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3| The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,A ugust 9,2018 theifp.ca Robert Gottardi never stops learning. The retired banker and investment portfolio man- ager says that he learns from his daughter and oth- ers on a regular basis, and now, he wants to learn about what people need in Halton Hills. "I'm running to find out what people want, what they need and how to best get it to them," he said in a recent meeting at the IFP offices. Gottardi has been living in Halton Hills for nearly a decade after moving from Etobicoke. He says his first time visiting Georgetown was years before the move, when he bought a four- week-old lab puppy from the Georgetown SPCA. "I thought, 'this is a nice community,'" he said. "This is a neighbourhood, and that's special. I'm glad I live here." Gottardi has a 19-year- old daughter living with cystic fibrosis, who is at- tending Ryerson Universi- ty. "It's a great place to raise a family," said Gottardi. "We are proud of her." During his career in the financial sector, Gottardi worked several years in banking with a credit union before managing in- vestment portfolios for cli- ents. It's that experience managing funds, he says, that prepared him perfect- ly for the position of mayor. "There's a lot of hard working people in Halton Hills, they can't afford a four per cent tax increase," he said, noting that as may- or he would fight to keep taxes low in town. He says he would also reduce the salary for the mayor's position. "There seems to be a sense of entitlement late- ly," he said, noting the re- cent report to council on increasing salaries for mayor and council. "I'm not that type of person." He says he wants the town to be proactive to- ward issues and growth, not reactive. That's especially the case with transit, he added. "Let's try to develop a multi-jurisdictional solu- tion," he said. "Share the cost of infrastructure with other communities." He says with the de- mand for Activan services in the area, as well as the need for connections to nearby cities, "we have to have a better system." Gottardi would also work to lobby for increased internet service for rural residents. "I understand that fight- ing against large corpora- tions is going to be an up- hill battle," he said, adding that negotiation is key. The municipal election is on Oct. 22. VYING FOR THE MAYOR'S SEAT: ROBERT GOTTARDI ALEXANDRA HECK aheck@metroland.com Robert Gottardi is running for Mayor of Halton Hills. Alexandra Heck/Metroland NEWS SAT AUG 25 GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY! 8PM MOTOWN GOLD HEAR ALL THE SOULFUL HITS...LIVE!!! $39 All Inclusive "THE TEMPTATIONS" "THE SUPREMES" "STEVIE WONDER" JOHN ELLIOTT THEATRE 9 Church Street, Halton Hills 905-877-3700 HaltonHills.ca/Theatre TSEB EHT SU DETOV SLLIH NOTLAH YHW UOY WOHS NAC EW OS SU LLAC GEORGETOWN GARDEN CENTRE 140 GUELPH ST. 905-877-8882 A family run business since 1972! CLOSED MONDAYS Corn Tomatoes Peaches Super Sweet Peaches & Cream TOPSOIL LOCAL GROWN Brugmansia (AngelTrumpet) $999from $19925L Bag Large Selection Rose of Sharon $1999 Large Size 1 Gal Pot 3 fOr $24 Perennial Plants fOrTHE GArDEN or $8.99 each Gold 2018 Halton Hills Reg. $29.99 .99¢ 4 Pk. SALE SALE Flowering PlantsHydrangea& Hibiscus Lots of Sizes, Varieties & Vibrant Colours!