{"id":9253,"date":"2025-10-02T15:47:04","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T18:47:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.qccrfm.com\/news\/?p=9253"},"modified":"2025-10-03T09:31:16","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T12:31:16","slug":"queens-mayor-councillors-holding-town-hall-meetings-in-october","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.qccrfm.com\/news\/2025\/10\/02\/queens-mayor-councillors-holding-town-hall-meetings-in-october\/","title":{"rendered":"Queens mayor, councillors holding town hall meetings in October"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Region of Queens Mayor Scott Christian. (Rick Conrad)<\/p><\/div>\n

Region of Queens mayor and councillors are <\/span>holding seven town hall meetings around Queens County this month to get public feedback on various issues.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mayor Scott Christian says it\u2019s important to hear from as many people as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>We’re looking to kill two birds with one stone in that we think it’s important to be accessible and engaging with our residents writ large, but it’s also timely because we have been working behind the scenes on identifying some five-year strategic priorities and a vision and a mission for the organization and we want to make sure that it’s aligned to what residents are seeing and feeling and experiencing in the community.”<\/p>\n

Christian says the region will also have a survey available for people who can\u2019t make it to one of the October sessions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Council\u2019s strategic plan has been mentioned regularly at council meetings since the new slate of councillors was sworn in in 2024. But it hasn\u2019t been made public yet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Christian told QCCR that the town hall meetings will be a chance for people to get a look at some of the details of that plan.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy expectation is that we provide folks with an opportunity to take a look at what we have thus far, provide their feedback on that, give everybody an opportunity to contribute in a way that they’re comfortable (with), but then also just open up the floor for more kind of question-and-answer to engage their councillors and myself as the mayor on particular issues or items of importance to them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Christian said that staff and councillors will incorporate what they hear at the town halls into the region\u2019s five-year plan, which will also influence budget deliberations.<\/span><\/p>\n

He said the region plans to start early budget talks and capital planning by December, with work on the budget set to begin in the new year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Municipalities are expected to finalize their fiscal plans by March 31. This year, the Region of Queens passed its budget in mid-May.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>We were quite last minute last go-around so we’re going to start to look at the five-year capital improvement plan and updates to that … in December, so my expectation is that we’ll have those kind of those strategic priorities nailed down by that time.”<\/span><\/p>\n

The seven town hall meetings are scheduled to run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Christian, councillors and some staff will likely be at the meetings. Here is where they\u2019ll be held:<\/span><\/p>\n