Dear residents of Halton Hills,
My name is Jason Brass. I currently serve as Ward 2 Councillor and am running for Mayor of Halton Hills in this fall’s municipal election. I made this decision nearly a year before nominations opened because I care deeply about the future of this Town.
Stepping forward early was not about politics. It was about commitment. I wanted to be clear with residents, honest about my intentions, and open that my passion for Halton Hills is neither convenient nor calculated. I stepped forward because the next term of Council will be among the most consequential in our Town’s history, and residents deserve to know where I stand.
Halton Hills is at a defining moment.
We are facing rising costs, infrastructure challenges, recreational needs, housing pressures, and significant growth pressures from beyond our borders. People did not choose Halton Hills for urban sprawl. They chose it for its farms, hamlets, heritage, downtowns, open spaces, rural roads/communities, trails, and small-town character.
That character is worth protecting.
The pressure to grow is real. We cannot simply wish it away, but neither should we surrender to it. We need leadership that can guide us carefully and firmly through what lies ahead. Leadership that will push back when necessary, negotiate from a position of strength, demand infrastructure first, and keep the focus where it belongs: on protecting the people, places, and character of Halton Hills.
That is why I am running.
Experience grounded in the real world
My background is broad, practical, and grounded in real-world experience. I have held entry-level roles and worked my way up to executive positions. As Vice-President of Human Resources for a multinational company, I was responsible for approximately 1,000 unionized and non-unionized employees. I have sat at bargaining tables, participated in union negotiations, learned to listen while working through disagreements, and built trust to find resolution.
I also have more than 20 years of entrepreneurial experience.
As the proud owner of Terra Cotta Cookies, I know that building and scaling a business is not a theory. It is pressure, risk, responsibility, and constant problem-solving. It is waking up thinking about payroll, customers, employees, equipment, regulations, rising costs, supply chains, interest rates, and whether today’s decisions will protect the people who depend on you tomorrow.
That kind of experience changes a person. It teaches discipline, humility, accountability, and respect for every dollar. It teaches you that promises require a plan, and plans require the ability to deliver. It teaches you that a strong team is everything. Most importantly, it teaches you that behind every job is a person, behind every paycheque is a family, and behind every small business is someone who took a chance.
Over the past several years, I have transitioned out of the day-to-day operations of the business, and I could not be prouder of the Terra Cotta team. They stepped up, took ownership, and now run the company. Building a team capable of succeeding without you at the centre is one of the clearest tests of leadership.
Those lessons have shaped how I serve on Council.
Practical, accountable leadership
When I was elected in 2022, I saw it as a natural extension of the public service I had already tried to provide through volunteer boards, community involvement, and years spent living, working, and raising my family here. Serving as Councillor has confirmed my belief that municipal leadership must be grounded in people and be disciplined enough to deliver.
At the Council table, I have made it a priority to ask practical, accountability-driven questions: Is the plan funded? Is the timeline realistic? Have residents been heard? Are we respecting taxpayers and protecting community character? Are we supporting staff while holding the organization accountable? Are we thinking about the next generation, not just the next announcement?
I have also brought forward practical ideas based on what residents raise with me every day: protecting the character of our hamlets, asking tough questions about recreation and infrastructure, supporting our first responders, strengthening enforcement against illegal truck yards, modernizing outdated rules, and pushing for greater openness and accountability at Town Hall.
Municipal government must be ambitious enough to address our needs yet disciplined enough to recognize that every promise carries a cost. Taxpayers deserve clear priorities, honest budgets, realistic timelines, and transparent reporting on whether the Town delivers on what it said it would.
Protecting what makes Halton Hills home
Owning and building a business in Halton Hills has deepened my connection to our community. It has shown me how hard people work, how quickly costs can rise, how fragile local economies can be, and how deeply local decisions affect families.
In Halton Hills, small businesses are more than storefronts. They are neighbours, employers, sponsors, volunteers, and community builders. They support local jobs and fuel our fundraisers, sports teams, service clubs, downtowns, farms, trades, restaurants, shops, and home-based businesses.
But supporting business should never mean growth at any cost. It does not mean ignoring residents, paving over farmland, or trading community character for sprawl. Economic strength and community protection are not competing goals. With thoughtful leadership, they can and must work together.
My goal is to protect Halton Hills from being overwhelmed by growth. That means standing up for our hamlets, respecting our farmers and rural residents, defending our history and heritage, protecting our downtowns, and insisting that infrastructure come first. Roads, water, wastewater, recreation, parks, emergency services, schools, health care, and community character must never be treated as afterthoughts.
Recreation is a commitment, not a luxury
Recreation is part of what makes a community healthy, connected, and resilient. It matters to young families and seniors, to teenagers finding their place, and to volunteers and coaches who give their time so others can belong. Sports, parks, trails, and shared community spaces help people stay active, build friendships, and feel at home.
Halton Hills deserves recreational facilities that reflect who we are and where we are headed, and how we are growing: arenas, pools, gyms, fields, courts, winter-ready indoor sports options, parks, trails, and community spaces families can rely on. That requires leadership, clear priorities, realistic timelines, creative partnerships, and honest funding plans. Recreation should not be an endless conversation repeatedly deferred, It should be a commitment we deliver.
The next chapter must be written with residents
Halton Hills needs leadership that understands what is at stake and has the experience to protect what matters most. Leadership that is passionate about our future and practical enough to do the hard work. Leadership that respects the past, understands the present, and has the discipline to prepare for what comes next.
That passion is not mine alone. I see it in residents who show up because they care about their street, hamlet, farm, neighbourhood, business, and our Town. I also see it in volunteers and coaches, service clubs and faith communities, local businesses and farmers, seniors, young families, and community advocates. We may not always agree on every issue, but we all share a deep belief that Halton Hills is worth protecting.
I am running for Mayor because residents deserve an open, respectful, transparent, and accountable Town Hall. The next chapter should be written with residents, not for them. This town has shaped my life, and I want to help protect its future.
For me, this campaign is not about a title. It is about service, responsibility, and standing up for Halton Hills, grounded in experience, discipline, passion, and heart. Together, we can protect our future while honouring our past.
With respect and gratitude,
Jason Brass
Ward 2 Councillor and Candidate for Mayor