When Joseph Giordano moved to Bradford six years ago with his family from Vaughan, he knew it was going to be their forever home.
His family, extended family and a majority of his friends already lived in town (or moved in shortly after), so it was an easy transition for him, his wife and their two daughters who welcomed them with open arms.
"We have all invested in moving to Bradford many years ago to give us that smaller, close-knit town feeling we had growing up," he said.
Giordano says he has always been involved with his neighbourhood, everywhere he has lived, from hosting parties to coaching youth soccer. This past summer he started a petition, rallying the residents in the Summerlyn subdivision, advocating for more speed mitigation.
"I didn’t just start coming around, knocking on doors now that there is an election… I was an active member in our community and fought for issues for years," he said. "I know I’m the right professional and community-accessible representative to push for more timely and more feasible decision making that has the community and town's best interests at heart."
As the town continues to grow, he says the right leadership team is needed.
"Change is here and more is coming. I’m worried that if we don’t have the right leadership in place with the skills to navigate the right change, our town may not be the place we all want it to be," he said. "I trust myself and my abilities to drive and optimize the needs of our community, and I believe the town can really benefit from having me on council."
Giordano has a background in marketing and strategic planning, with experience in business plan development and integrated marketing execution.
He has owned his own small business, consulted, and taught at Humber College in their post-grad project management, entrepreneurship and information design programs. He has also volunteered as a consultant at the Economic Business Development Centre in Vaughan with their summer student program, helping them to acquire government grants to create start-up businesses.
He says many of his neighbours are the ones who encouraged him to run for council.
"I feel in my heart I have already won because of the amazing connections and conversation with people I have made on this journey so far has been so rewarding," he said.
Giordano believes with his background, experience and personality, he is the best fit for the Ward 4 councillor role.
His campaign tagline is "Love Where We Live". He says he loves living in Bradford but believes there is room for improvement.
One of the main pillars of his campaign is safety.
"Safety is first and foremost. We cannot live well and be at peace without safety. From our roads to underfunded police and fire services, and even bringing back the Block Parent program that was massive in the '80s and '90s – these are paramount to communities and our residents," he said.
While door knocking, he says many residents told him that they spend the majority of their money outside of town, something he wants to help change by bringing more amenities and jobs to town.
"We need more patios, restaurants, retail and entertainment so we can keep our dollars and youth in Bradford," he said. "We want less people communing and more opportunity for business success where we live."
As Bradford continues to grow, he wants to see more community spirit by coming together more often, whether through community events or good old-fashioned block parties.
"This is so important for many aspects of safety, crime reduction and overall well-being," he said.
One of the things he would eventually like to see happen is Bradford separate from Simcoe County.
"We need to be South Simcoe," he said. "We need to develop our area and keep our tax revenue here."
Growing up in Thornhill, his father and mother were very active in the community which has always inspired Giordano.
"We came from nothing, and he taught me that as long as you're in the community, people will take care of each other, and love where they live," he said.
To learn more about Giordano and his campaign, visit his website here.
Election week is Oct. 14-24.
