1) Why are you running?
I am running for Mayor in the Municipality of Meaford because the next four years will be critical, setting the stage for the next twenty-five. By listening to our ratepayers and working collaboratively with staff and our council members we can help shape the kind of place we want to live, work and play in. My goals include housing development that meets everyone’s needs through their economic and life stages, effective zoning that protects the vital agriculture driving our economy, and the preservation of Meaford’s cherished small-town charm for the enjoyment of a growing population. There are so many possibilities for our future – expanding tourism, attracting businesses, developing our public spaces, amenities and parks, setting our priorities in a vision for the future. For example, can we educate more of our young people closer to home? Can we provide affordable housing for the early stages of their careers? What amenities would encourage them to stay in the municipality and start a family here? I believe the decisions we take in the next four years will be critical in shaping our community and I want to be an integral part of that process.
2) Are there any steps municipalities can take to help ease cost of living concerns?
The first step, of course, is to keep increases in taxes and user fees modest. Controlling costs due to inflation is challenging, but all municipalities are faced with infrastructure gaps and then squeezed by the effects of inflation on energy, materials and labour costs. In the best of circumstances it is challenging for municipalities to find other ways to influence the cost of living. But even in our post-COVID and climate-changing world, we have some tools. The most pro-active councils will succeed by having housing and employment plans. By knowing where particular projects belong and which developers are best suited to undertake them. By working closely with the 2nd tier administration on innovative programs to create jobs and attract workers. And by winning senior government grants for infrastructure projects and tapping into opportunities uncovered by motivated advisory committees. By effectively planning to make urban Meaford a more “walkable” community, we can lower the cost of living for those located in town.
3) What are your ideas for economic development in your municipality?
We have an Economic Development Advisory Committee made up of well-informed, well-connected ED specialists. Some minor changes to our advisory board structure would enable this team to accomplish so much more. We can also get to know our business community better in order to eliminate barriers to success and take advantage of their “local knowledge” to create an incubator culture. Look at all the new businesses that have come out of the Chamber of Commerce Meaford Dragons! We need a one-stop shopping sheet for entrepreneurs – a roadmap, if you will – to guide them and help them understand the requirements for setting up a new business here. I also believe we can give economic development a shot in the arm with a mixed-use approach to harbourfront development. Incorporating both residential and commercial elements in a development brings vibrancy to the community.
4) Do you think a municipality has a role to play in the recruitment and retention of physicians and other healthcare workers?
I do. The Municipality of Meaford is in an enviable position with both an excellent hospital and also a medical clinic. Both are well-supported by the municipality and the community. But recruitment and retention of physicians and other healthcare workers is being pursued vigorously on a regional basis. I think it is a tactical error for our municipality to “go it alone” and not support our near neighbours in a sustained campaign to attract health care professionals based on our commitment to health care and the lifestyle advantages here on the shores of Southern Georgian Bay. I have heard it said that we don’t want to contribute to staffing the Collingwood hospital, but the fact is both the Collingwood and Owen Sound hospitals play important roles in providing the scope of health care that residents of the Municipality of Meaford rely on.
5) Should the municipality pursue more shared services with neighbouring municipalities?
Definitely. All municipalities should be striving to realize the savings that failed to materialize through amalgamations. I am particularly interested in looking for savings through combining buying power and sharing services. I know we do this on shared borders but there must be all kinds of ways we could work collaboratively to reduce costs. And let’s not forget that we have eight potential partners we rub shoulders with at Grey County Council. I also believe we should look reality in the eye and where residents of our Municipality are much closer to Owen Sound or Town of Blue Mountains, work out agreements for their children to enrol in their sports programs.
6) What issue do you believe is a top priority for Meaford to tackle during the next term?
Like so many smaller municipalities, our top priority is housing because we cannot support job creation and a larger population without more housing. And I believe that if we deal successfully with housing and job creation, we will be on track for the vision most of us have of a community that enables families and individuals to live in economic security, in safe affordable housing, enjoying a beautiful and healthy environment, and being enriched by recreational, cultural and supportive municipal services. Some small Ontario municipalities are already bringing in bylaws that provide for “out of the box” solutions like allowing a second dwelling on a suitable lot where parents can downsize and the next generation can start a family in the home they grew up in. I am committed to working with the new council and our staff on made-in-Meaford housing and job-creation plans.