Niagara Falls mayoral candidates outline plans to tackle city’s key issues

When people think of the Niagara Region, Niagara Falls usually comes to mind — a wonder of the world.

But surrounding the falls, there’s a city with the same issues many communities in the region are facing: infrastructure, housing, and affordability to name a few.

CHCH News spoke with three of the candidates vying to be mayor of Niagara Falls, and tackle these priorities, along with more.

There are five candidates running for the mayor’s seat in Niagara Falls, including the incumbent, Jim Diodati.

He says that if he is re-elected, it’s going to be his last term as mayor.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Niagara Falls’ 2026 municipal election

“I need this last term to finish all the things that I have started,” said Diodati.

The Niagara Falls mayoral incumbent has been in office for 16 years. He says he is proud of what he has done, but wants more time.

“I’m the one that brought the hospital to the city, started 15 years ago — we still have another $25 million we have to raise, we just announced the other day a new hospice next door to it,” said Diodati. “You know, when I brought the GO trains here, it was great — we have three trains a day, but we have to go hourly, and some people said, ‘why didn’t you get them finished?’ Well, we had COVID and I had cancer, two big challenges.”

On top of these and other projects, Diodati says he wants to focus on other issues like public safety.

“We’ve got a serious problem with homelessness, addiction, drugs,” said Diodati.

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He says he believes in homelessness and addiction recovery treatment, or HART Hubs, a provincial network of integrated care centres.

“I don’t support decriminalizing street drugs, I don’t support safe injection sites or needle exchanges,” said Diodati. “I believe you need treatment.”

Also running for mayor of Niagara Falls is Lori Lococo, a two-term Niagara Falls city councillor.

She says residents have raised concerns to her about affordability, and says she would start with the budget.

“Starting from scratch, reviewing every single expense through every department, and figuring out if we need that service or item,” said Lococo.

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Lococo adds that with Niagara Falls being a tourist destination, infrastructure needs to be prioritized.

“If we are going to be expanding another 12 million visitors to come here, the questions are, who is going to pay for that infrastructure, who is going to pay for the roads and the sewers?,” said Lococo. “We have to have those conversations with the province.”

Paul Manning has also thrown his hat in the ring. He is an entrepreneur and a former police officer.

He says homelessness and infrastructure are the top issues in Niagara Falls, but says it all comes back to fiscal responsibility.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Niagara-on-the-Lake’s 2026 municipal election

“I think we need a full audit of city finances — find out where the money is going,” said Manning. “If something works, we keep it, we’re not trying to change the wheel. If something doesn’t work, we’ll modify it, and if something just doesn’t work we’ll just get rid of it. It’s all about saving money, it’s all about moving forward.”

The other candidates running to become mayor of Niagara Falls include Michael Lucid and Kevin Martineau.

Residents can still go to Niagara Falls City Hall between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to vote up until Friday.

For those who can’t make it, can still vote on election day on Monday.

READ MORE: New residential hospice announced for Niagara Falls