Ryan Bolender for Mayor · Cambridge 2026
Three commitments.
No excuses.
Priorities
Priority 01
Respect Your Tax Dollars
Maintain property tax increases at or below inflation.
Property tax increases that outpace inflation have become the norm. This is unsustainable and only fuels the affordability crisis we are facing. To keep this commitment, I will streamline bureaucratic processes, engage with new technologies, and challenge every line of the budget ensuring maximum value from every tax dollar.
Freeze new discretionary spending.
The delivery of core services and infrastructure will always require tax dollars but our city’s discretionary spending needs serious evaluation. There is no shortage of important causes, but the fiscal reality is that your dollars cannot support all of them. This does not mean abandoning marginalized groups. Instead, I will mobilize charities, churches, community groups, and high-capacity donors to offset shortfalls with both human and financial capital.
Growth pays for growth.
Cambridge is a vibrant and growing community. More development demands new and expanded infrastructure which is exactly why development charges exist. I will ensure development is properly planned so the City captures long-term savings and reduces the burden on existing residents.
Ryan’s Approach
“When I look at Cambridge’s budget, I see your money. I will fight for every dollar of it the same way I’ve fought for my own.”
I didn’t learn about budgets in a council chamber. I learned the hard way – building a business from the ground up, making sure employees are paid on time, and managing costs with no safety net. When you run a business, there is no hiding from a bad decision. It shows up immediately on your bottom line. There is no inflation-rate excuse. No next year’s budget to quietly absorb the mistake. You analyze the fiscal realities, you adapt, and you find a more efficient way or you don’t survive.
Priority 02
Fix Core Services
Get back to basics.
With a freeze on new discretionary spending, I will refocus City Hall on what matters most: the roads you drive on, the sidewalks you walk on, and the services you rely on every single day. I will conduct an efficiency audit of core services and put strict accountability metrics in place so that service standards are not just promised they are measured and met. I will also strengthen relationships with regional, provincial, and federal governments to ensure Cambridge’s shared services are not neglected.
Plan ahead.
Bringing more than 28 years of project management experience, I will work closely with the Planning Department to implement a prudent and practical rollout of new infrastructure initiatives. Poor coordination wastes money and disrupts neighbourhoods. I will ensure capital projects are sequenced appropriately so the City gets maximum value and taxpayers aren’t on the hook for costly duplication.
More for less.
Too often, the default solution is to throw more money at a problem. That doesn’t have to be the case. By rigorously evaluating how services are delivered and eliminating redundancy and inefficiency, we can restore and improve service quality without asking residents to pay more. Better results at a fair price should be the baseline not the aspiration.
Ryan’s Approach
“My clients always held me accountable and now you can too.”
For more than two decades, I ran a landscape maintenance and snow management business right here in Cambridge, a business that has since transitioned into a custom residential construction firm. I know what it means to work long hours in adverse conditions. I have overcome salt shortages, worked through ice storms, and pushed through thirty-plus degree heat because even under the worst conditions, the work just needs to get done. When you run a business, there are no excuses. Underperform for a client and you hear about it. Fall short of expectations and you lose the contract. I’ve managed teams, kept promises in brutal conditions, and built a reputation on getting the job done. I will bring that same standard to every city service.
Priority 03
Build a Better Cambridge
Build Cambridge.
Building Cambridge means more than new development. It means attracting new businesses, creating jobs, and turning Cambridge into a destination where people can live, work, and raise a family. It also means confronting the housing crisis affecting our most vulnerable residents with affordable, accessible, and safe housing for those who have previously fallen through the cracks. Achieving this vision requires effective collaboration with government stakeholders and local businesses to build a Cambridge that is sustainable for the future.
Build a safer city.
Public safety concerns every member of our community whether it is the condition of our roads, the security of private property, or the epidemic of illegal drug use. We need public spaces, trails, parks, and downtown areas to be usable for their intended purpose without fear. I will work with public health and first responders to help vulnerable residents find treatment and move out of precarious living situations. I will also give WRPS the municipal support they need to intervene in the rising trend of personal and property crime across the region.
Build consensus through collaboration.
One of the most important lessons from running my own business is that collaborating with skilled and knowledgeable colleagues leads to better outcomes. The divisive politics and personalities at both the municipal and regional levels have worked against good ideas and practical initiatives for too long. I will be a unifying voice on council reorganizing and creating new committees with the objective of greater stakeholder involvement and meaningful collaboration toward shared goals.
Build trust.
Trust begins with openness and accessibility. City Hall is owned by the residents of Cambridge, and for too long the public has been shut out of this important space. I will ensure the community is kept informed on council motions, votes, initiatives, and budget data in an accessible format. I will overhaul the City of Cambridge website so residents can actually find what they need. Our phone lines should lead to a real person. I will hold regular in-person meeting times and social media updates open, honest, and accountable to the people who elected me.
Build community.
Cambridge is more than a place to live or work it is a vibrant, diverse, and inclusive community enriched by the different customs, talents, and skills its residents bring. I will work with all citizens to create new opportunities in the arts, build recreational infrastructure for hobbyists and athletes, and launch initiatives that engage youth in sports, arts, and cultural activities. I will continue building spaces for the community to gather, play, and celebrate and work to inject new life into neighbourhoods that have been neglected.
Ryan’s Approach
I have been fortunate to live, work, and raise my family in Cambridge – a community I have played a small role in building and shaping. I grew up playing on Cambridge sports teams and am now lucky to pass that experience on to the next generation. I have built a business, and more importantly, lasting relationships with community groups, faith communities, and fellow business owners across our city. Throughout all of it, the goal has always been the same: to help create something that adds meaningfully to the community I call home. Once elected, I will continue building those relationships and working to bring together all Cambridge residents who share my vision of a common future.
