What they say
If elected, I will stand with seniors and families by protecting and strengthening municipal long-term care and older adult care, keeping it rooted in the community, connected to local services and accountable to the public.
By issue
From the candidate's campaign site, read 5 October 2026. Karen Cilevitz campaign · read 5 October 2026
Taxes and spending
“Manage taxpayers budgetary expectations while also responsibly balancing the municipality’s prerequisite fiscal necessities.”
“committed to keeping taxes as low as possible while ensuring the city's ability to best serve and supply all residents and commercial businesses with sustainable and transparent fiscal responsibility”
“Property tax increases also should not be compared to other municipalities due to the very nature of each municipality’s specific needs and requirements.”
Housing and development
“My top three issues for 2026-2030 are: Employ best possible practices to accountably manage land-use planning and development across Ward 5 and the city.”
“Monitoring Intensification Development along our Regional Transit Corridors - Compliant heights and densities; appropriate building separation specifications between hirise towers; lot coverage; compliance with our in-place Council-approved Official Plan and related policies and legislation”
“finding and executing best practices city-wide to ensure a percentage of new housing built in Richmond Hill is "affordable", whether that be in rental living or purchasing one's own home”
Traffic and roads
“advocating for signalized pedestrian crosswalks across Ward 5; working collaboratively with residents and Bylaw keeping our local streets, parks and greenspaces safe for all residents to enjoy; assisting resident groups to form local Road Watch Communities together with York Region Police (YRP)”
Seniors
“If elected, I will stand with seniors and families by protecting and strengthening municipal long-term care and older adult care, keeping it rooted in the community, connected to local services and accountable to the public.”
Nothing found yet on: Community safety, Parks and environment, Youth and families, Local business, Transit, City services.
On council
25 recorded votes located
Most motions pass without a recorded vote. These are the recorded votes we found, not a complete history.
Taxes and spending
Taxes and spending4 votesReopen Council's September 2024 decision on the committee for the 2025 capital budget
Carried 7-1
Revise the timing of key indoor recreation and park projects
Carried 8-1
Set the 2024 tax increase target at up to 3%, not counting the asset sustainability levy
Carried 5-3
Approve the rest of the 2024 budget strategy
Carried 8-0
Housing and development
Housing and development9 votesDefer City development charges on non-luxury rental buildings to match York Region (rentals kept at least 40 years), with 5% of units at affordable rents for 20 years
Failed 1-8
Receive the staff report on deferring development charges for non-luxury rental buildings
Carried 9-0
Send the development charge deferral motion back to staff for more analysis, with a report by September 16
Failed 3-6
Tell the Ontario Land Tribunal that Council does not support the Parkway Hotels redevelopment applications at Highway 7 and Leslie Street
Carried 8-1
Ask staff to report on a full secondary plan for Bathurst Street and Highway 7
Failed 1-8
Approve a revised Official Plan update timeline and a $2.04M project for two secondary plans along Highway 7
Carried 9-0
Send the Official Plan update and secondary plan report back to staff
Carried 8-1
Approve Official Plan and zoning changes for a Metroview Developments project and assign it servicing capacity
Carried 9-0
Approve revised Official Plan and zoning changes for a Sabella Ridge Estates development on Yonge Street
Carried 7-1
Community safety
Community safety1 votePay York Regional Police for up to five more CCTV cameras, about $20,000 each
Carried 9-0
City services
City services8 votesEnd recycling pickup at super mailboxes in January 2026 instead of 2027
Failed 4-5
Receive the staff report on changes to Blue Box recycling
Carried 9-0
Keep recycling pickup at City buildings from January 2026
Carried 8-1
Keep recycling pickup for downtown businesses in the business improvement area
Carried 9-0
Charge downtown businesses in the business improvement area a $365 waste fee in 2026
Carried 6-3
End recycling pickup at super mailboxes on 1 January 2027
Carried 5-4
End recycling pickup for places of worship, non-profits and daycares from January 2026
Carried 8-1
End all garbage and recycling pickup for industrial and commercial properties outside the business improvement area from January 2026
Carried 9-0
Governance and accountability
Governance and accountability1 voteMove the City's corporate communications away from X (Twitter)
Failed 4-5
Other
Other2 votesConsult the public on a proposed radio antenna system
Carried 9-0
Urge the federal government to hold a second national summit on combating antisemitism
Carried 8-0
Motions moved or seconded
Moving or seconding a motion is not the same as the final vote on it.
- Seconded by Defer City development charges on non-luxury rental buildings to match York Region (rentals kept at least 40 years), with 5% of units at affordable rents for 20 years · Failed 1-8 · Minutes
- Seconded by Receive the staff report on deferring development charges for non-luxury rental buildings · Carried 9-0 · Minutes
- Moved by Revise the timing of key indoor recreation and park projects · Carried 8-1 · Minutes
What they say they did on council
Karen Cilevitz campaign · read 5 October 2026
“Established in 2015 by Councillor Cilevitz - honouring her 2014 Campaign Commitment and continued through 2026 with the ongoing commitment to continue this well-received committee through to 2030, the Ward 5 Civic Engagement Committee (W5CEC) is a unique forum serving residents through open discussion and community participation”
“I am very proud to have been appointed the 2022-2026 HRH Chair by Mayor West, stewarding a remarkable group of like-minded citizens duty-bound to undertake all necessary steps to protect and conserve Richmond Hill’s heritage properties and built assets, with my thanks going to all dedicated HRH Committee members of this Term, and to all city staff who so expertly guided us along the way, delivering 38 important properties to Council for their final decisions.”
“Requesting the Provincial Government Redistribute the Provincial Land Transfer Tax & GST to Municipalities to Support Sustainable Infrastructure Funding”
2 more
Karen Cilevitz campaign · read 5 October 2026
“Ensuring public safety by enabling a much needed traffic light installed at Major Mackenzie and Colborne - 2017”
“Following extensive public consultation, having traffic calming and safety measures employed across Ward 5 - Temporary Digital Speedboards installed on Ward 5 local streets ; speedhumps/traffic calming bollards installed on local Ward 5 streets; increasing public safety by advocating for all-way stop intersections at critical locations in Ward 5”
Background, in their words
Karen Cilevitz campaign · read 5 October 2026
“Twelve dedicated years responsibly representing Ward 5 residents on Richmond Hill City Council”
“Resident of Ward 5, Richmond Hill since 2009”
About our research on this candidate
On the City's certified list, checked 24 August 2026. Campaign site read in full on 5 October 2026. Council record: 25 recorded votes from 11 meetings. Not a complete history. Press search: not done yet. Last reviewed 6 October 2026.