Strategic Plan

Care: Being inclusive and treating each other and our community with empathy, respect and dignity.

Collaboration: Working together effectively by engaging the community, Council and staff with transparency and being open to new ideas with a positive mindset.

Courage: Raising difficult issues with integrity, taking responsibility, being accountable, continuously improving and learning from experience.

Service: Providing quality public service to the community and our colleagues that is sustainable and informed by evidence and data.

1. Manage growth in a way that enables choice and connection for the city, its residents and businesses now and in the future.

a) Encourage and support a range of housing options and affordability.

b) Plan for and build infrastructure, including parks, trails and green space to support quality of life, community connection and resiliency.

c) Enhance transportation infrastructure and improve mobility and accessibility to support the safety of community members, promote active and sustainable modes of travel, and address traffic congestion.

d) Advocate for the development of complete communities as we work with other levels of government to build a vibrant and inclusive Richmond Hill.

2. Implement environmental sustainability practices in our work in collaboration with the community, including planning for climate
change mitigation and adaptation.

a) Update and build new municipal infrastructure to adapt to or mitigate climate change impacts.

b) Encourage sustainable design through the land-use planning approvals process.

c) Ensure that the City’s natural and environmental assets are protected and rehabilitated, including as part of development on private and City-owned lands. 

3. Make decisions that meet the needs of today’s residents without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

a) Build and implement a land-use planning vision and regulatory framework while leading in environmental stewardship, addressing climate change and conserving the city’s unique cultural heritage.

b) Foster greater community consensus with respect to growth.

c) Embrace a holistic approach to growth and development that incorporates the Indigenous concept known as the Seventh Generation Principle.

1. Engage the community, stakeholders and City staff to support informed participation and to ensure that all voices can contribute toward effective decision-making.

a) Investigate and implement new ways to engage the community and build City staff capacity.

b) Ensure that the city is inclusive, by considering how best to reach and hear from everyone, including Richmond Hill’s diverse population, older adults and youth.

c) Commit to truth and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples by building ongoing relationships with our Treaty Partners and Indigenous people living in Richmond Hill.

2. Support Richmond Hill’s unique character and sense of community through programs, services and events.

a) Review program and policy decisions through a lens of inclusivity that considers the needs of all individuals.

b) Facilitate programming and events for the community that foster connections between the City and residents, as well as among community members themselves.

3. Build a workforce for tomorrow to ensure that expertise and continuity is in place to deliver on the city’s aspirations for the future.

a) Ensure the City attracts and retains staff to support service delivery and is an employer of choice for the next generation of public servants.

b) Implement an organizational management framework to align strategy and implementation and enable effective, inspiring leadership.

c) Commit to respectful and constructive Council-staff relations.

1. Make decisions that are evidence based and data driven to enable the City’s long term financial sustainability, as well as social, environmental and economic sustainability.

a) Implement tools and processes to measure how City programs and services deliver on their goals, including financial sustainability and the customer experience.

b) Make capital investments within the context of financial sustainability and based on best practices in asset management planning.

c) Prioritize ongoing operational sustainability, including advocating to other levels of government to create sustainable, accountable relationships and to work collectively toward a municipal revenue model to meet modern-day mandates and expectations of local government.

d) Implement an organizational management framework which aligns strategy and action and enables measurement and reporting of community value.

2. Focus on quality customer service and a continuous improvement mindset to support innovation and be responsive to residents, stakeholders, businesses, the private sector and colleagues.

a) Centre the voice of the customer when changing or establishing new processes to ensure that customer service is a primary consideration in our decision-making.

b) Build a culture of continuous improvement, with a renewed focus on ensuring quality customer experiences.

c) Align new and existing policies and approaches to the priorities outlined in the 2024-2027 Strategic Plan to enable reporting back to the community on progress.