Four commitments, each one earned
These aren't slogans. Each commitment below is tied to something that's actually happened in Thorold — see the deep dive further down the page.
Listening
Consult before deciding, not after protesting. From council-size cuts to a cemetery bylaw families had to fight, decisions have gone out before residents were asked.
Accountability
Against waste and misconduct. $850K a year on facility space that sits unused, and a council that closed the door on investigating it further.
Small Business
Build on what's already working. Thorold's heritage-led downtown revival won national recognition. It deserves more than one grant program.
Infrastructure
Catch up to 43% growth. Rural roads already flagged for full reconstruction, with a population that's grown faster than the services under it.
"I'm not running because I have all the answers. I'm running because Thorold deserves a councillor who listens before deciding, who asks where every dollar goes before voting on it, and who reports back honestly whether things went well or not."— Sarika Sherfudeen
Every commitment, sourced
Consultation comes first
When council debated cutting its own size from eight seats to six, even a sitting councillor pushed back on the process: "It's tough when you represent the citizens and you can't get them involved in the process." A 2023 motion restricted new burial sections at Lakeview Cemetery until existing ones filled — when an 18-year-old's family couldn't secure a plot, it took a public protest at City Hall before council would even revisit the policy.
- Notify residents before a direction is set, not after it's already decided
- Real consultation on structural changes, like the council-size cut
- Learn from cases like the cemetery bylaw, where it took a protest to get council's attention
Open books, real follow-through
Thorold shares the Canada Games Park with St. Catharines and Brock University, each covering a third of operating costs. The city has repeatedly paid for ice time it couldn't use — reported as high as $25,000–26,000 in single months — on top of roughly $850,000 a year in facility costs. Council later closed the door on further investigating it. In 2025, Thorold's integrity commissioner substantiated a Code of Conduct violation against a sitting councillor, and council approved a 90-day pay suspension — proof the process works, when it's actually pursued.
- Public, plain-language reporting on shared-facility and contract spending
- Support for the integrity commissioner process, not resistance to it
- Real follow-through on council's own petition to the province on MPAC
More than one grant program
Downtown Thorold's heritage-led revival — restoring storefronts to their 1800s character after losing much of its retail base in the late 1980s and '90s — earned national recognition from the National Trust for Canada. The city already runs a Community Improvement Plan and façade grants for the downtown core.
- Expand CIP eligibility beyond the downtown core
- Cut permit and approval delays for small operators
- Actively market Thorold's small businesses across the region
Core infrastructure funded first
Several rural roads in Thorold have already been formally identified as being in poor condition and slated for full reconstruction — while the city absorbs population growth of 43% since 2020. More cars, more water and sewer demand, more calls for service, on infrastructure sized for a smaller city.
- Roads, water, and emergency services funded first in the capital budget
- Development charges that make growth pay for growth
- A public, plain-language scorecard for the capital budget
Sources: thoroldtoday.ca and pelhamtoday.ca reporting on the council-size reduction, the 2023 Lakeview Cemetery bylaw and resulting protest, Canada Games Park facility and unused ice-time costs, and the 2025 integrity commissioner finding; the National Trust for Canada's recognition of Thorold's downtown heritage revival; and the City of Thorold's rural roads resurfacing program. Every claim is drawn from public reporting or official city records.
Tell me what matters where you live
Strong campaigns are built on what residents already care about, not guesses. This starts with infrastructure, and I read every response.
What's the biggest infrastructure problem where you live?
Frequently asked questions
A two-decade career as a software professional solving complex problems, applied to how council actually makes decisions — asking where the money goes and following through publicly, not just at election time.
Yes — and that's exactly why this platform leans on sourced facts rather than promises. Every commitment on this site is tied to something that's actually happened in Thorold, not a track record you're asked to take on faith.
Thorold has grown 43% since 2020, and several rural roads are already flagged for full reconstruction. Growth that outpaces the roads and pipes underneath it becomes everyone's problem eventually — better to fund it properly now.
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