1) Why are you running?
I run because I have the experience in both my personal and professional life to create value for Grey Highland’s residents.
2) Are there any steps municipalities can take to help ease cost of living concerns?
The electorate can start by electing business professionals who know what value and needless spending looks like. Also – new council can do a line by line review on future budgets.
3) What are your ideas for economic development in your municipality?
I’ve already gone to Grey Highland’s top employers and asked them “What do you think”? I have run Business Development programs all over Ontario in my professional life.
4) Do you think the municipality has a role to play in the recruitment and retention of physicians and other healthcare workers?
This is an easy one for me as in my real life I regularly communicate with over 700 municipalities coast to coast and feel that I have a good grasp on what makes a healthy work culture and what creates a toxic one. Unfortunately in all too many Canadian municipalities the latter condition exists. I’ve spoken to many employees both in senior and junior positions and they have confirmed to me privately that toxic workplaces exist in many municipalities where they have worked. Here are a few things that you should know before going to the polls: The #1 employee motivator is not money, benefits or time off – its organizational progress and that comes from Council and senior management. The #1 way to improve – implement a program where you’re constantly getting feedback from residents. 82% of council/senior managers say there is direct link between culture and municipal performance. Micro managing is the biggest insult you can foist on direct reports – and – finally a toxic relationship between management and council is the #1 thing that impedes municipal success in Canada. It doesn’t have to be that way here in Grey Highlands. For a complete understanding of this critical area you can visit votestevemaloney.com
5) What would you like to see for land development in Grey Highlands?
The urban sprawl from the GTA is coming to Grey Highlands in the very near future, our neighbours down highway #10 to the south Shelburne and Dundalk have been experiencing this over the last five years and beyond. So Grey Highlands needs to be ready. Here are a few tools at our disposal that will help us control the inevitable boom: 1. Control Speculators – we can do this by implementing a defined period for owners to live at residence. We can also implement a property tax system that would serve as a deterrent to speculators. 2. Apply to all developers a program that requires a minimum percentage of all new developments include affordable homes. 3. Increase incentives to current Grey Highland’s homeowners to create and add affordable rental units to property. I understand this is being worked on at the County level to accommodate extra people (family and friends) to live on larger properties. There are many creative opportunities to increase the density of population in many GH neighborhoods’.
6) What would you like to see for community safety and well-being?
“If we can’t keep our children and citizens safe than why would all the rest of our decisions really matter” President Barack Obama 2012 addressing the people in Newtown Connecticut after the Sandy Hook School shooting. Health and Safety is another area that the electorate is looking for solutions from their Municipal leaders. There are solutions out there. The late Queen Elizabeth said many time in her long and illustrious life that the answer for much of societal ills can be solved by training. I took my driver training over 40 years ago at East Elgin Secondary School in Aylmer, Ontario a town the size of Markdale – perhaps more emphasis should be put on safe driving for young drivers as statistics show that many accidents are caused by new drivers and they can usually be found by schools who have reduced speed limits, cross walks and enforcement areas. One of my favourite effective and low cost solutions is being deployed by many responsible Grey County residents, the sign reads: “Drive like your children live in this neighbourhood”! Perhaps when you take your favourite election candidates sign down you can replace it with one of those – your neighbours will love you.