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Cuttell says there are a number of urgent priorities that need to be addressed, including the financial ramifications of COVID-19 through the HRM. “I’ve been working on the economic response and recovery plan through the Nova Scotia Business and Labour Economic Coalition for the last six months. So I'm very aware of the work that needs to be done, and I'm ready to hit the ground running with that.”
Something else that Cuttell would really like to see tackled is affordable housing. “We've made some good progress on that,” she says, “and I believe we need to continue to maintain focus on finding more solutions.”
She would also like to ensure the HalifACT 2050—HRM’s climate action plan outlining 46 items HRM can do to get to net zero emissions by 2050—remains a priority. “We need to figure out how we’re going to move forward,” she says.
Cuttell also hopes to change how development happens in the area. “There's a number of large residential subdivision proposals currently on the table, but this isn't really happening with any thought to form and function,” says Cuttell. “You have this development happening, but we also need to talk about community amenities.”
And when it comes to dealing with issues like defunding the police, Cuttell says “we're all looking at this from different points of view.” She is thrilled to see that author and activist El Jones is heading up the committee on the defunding discussion.
During her career, Cuttell’s worked with all levels of government and understands how to work collaboratively with different types of people; she also has extensive experience with urban planning. These are all things she says will be assets in understanding how municipal governments operate.
“A lot of people are looking for a representative who’s going to listen to them and who’s going to follow through on working with them to see things happen—and I’ve done a lot of that type of work. I'm looking forward to bringing that knowhow back to the community I live in.”
