Thomas Arakal for Owen Sound City Council

Experience That Serves Residents

Why Thomas Is Running

On his campaign website, Thomas describes door-to-door conversations with residents across Owen Sound and a desire to bring a stronger resident voice to City Hall.

He identifies property taxes, roads and infrastructure, transit, housing, downtown safety, seniors, recreation, and Owen Sound’s future among the concerns residents have raised with him. He is seeking to contribute practical experience, an independent perspective, and a strong work ethic to Council.

Thomas’s Priorities

1. Responsible Spending and Accountable Decisions

Thomas will approach municipal spending carefully, consider the long-term operating cost of major projects, and communicate the reasoning behind important council decisions.

• Protect dependable core services while examining spending priorities.
• Consider both initial costs and long-term maintenance obligations.
• Explain major votes and decisions clearly to residents.

2. Dependable Services and Transportation

Residents should be able to rely on roads, sidewalks, snow clearing, transit, parks, and public facilities throughout Owen Sound.

• Give consistent attention to roads, sidewalks, snow clearing, and accessibility.
• Support practical improvements to public transit and transportation connections.
• Explore a school-board partnership for transit passes for suitable older students, subject to cost, capacity, routes, schedules, and safety review.
• Ensure neighbourhood concerns receive attention beyond the downtown core.

3. Housing, Community Life and Local Opportunity

Thomas supports practical municipal action that helps people remain housed, strengthens local opportunity, and makes Owen Sound a good place for families, workers, seniors, and young people.

• Support housing approaches that expand attainable and affordable living options.
• Encourage local businesses, employment, recreation, and community activity.
• Work with the City, County, police, health, and social-service organizations on safe and welcoming public spaces.
• Work constructively with residents and community partners on neighbourhood concerns.

About Thomas

Thomas Arakal brings experience from daily public service, operations management, organized representation, financial services, and technical education. His work with Canada Post keeps him connected with the practical needs of residents and neighbourhoods. His previous work as an Operations Manager involved planning, workplace responsibility, and practical problem-solving.

As Vice-President of CUPW Local 582, Thomas listens to members, communicates concerns, and represents people through organized decision-making. He is interested in serving Owen Sound residents through practical, responsive local government that follows through on community needs.

A Stronger Voice for Every Ward

Thomas is running under Owen Sound’s existing at-large electoral system. He supports assigning each of the seven Councillors primary responsibility for one geographic ward after the election while every Councillor continues to represent the whole city, vote on every citywide matter, and remain available to every resident.

Thomas has a particular connection to Owen Sound East. Within each ward, Local Representatives would help residents organize community connections and communicate local priorities to the responsible Councillor. They are community liaison roles and create no additional level of government.

Read the Ward and Local Representation Plan

Thomas’s Written Response to HelpOS

Reviewed September 4, 2026. Thomas Arakal provided the following response concerning ward responsibility and Local Representatives:

Hi Andrii,

Thanks for sharing this.

1. Yes. I believe ward-based responsibility would be more effective than the current system. I support having a councillor take primary responsibility for a specific area while still representing the whole city. This would give residents a clearer point of contact and improve accountability and follow-up.

2. Yes. I support regular meetings and communication with local representatives. I would also like to see these meetings, whenever practical, held outside regular working hours so more residents can participate.

Many people work until 5:00 or 5:30 p.m. If we genuinely want greater public participation, we should make it easier for working residents to attend meetings and have their voices heard.

I support the overall concept. The details, including costs and how the Local Representative system would operate, should be worked out carefully before implementation.

Thanks,

Thomas Arakal
Candidate for Owen Sound City Council

Source: direct written response supplied by Thomas Arakal to HelpOS.

Published HelpOS Questionnaire

Reviewed September 20, 2026. Thomas Arakal’s confirmed questionnaire answers cover all 18 core questions. The published response supports service-level financial information, open Council communication, geographic responsibility, spending review, reliable and evening transit, housing stability, suitable responders, local purchasing, infrastructure information and voluntary recovery pathways.

Several answers include implementation conditions. Affordable Rural Communities, civilian response and mobile meals are supported with feasibility, safety, partner and cost review. The participatory-infrastructure answer supports resident reporting and suitable low-risk stewardship while trained staff retain specialized responsibilities.

Read Thomas’s answers in the Council comparison

Sources

• Thomas Arakal campaign, Why I’m Running (opens in a new tab)
• Thomas Arakal campaign priorities (opens in a new tab)
• Thomas Arakal campaign commitments (opens in a new tab)
• Thomas Arakal campaign biography (opens in a new tab)
• Thomas Arakal campaign news (opens in a new tab)
• Thomas Arakal’s September 4, 2026 written response to HelpOS on ward responsibility and Local Representatives
• Thomas Arakal’s confirmed September 20, 2026 HelpOS questionnaire response