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Deputy mayor candidate Marc Biss outlines priorities, qualifications and vision

October 2, 2026   ·   0 Comments

With the upcoming municipal election on October 26, we invited each candidate to respond to the same four questions about
their reason for running, priorities and vision for the municipality, qualifications, and contact information. Their responses are published
below as submitted, subject only to length and standard copy editing for style, grammar and clarity.

Candidates were asked to keep their responses focused on their own qualifications, priorities and vision for the municipality.

1) What are the largest issues facing the Town of New Tecumseth?

As the sitting Ward 5 councillor with eight years of experience, I have learned that municipal leaders must focus on what they can control. Trump, tariffs, and the trade war are largely managed by the federal and Provincial governments. However, property taxes, essential infrastructure, and supporting local and Canadian businesses are areas where municipal leadership can make a meaningful difference in addressing today’s affordability crisis.

Experience has taught me that fighting tax increases, user fees, and water rate hikes starts with securing outside investment. The province can and should be lobbied to make sizeable investments in local infrastructure.

When New Tecumseth works with the province to fund new infrastructure, the cost of new homes can be reduced, and the pressure on property taxpayers can be eased.

During this term of council, my colleagues and I secured more than $150 million through the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund, Connecting Links Funding, the Road Safety Initiatives Fund, and other grants. These investments help reduce property taxes, development charges, and user fees, making life more affordable for residents.

As deputy mayor, I want to do more. I will work with council and the province to secure additional funding for a trade school, to pave more roads, increase water capacity, build recreational facilities such as the Sports Dome and Indoor Pool, replace the Beeton Arena, and upgrade existing facilities for pickleball, ball hockey, and other popular activities.

2) With development being mandated by the province and causing concern among residents, how should council approach development and growth?

Under the Town of New Tecumseth’s newly adopted Official Plan Amendment No. 5 (OPA 5), the municipality proposes 6,917 new residential units and expands Settlement Area Boundaries to accommodate 37,590 new residents.

The Ontario Provincial Priority Growth Mandate (ERO #026-0383) also added six priority projects in New Tecumseth, which could ultimately add over 16,000 additional units outside our standard municipal plan. With the current estimated population at 53,659 (2025), provincially mandated growth could add more than 80,000 new residents to the town.

This level of growth will require significant federal, provincial, and developer investment in critical infrastructure. Council must protect residents and ratepayers from paying for growth-related infrastructure.

Before shovels hit the ground, the province and town must complete comprehensive Master Servicing Plans. The province has begun its initial plan, and council can use those estimates as a baseline for total needs. Once completed, council will direct planning and engineering to complete the Town’s Master Servicing Plan. This 18-to-24-month study will determine how new infrastructure can support future subdivisions.

A rough estimate suggests the province and developers will need to invest over $2 billion to support this growth, including over $850 million for water and wastewater treatment and pipelines, and over $600 million for regional bypass routes in Alliston and Tottenham.

Public transit, libraries, arenas, community centers, sports domes, aquatic centers, performing arts centers, and other needs must also be assessed before council moves forward with growth.

3) What experience and leadership qualities do you have that make you the right choice for residents’ votes?

As a veteran who served as an officer in the Royal Canadian Navy, a former Ward 1 councillor, and current New Tecumseth Ward 5 councillor, I bring proven leadership, community service, and municipal governance experience.

I hold a bachelor of arts from the University of Toronto with a specialist degree in history and political science and a minor in economics. I also studied senior leadership and French language at Collège Militaire Royal de Saint-Jean.

My private sector experience includes more than 30 years of leadership in consumer and automotive electronic innovation, automotive safety, and green technology.

I remain dedicated to our community through a range of leadership and volunteer roles, including fundraiser for Stevenson Memorial Hospital Foundation, committee member for the Museum on Boyne, Board director at CONTACT Community Services, and treasurer of the Alliston and Area Physician Recruitment Committee.

I have also served as vice-chair of the Alliston Memorial Arena Committee, chair of the Veteran Street Naming Committee, and founder of the Boyne River Clean Up.

Reflecting on my journey as a husband, father, grandfather, veteran, municipal leader and technology executive, I feel deeply grateful and want to continue channelling that gratitude into service for residents as New Tecumseth’s deputy mayor.

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