About Us

We would like to be clear right up front that COST is not trying to create a political machine. We are simply trying to create a more informed electorate. As we clearly display our intentions in this message at the bottom of each page: INFORM • QUESTION • IMPROVE.

We believe that our community has been on the wrong path for far too long. For more than two decades, Owen Sound has experienced little meaningful population growth, and our population is now lower today than it was in 2011. At the same time, municipal staffing, management costs, taxes and water rates have continued to rise at a rate well above inflation.

We believe this pattern of stagnation and increasing real costs cannot simply be repeated after every election. Owen Sound needs a new direction.

We are asking municipal candidates difficult questions-not because we expect them all to agree with our views, but because we want to understand whether they recognize the need for meaningful change and, more importantly, whether they have new ideas for achieving it.

What We Are Looking For

We are seeking candidates to endorse who are prepared to challenge the status quo, question long-standing assumptions, demand greater accountability for every taxpayer dollar, embrace innovation and change, and provide the leadership necessary to make Owen Sound a more affordable, prosperous and vibrant community.

Our objective is not to tell candidates what to think; it is to identify those who are prepared to think differently. We are not simply identifying candidates who agree with a particular COST position. We are looking for candidates who recognize that the status quo is not working, have their own ideas for change, and have the leadership ability and courage to help implement those ideas in a collaborative environment.

Our Approach

Our questions are intended to provide candidates with an opportunity to outline their priorities, demonstrate their approach to municipal leadership and explain how they would work to control costs, improve services, restore public confidence and stimulate population and economic growth.

We don't expect a new Council to agree on everything. In fact, we think healthy debate is essential to good government. What matters to us is that elected officials are prepared to put forward new ideas, listen to their colleagues, consider alternatives and work together to determine which changes should be pursued and in what order.