Dave Westlake brings 55 years of unmatched business, financial, and executive leadership to Oshawa. As the Founder and Operator of Priority Planning Financial, and as a seasoned CEO and CFO who has funded more than a dozen startups, Dave knows exactly how to manage multi-million dollar budgets, optimize spending, and lead complex organizations efficiently and effectively. His diverse executive leadership spans key sectors—including finance, healthcare, real estate, and the gaming industry—giving him a uniquely well-rounded perspective on how to drive local economic growth.

Dave is also a relentless advocate for accountability. He spearheaded a historic, seven-year legal battle (Westlake v. Granby Steel Tanks) all the way to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada to protect elderly homeowners after a catastrophic residential oil spill. His landmark victory fundamentally changed how insurance companies treat property owners—proving corporate parties can be held liable for emotional distress—and directly forced a massive overhaul of Canadian residential regulations through the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA). When it comes to fighting for what is right, Dave is unyielding.

Deeply rooted in our community, Dave has a proven track record of driving tourism and economic success. Alongside his friend and business partner, Brad Black "Blackie", he created, operated, and managed nine highly successful Janetville Offroad Jamboree & Musicfest events. Dave and Brad truly put Janetville on the map, drawing over 20,000+ attendees including those from across Western Canada and the United States, all while proudly supporting community organizations. A dedicated community mentor, Dave has also spent countless hours coaching AAA Hockey and Oshawa Italia Club Soccer.

Dave combines deep grassroots connection with the precise financial, legal, and operational skills required to protect taxpayers and lead Oshawa effectively from day one.

Oshawa is ready for a Mayor who puts people and taxpayers first. Oshawa is ready for #PositiveChange!

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We could not have asked for a better Labour Day Monday to host the ribbon-cutting and inaugural 'Davefest' Kickoff event! The sun was shining, the music was flowing, and the food and entertainment were all fantastic! But best of all, we got to spend a beautiful afternoon connecting with old friends and welcoming new neighbours to our Bond Street Office!

Since it was Labour Day, we kept the politicking off the schedule. Instead, the day was entirely about community, good conversation, and friendship! - Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the day so memorable!! A special THANK YOU to The Vance McKenzie Band, Fusion Oshawa Kitchen for such a great job on all the wonderful food, Camille who did all the beautiful face painting, Finn the Clown for providing some great entertainment and balloons for the kids... And a special THANK YOU to the legendary Canadian Boxing Hall of Fame inductee, Journalist, and Author Charles "Spider" Jones for dropping by!! We had a lot of fun and laughs and really enjoyed his wonderful musical performance!!

A very special THANK YOU to my wonderful wife, Lydia Westlake who did the official cutting of the ribbon!! -- A special thank you to fellow Oshawa candidates — Sid Goyal, Jeff Davis, Matthew Schaffer, Olaleye Afolabi Oluwaolorunlanke and Sylwia Lesner for showing their support !!

...And a very special THANK YOU to our friend and exceptionally talented Videographer Dmytro Doblevych, and new friend and talented Photographer Yadú Yadid Fereaud!!

This was a wonderful start to what we hope will become a true 'Davefest tradition'.

Thank you so much Oshawa — we're just getting started!

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Great question—and one we should be talking about during this election.

The first thing Oshawa taxpayers should understand is that City Council does not control your entire property-tax bill.

For every residential property-tax dollar collected in Oshawa in 2026, approximately 40 cents stays with the City of Oshawa, 46 cents goes to Durham Region and 14 cents goes toward provincial education funding. (City of Oshawa)

That distinction matters.

It means that no candidate for Mayor can honestly promise to control every dollar appearing on your property-tax bill. But the Mayor and Council can influence Oshawa's share, and they have an obligation to demonstrate that every dollar they collect is producing value for residents.

That is where I believe we need a much stronger conversation.

Over many years, Council has made decisions about programs, staffing, capital projects, grants, reserves and service levels. Some of those expenditures are necessary. Some may be excellent investments. Others deserve much closer examination.

The question shouldn't simply be:

“How much more money does the City need?”

