Grey Highlands Municipal Election — October 2026

Mark Brown
for Mayor

It's time to give the community back to the community.

Community Common Sense Accountability Affordability
Why I'm Running The Platform
Scroll

Why I'm Running

Yesterday,
I Listened.

I spent a day talking to people across Grey Highlands — on front porches and in backyards. Every single person told me the same thing in different words: this community has been slowly shunned, moved over, and prevented from doing what we do best.

A 73-year-old man who has given most of his life to this community, considering running for council again because he simply cannot look the other way. A skilled tradesman who won't even offer to fix our vandalized cenotaph because he knows the red tape will make it not worth the effort. Second and third-generation business owners who have quietly absorbed a 23% compounded tax increase so their employees wouldn't have to feel it so starkly.

A single mother in Markdale who is renting, raising her son, and trying to see a future here. She is having trouble finding one.

"The people said: why aren't you running for mayor? Please run."

And then the Rocklyn Arena was announced as closed indefinitely. A 23% local tax increase over two years, higher facility rental rates, and now another closed arena. What exactly are residents paying for?

These aren't just numbers. These are our neighbours. Looking after our seniors, raising our children, running our facilities — that is what we do here. And we have been locked out of our own community for too long.

That is what October has to be about.

Mark Brown, candidate for Mayor of Grey Highlands

About Mark

Not a career politician.
A neighbour.

I am not a career politician looking for a next step; far from it. I am someone who got tired of watching and decided to do something about it.

I grew up in Flesherton and I am raising my son here in Grey Highlands. Like many of you, I have watched as the cost of living has climbed. Long-time residents are starting to look at leaving — or have left already — while second and third generations can't afford a home here. Newcomers with new energy and ideas find that living in Grey Highlands means choosing a career elsewhere to pay for the privilege.

I have watched community volunteers buried in red tape, and local knowledge — the knowledge that built this community — replaced by expensive outside consultants.

I am running for Mayor because I believe local government should work for the people who live here, not the other way around. I believe that when people feel empowered, they show up. And I believe that the money the municipality spends isn't just a budget line — it is the time you traded away from your family to earn it.

We need a council that listens, a bureaucracy that serves, and a community that is allowed to lead again.

The Platform

Four Commitments.
Not Slogans.

This campaign is built on four core commitments. They are not just slogans — they are the standard by which every decision will be measured.

Pillar 01

Community over Bureaucracy

Decisions must be made with people, not around them. We need to remove the red tape that prevents residents from volunteering, building, and contributing to their own towns and villages. The community must be allowed to lead again.

Pillar 02

Common Sense before Consultants

We have incredible local knowledge right here in Grey Highlands. Before we spend thousands of dollars on outside consultants to tell us what we already know, we need to ask the people who actually live and work here.

Pillar 03

Accountability for Tax Money

What the municipality spends is not just a budget line — it is someone's time. Every dollar spent is time someone spent hard at work, and that expense needs to be justified with that respect in mind.

Pillar 04

Affordability

A 0% tax increase for 2027. This is not a promise — it is a directive I will give to our CAO. Not spending more means finding efficiencies: reducing consultant fees, finding local solutions, and prioritizing core services. A 0% increase is not a cut. It's called efficiency.

Get in Touch

I want to hear from you.

Whether it's an issue on your road, a question about the platform, or an idea for your village — reach out. Every message is read.

Email

mark@markbrownformayor.ca

Phone

226-256-7927

Please leave a voicemail or send a text and I will get back to you as soon as I am able.

Follow the Campaign

Markdale Community Group

Campaign updates are posted to the Markdale and Grey Highlands community Facebook groups.

I listened.