BARB BRIDGEMAN

Running in

Election 2026

WARD C

Township of Muskoka Lakes

District Councillor

(this includes the Township Council and District Council)

Read my Resume

Returning to Council with Great Experience!



Voting Day October 26, 2026

My Newsletter Has Returned!

I commit to continuing my Newsletter to keep you informed!

On the Campaign Trail

• Thank you to all my Campaign Supporters, I am at the limit of accepting donations
• sad news that many candidates have had signs removed
• this increases my ask for word of mouth endorsements!

• An Endorsement Letter from a very involved and long standing Muskokan

Visit my Website

for information on me and my platform

Township of Muskoka Lakes Voter Lookup

check to see if you are registered

OnLine and Telephone Voting this Election

The Township has moved to electronic and telephone voting for this election. As a third option, in person voting using designated voting computers is available at the Township of Muskoka Lakes office from Wednesday October 14th to Monday, October 26th (except Sundays). ____________________________________________________

Vote “Barb Bridgeman” for District Councillor

Pass the “Vote Barb Bridgeman” message along to your friends and acquaintances in the Township of Muskoka Lakes.



 Here’s why:

• I got into municipal politics in 2018 to work toward managing excessive and unsustainable development in Muskoka. As your elected Councillor, and Chair of the Planning Committee, I worked with Council and many others to successfully reduce the proposed 4,000 unit development at Cleveland’s House to about 2000 units. We also developed a more manageable plan for the Minett area.
• Having achieved success in my goal about development, I took a break from municipal politics for the 2022 election, but have continued serving Muskoka
• I was a founder of RAMP (Residents Against Muskoka Poverty) to help people overcome the obstacles they encounter while lifting themselves out of poverty. (RAMP is now part of the Muskoka Community Foundation)
• I am a member of the Township of Muskoka Lakes Committee of Adjustment
• I currently Chair the Comprehensive Bylaw Review Steering Committee for the Township
• Our voice needs to be raised louder on affordable housing at the District of Muskoka, to keep the District focused on what government can and should do.

Township of Muskoka Lakes (TML)Taxes Explained

• TML is a lower tier municipality under the District of Muskoka
• the District is composed of 6 municipalities (TML, Georgian Bay, Lake of Bays, Huntsville, Gravenhurst and Bracebridge)
• District responsibilites and overlaps with the municipalities are in the chart below
• Your tax bill is allocated:
• District 55%
• Education: 22%
• TML: 23%
• TML keeps just over 1/5th of your taxes
• Approximately 40% of the entire District budget is financed by TML, the other 5 municipalities make up the other 60%
• we need to receive better value for our contribution

District, Provincial and Municipal Responsibilities

Who Gets How Much?

Your Township Budget for 2026

For a detailed review of the TML Budget Report:

2026 Municipal Budget

Here are the tax increases over the last 4 years.

Why I want to be "at the table" for District and Township Budget Decisions

Township:

• One of the biggest challenges facing our Township is old, decaying infrastructure — think about almost every building, our arenas, and community centres
• Reserve funding for capital expenditures was not mandatory in Ontario until 2001
• Most of our infrastructure is nearing or at 50 years old
• That means for the first 25 years, reserves for funding these huge capital expenditures was not a priority
• Hard decisions are going to have to be made about the future
• I have the business experience needed to make the hard decisions this will require.

District:

• The Township of Muskoka Lakes contributes approximately 40% of the funds for the District budget - in my research I could not find anywhere that the District discloses the exact figure
• We need to ensure we receive an appropriate expenditure in our Township
• The District of Muskoka is considering a capital investment of up to $17 million to establish a robotic housing-component factory
• The goal is to accelerate construction of non-market affordable rental homes
• Note: "non-market" means governments cannot sell these homes to the private sector
• I applaud the effort to find a solution to the nationwide housing crisis
• However, governments do not have the efficiency, expertise or experience of private enterprise
• There are successful Canadian government initiatives (models) which deserve to be studied and reported on before decisions are made - the best track record is that the public sector's role is usually land, capital, or regulatory leverage (zoning requirements, land trusts, subsidies), while private developers, non-profits, or co-ops handle construction and delivery

Proven Style:

• I know how to and will make hard decisions
• I value your feedback and report on the issues and ask for your opinions
• I will be a strong voice for the interests of our Township

All Candidates Meeting

The Muskoka Ratepayers Association in cooperation with the Muskoka Lakes Chamber of Commerce is hosting an all candidates meeting on

October 3, 2026

Port Carling Community Centre

Coffee 9:30 a.m.

Meeting 10:00 a.m. sharp

Thank you to the MRA and MLCC for arranging this valuable community service.

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What Qualifies me to Represent You?

Visit My Website

 Environment First, Responsible Development, Affordable Housing, Fiscal Accountability

One Community

www.barbbridgeman.ca