Five questions with Mark Hinton, candidate for Carleton Place council in the 2026 municipal election

Editor’s note: To help voters to be better informed, Lanarkist will be asking the same five questions of all council candidates in Carleton Place, Smiths Falls, Perth and Mississippi Mills in advance of the municipal election, which will be held on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026. Questions were sent to all candidates on Sept. 4, 2026. We will publish their responses as we receive them. Below are the responses from candidate Mark Hinton. You can view a roundup of all our Carleton Place municipal coverage here.

1. Tell us a little bit about your professional background, including any prior municipal or other political participation, as well as about you, personally. What made you want to run for council?

I have spent more than 35 years working in advertising, marketing, media and business, experience that has taught me the importance of communication, relationship-building, budgeting and making decisions with both short- and long-term consequences in mind.

Before being elected to Council in 2022, I was involved in our business community, including serving as chair of the Downtown Carleton Place BIA for four years, and I have had the privilege of serving as a Carleton Place Town Councillor for the past four years.

On a personal level, I am a grandfather, a sports huge fan and someone who genuinely enjoys being involved in our community. Carleton Place is home, and I care deeply about what it will look like for the next generation.

I originally ran for council because I believed my business and community experience could contribute to the Town. Four years later, I am seeking re-election because there is still important work to do. These four years have flown by, and I am proud of what council has accomplished together to prepare Carleton Place for the future while continuing to take care of today’s needs.

2. How would you describe your personal political ideology and/or affiliation?

Municipal politics, for me, is less about traditional political labels and more about finding practical solutions to local issues.

I approach decisions from a fiscally responsible and community-focused perspective. I believe municipal government needs to provide strong core services, maintain infrastructure, plan responsibly for growth and make careful decisions about taxpayers’ money.

I am not interested in bringing partisan politics into council. My approach is to listen to residents, consider professional advice, examine the financial implications and work collaboratively with the other members of Council.

We don’t always agree and we shouldn’t, but I believe we can disagree respectfully. Once council makes a decision, we continue working together as a team.

3. What are the three most common issues voters bring up to you as you campaign?

The three issues I hear most frequently are growth, taxes and recreation/community facilities.

Residents recognize that Carleton Place is growing, but they want that growth managed carefully. They ask about development, traffic, roads, infrastructure and whether municipal services can keep pace.

Affordability and property taxes are also common concerns. People understand that maintaining and expanding infrastructure costs money, but they want council to demonstrate that tax dollars are being spent responsibly and that major investments provide long-term value.

The third is recreation. Residents are interested in the future of our pool, arena, parks, trails and other community amenities. They want good facilities, but are also concerned about what we can reasonably afford.

4. What three issues are most pressing/important to address locally in your opinion?

My three priorities are responsible growth, infrastructure and recreation investment, and long-term financial sustainability.

Growth needs to pay its fair share and be supported by the infrastructure and services required by a larger population. We also need to ensure development contributes positively to the community while protecting the character that makes Carleton Place special.

Second, we have significant infrastructure and recreation decisions ahead. Roads, parks, recreation facilities and other municipal assets require long-term planning. Decisions need to consider not just today’s construction cost but operating, maintenance and lifecycle costs.

Third is financial sustainability. We need to balance what the community wants with what taxpayers can reasonably afford. That means prioritizing needs, pursuing grants and partnerships, finding efficiencies and making decisions based on long-term value.

5. What do you feel sets you apart from other candidates?

I believe every candidate brings different experiences and perspectives, so I prefer to focus on what I bring to the table.

I bring more than 35 years of business, marketing and communications experience, previous leadership with the Downtown BIA and, importantly, four years of experience serving on Carleton Place Council.

During this term, I have learned a tremendous amount about municipal budgets, infrastructure, planning, recreation, development and the challenges associated with managing a rapidly growing community.

I come prepared, ask questions and am willing to challenge an idea while respecting the people involved. I also understand that no individual councillor accomplishes anything alone.

One of the things I am most proud of from this term is the collaboration and respect around our Council table. We haven’t always agreed, and I haven’t always been on the winning side of a vote. That’s democracy. What matters is that afterward, we continue working together.

I would bring that same approach to another term: listen, be prepared, ask the difficult questions, respect different viewpoints and work as part of a team to make decisions that serve Carleton Place today and prepare it for the future.