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 28/08/2026One finding that stood out to me was that for half of the projects reviewed, there wasn't enough documentation for the Auditor General to reproduce the cost estimate. 100
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 28/08/2026Good decisions depend on understanding the numbers in front of us. The Municipal Auditor General's Capital Budget Audit identified gaps in how HRM develops and documents cost estimates for major infrastructure projects. 100
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 19/08/2026We can’t do everything at once. But we can get much better at deciding what comes first. Read more in my latest Blueprint article: substack.com/@mayorandyfi...substack.comWe Can’t Do Everything at OnceA stronger Capital Plan starts with making clear choices about what comes first. 000
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 19/08/2026As Halifax enters a period of significant growth and investment, getting these decisions right has never been more important. I expect a clear and accountable Action Plan that strengthens HRM's project prioritization process and improves transparency around major investment decisions. 100
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 19/08/2026The Auditor General's Capital Budget Audit identified weaknesses in how project evaluations, corporate priorities, and recommendations to Council are connected. The audit calls for an Action Plan to address these deficiencies so Council can understand why one project is recommended ahead of others. 100
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 19/08/2026When everything matters, what comes first? HRM has no shortage of worthwhile projects. We need housing-enabling infrastructure, transportation improvements, renewed public assets, recreation facilities, and more. But we can’t do everything at once. That's why prioritization matters. 100
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 22/07/2026If you've ever wondered how residents can make a difference at City Hall, this is a great example of how it happens. You can read the full article here: mayorandyfillmore.substack.com/p/good-ideas...mayorandyfillmore.substack.comGood Ideas Don’t Always Start at City HallThe best public policy is built when residents, experts, municipal staff, and elected officials work together 010
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 22/07/2026The best decisions are made when governments listen, experts provide evidence, and communities bring forward their lived experience and ideas. That's how we build communities that are safe, connected, resilient, and ready for the future. 100
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 22/07/2026Halifax needs more homes. But growth must improve communities, not leave them carrying greater risk. That means planning housing, infrastructure, transportation, and public safety together—not treating them as separate conversations. 100
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 22/07/2026The conversation around emergency access wasn't driven by people opposing growth. It was driven by residents who organized, shared their experiences, researched solutions, and brought forward practical ideas to make their communities safer. 100
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 22/07/2026Good ideas don't always start at City Hall. In the latest issue of The Blueprint, I reflect on what the residents of Hammonds Plains and Upper Hammonds Plains taught me about community leadership, planning for growth, and how better public policy gets made. 🧵⬇️ 210
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 06/07/2026As Canada's Defence City, Halifax is well positioned to support the next chapter of Canada’s naval capability. Our responsibility at City Hall is ready with the housing, infrastructure, mobility, and public services needed to support it. 000
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 06/07/2026We've seen this story before. The National Shipbuilding Strategy created careers, expanded local businesses, and attracted people to build their lives here. The Canadian Patrol Submarine Project has the potential to do the same. 100
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 06/07/2026National decisions create local impacts. For Halifax, this is about more than submarines. It’s about jobs, investment, and opportunities for local businesses, and the people who design, build, maintain, and support Canada’s naval capability. 100
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 06/07/2026A big moment for Canada's Defence City. ⚓ Today, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) has been selected as the preferred supplier to begin negotiations as part of the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project. 110
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 03/07/2026I’m pleased to congratulate Marnie Cluckie on her appointment as Chief Administrative Officer for the Halifax Regional Municipality. 010
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 23/06/2026In this issue of The Blueprint, I reflect on what disciplined capital planning should look like in a period of growth - and the questions I think we should be asking before major projects move forward. Growth is coming. We need to build differently. open.substack.com/pub/mayorand... 200
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 23/06/2026This week’s Auditor General report on capital budgeting reinforced something I believe strongly: As our ambitions grow, our systems for making capital decisions need to grow with them. Growth and discipline are not competing priorities. 200
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 23/06/2026Over the coming years, Regional Council will make decisions involving hundreds of millions of public dollars. The question isn’t whether we invest. It’s how we decide what to build. 100
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 23/06/2026Halifax has spent years trying to attract growth. Today, our challenge is different. Housing demand remains strong. Infrastructure pressure is increasing. National defence investment is creating new momentum. That should excite us. But growth changes the standard. 510
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 16/06/2026The standard isn’t growth for its own sake. It’s whether residents experience a city that is more affordable, more connected, and better prepared for the future. National ambition requires local delivery. 000
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 16/06/2026National investment becomes local very quickly: Housing. Infrastructure. Transit. Workforce. Public services. Growth creates opportunity. And that comes with responsibility. 100
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 16/06/2026Growth is no longer theoretical. As Canada invests in defence and industrial capacity, cities like Halifax will increasingly feel those decisions locally. This week’s Blueprint is about what that actually looks like on the ground: mayorandyfillmore.substack.com/p/what-natio...mayorandyfillmore.substack.comWhat National Defence Investment Looks Like on the GroundGrowth is no longer theoretical. Here’s what it means for us. 110
Reposted by Andy FillmoreFCM @fcm.ca · 07/06/2026This morning at #FCM2026AC, we heard from Mayors Michelle Boileau and @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social, Councillor @trishmandewo.bsky.social and moderator @cwalcottyyc.bsky.social on how municipal leadership strengthens Canada’s global positioning, 111
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 04/06/2026Read more in the latest issue of "The Blueprint": substack.com/home/post/p-... 010
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 04/06/20265. Build a City Hall ready for the moment. Halifax is larger, more complex, and more important than it was ten or twenty years ago. Housing, infrastructure, mobility, affordability, and economic development are connected. The work inside City Hall has to be connected too. 110
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 04/06/20264. Keep affordability at the center. Growth requires investment. But residents cannot be treated as an unlimited source of revenue. City Hall has to make disciplined choices, protect core services, and ensure residents are getting value for money. 100
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 04/06/20263. Improve how residents move through our city. Transportation shows up in everyday moments: getting home, picking up kids, making appointments, or crossing the harbour on time. Halifax needs long-term planning and practical improvements that residents can feel sooner. 100
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 04/06/20262. Prepare infrastructure for growth. Roads, pipes, water, wastewater, sidewalks, transit facilities, parks, recreation centres, libraries, and public services are what determine whether growth works. Infrastructure readiness has to be treated as a growth priority. 100
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 04/06/20261. Build more homes, faster. Housing policy on paper does not house anyone. Homes get built when approvals move, infrastructure is ready, applications are reviewed efficiently, and the different parts of the system work together. We need housing choice, speed, and coordination. 110
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 04/06/2026That is what the Delivery Agenda is about. It's not another slogan or another layer of process. It's the practical work required to make growth manageable, productive, and beneficial for residents. Growth only works if it improves daily life. 100
Andy Fillmore @andyfillmorehfx.bsky.social · 04/06/2026Two weeks ago, I delivered my State of the Municipality address. That speech named the moment Halifax is facing: rapid growth, rising costs, pressure on housing, transportation, infrastructure, and services. But naming the moment is not enough. Halifax needs delivery. 262