We should also be asking:

What results are taxpayers receiving for the money we're already spending?

Oshawa's 2026 operating budget is approximately $206.5 million, with property taxes funding roughly 76.8% of the operating budget. (City of Oshawa)

That is why accountability matters.

As Mayor, I would push for a disciplined review of City spending—not indiscriminate cuts that damage essential services, but a serious examination of programs, administrative costs, contracts, outside agencies and investments to determine what is working, what isn't, and where taxpayers are receiving poor value.

I believe taxes can be restrained, but candidates also need to be honest: reducing taxes requires choices.

If we want lower taxes, Council must be prepared to identify efficiencies, reconsider priorities, find new sources of revenue, work more effectively with Durham Region and senior governments, and stop treating annual increases as inevitable.

Municipal governments also operate with far fewer revenue tools than provincial and federal governments. Ontario municipalities depend heavily on property taxation, while many major social and infrastructure challenges cross municipal, regional, provincial and federal responsibilities.

That means Oshawa also needs a Mayor willing to advocate aggressively for our fair share of provincial and federal investment—while making certain we use our own resources responsibly.

My commitment is straightforward:

I will reduce your taxes during my four-year term while protecting the services residents actually depend upon while amplifying a meaningful relationship with local businesses!

That means following the money.

It means measuring outcomes.

It means questioning spending before automatically asking taxpayers for more.

And it means showing residents, in plain language, where their money is going and what they are getting in return.

If voters are satisfied with the status quo, they have that choice.

If you believe Oshawa can be more disciplined, transparent and creative with taxpayers' money, then this election offers another choice.

Change doesn't happen because a candidate promises it. It happens when voters demand it.

It's up to you, Oshawa.

Hello, fellow Oshawa residents and taxpayers,

Welcome back to my campaign website. I will continue updating and expanding this site as the campaign progresses.

First, the good news: this rookie survived his first campaign event!

My sincere thanks to Ward 3 candidate Sylwia Lesner, who did a great job organizing the meet and mingle. Thank you as well to the Polish Alliance of Canada for hosting us, Heart to Ear for providing the wonderful music, and the volunteers who prepared a delicious Polish buffet for everyone in attendance.

For the most part, I believe the event was covered fairly. It was encouraging to meet Oshawa voters—and some visitors from outside the city—who arrived informed, passionate and ready to ask serious questions.

One important discussion concerned future property-tax increases. Because the City of Oshawa controls only a portion of the total property-tax bill, no mayoral candidate can responsibly guarantee that residents will never face an increase. What the city can do is examine its own spending carefully, reduce unnecessary costs and reconsider programs that are not producing meaningful results for residents.

I look forward to future events where candidates can respectfully challenge one another's ideas, records and assumptions using the best information available. As an outside candidate, it can be difficult to obtain the full picture when important discussions and information are not always easily accessible to the public. Greater transparency (less closed-door meetings) would allow candidates and residents alike to participate from a more informed position.

Although voters raised many different priorities, one message was constant: people want positive change.

The three sitting councillors (only one showed), currently seeking the mayor's office have also spoken about change. That makes their records a fair and necessary part of the discussion. If someone has helped steer the city for many years, residents deserve a clear explanation of what will be done differently—and why those changes have not already happened.

I am running because I believe Oshawa needs an independent voice, fresh leadership and a willingness to ask difficult questions. Change is in the wind, and I intend to help move it forward.

Finally, would like to comment on an observation made by an unnamed source in the audience who suggested that Christeen Thornton, a candidate from Ward 5, was disruptive and was a wing nut. I have no connection to Christeen, but it really upsets me that she can be so unfairly treated. She simply asked two reasonable questions and politely challenged the candidate when she received unsatisfactory responses. Any writer who quotes an unnamed source to insult a legitimate candidate is behaving cowardly in my opinion. Christeen deserves an apology!

We're all here getting involved because we love our community. Going forward, let's show more respect to one another online and at future events!

Thanks to everyone who organized, attended and participated at the event.

Please watch for my next update as my journey to October 26th continues.