Robert Rovinelli - Candidate for Ward 11 Councillor

A Little About Me

I was born and raised in Sudbury, and have spent my entire life being part of this community. I raised my family here and Sudbury has shaped the person I am today.

I retired in 2023 after 37 years in the grocery retail industry, where I worked my way from a part-time clerk to Assistant Store Manager. I spent 30 of those years in a managerial role, giving me real-world experience in budgeting, forecasting, staffing, operations, and making responsible financial decisions.

This is real-world experience that Sudbury requires. I understand the importance of making responsible decisions with citizens' money while ensuring our city continues to move forward.

Why I'm Running

ONE SIMPLE PRINCIPLE: Our city needs a course correction. Council must focus on the basics: safe streets, roads, water, infrastructure, and responsible financial management.

Taxpayers deserve to know the true cost of major projects and the long-term consequences of decisions being made today. We need a council and mayor who put CITIZENS FIRST and address what residents actually need.

My Commitment:

Responsible spending
Safer, cleaner streets
Accountability and transparency
Better roads and infrastructure
Keeping the tax burden in check
Listening to citizens

My Plan for Sudbury

1. Responsible Spending

Get the true, all-in cost of the proposed new arena.
If it exceeds $200 million, put the project on hold and reconsider alternatives.
Look at the KED location again, or improve and keep our current arena (which has approximately the same seating as what is proposed).
Emergency Services: Examine using the pad being built for an emergency-services facility to bring police, fire, and ambulance together in one location where practical.
No more vanity projects. Spend within our means.
Direct savings toward roads, water, and essential infrastructure.
Keep the tax burden on citizens in check.
Current spending could put Sudbury $500 million or more into debt within a few years. That is not sustainable.

2. Accountability & Transparency

Reinstate an Auditor General to scrutinize spending and provide transparency to citizens.
Do not allow open drug use, illegal activity, or aggressive panhandling to take over public spaces.
Council must be accountable for every tax dollar spent.

3. Cleaner, Safer Streets

Clean up downtown and throughout the city.
Use a tiered system of enforcement: outreach and treatment opportunities, followed by meaningful consequences when illegal behaviour continues.
Public spaces belong to everyone—not to crime and disorder.

4. Downtown Revitalization

Start with free parking at municipal lots and on-street spaces where feasible.
Stop continually throwing taxpayer money at downtown while many citizens have given up on it in its current state.
Safety, cleanliness, and thriving businesses must come first.

5. Tough Compassion

Compassion does not mean permission.
Support mandatory treatment pathways, expanded psychiatric capacity, and structured recovery programs through cooperation with the Province.
When illegal activity continues and help is refused, the justice system must respond.

6. Reclaiming Our Streets

Enforce laws against public drug use, theft, trespassing, vandalism, and public disorder.
Enforce reasonable restrictions on street camping while ensuring available shelter or treatment options are offered.
Public spaces cannot be effectively privatized by ongoing illegal activity.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Offer people a real path out of addiction—but set clear boundaries. TREATMENT. ACCOUNTABILITY. PUBLIC SAFETY.

7. Disrupt the Street Economy

Target the people who profit from addiction and street crime.
Strongly pursue those knowingly buying, fencing, or facilitating the resale of stolen goods.
Focus police resources on theft, vandalism, harassment, and other quality-of-life offences.

8. Dealer & Trafficker Prosecution

Dealers are the engine of the crisis.
Support targeted enforcement against trafficking and organized drug activity.
Advocate for stronger penalties and zero-tolerance enforcement around schools, seniors' buildings, hospitals, and downtown within provincial/federal law.