1) Why are you running?
I am running for council because I bring a wealth of knowledge, experience, and common sense that we need and deserve from our members of council. My goal is to ensure that council makes the right investments in our communities and that we grow in a fiscally responsible way that respects the rate payers of our township. I want to ensure we continue to invest in infrastructure and services that support our elders, our youth, and our next generation.
I commit to work hard and put in the time required no matter what. I bring a fresh perspective and new & creative ideas to the table, but more importantly an open mind. These personal attributes will ensure a prosperous future for Georgian Bluffs while still able to achieve and maintain a low tax rate. I commit that I will always be accessible to you and respond to your inquiries, concerns, and issues. Effective communication is vital to this role and vital to ensure you are all kept up to date with what’s happening in the township and to ensure your voices are heard.
2) Are there any steps municipalities can take to ease cost of living concerns? If so, what measures would you support?
Cost of living concerns are not just limited to Georgian Bluffs, however, there are things that our municipality could do to ease the cost of living in our area.
A big one that we have control over is increasing the housing supply with new responsible development where it makes sense and a simpler process to develop, shortening the time it takes to build.
Another area that Council has control over are the services provided to the residents and the costs of those services. For example, recreation facilities and equipment, water supply and billing, community planning etc. if done properly can lower the cost of living.
Lastly, we need to ensure fiscal responsibility is maintained, stay within our budgets, and find efficiencies where possible. This will help keep property taxes at reasonable rates so they don’t get out of control and further increase the cost of living concerns.
3) What are your ideas for economic development in your municipality?
Economic development is important to ensure sustainability for our community and to ensure there are opportunities for our next generation in our communities.
It is important to ensure the businesses we have continue to prosper and that we make it easy for new businesses to develop in our municipality. It is our responsibility as council to work with the businesses collaboratively to help them be successful.
In addition to working with the businesses, we need to help promote what we have to offer in our township. For example, tourism is a big part of Georgian Bluffs, the tourists are coming here no matter what but we could do a better job of promoting our local businesses that are in Georgian Bluffs. There are many businesses such as restaurants, shops, local attractions, and locally made products that would benefit from the township promoting them.
Strengthening our economic development will also create more tax revenue for the township. This in turn will ease the tax burden on individual home owners and help with their cost of living.
4) Do you think the municipality has a role to play in the recruitment and retention of physicians and other healthcare workers?
Absolutely the municipality has a role to play in this, all levels of government do. We need to ensure we have the supply of health care services to meet the needs of our community.
Our role will be to educate the physicians and healthcare workers as to what we can offer them to come here. We need to look at creating and offering incentive packages and promote Georgian Bluffs as a place where they want to practice medicine.
Ultimately, we need to make it inviting for physicians and healthcare workers to want to move to our township, build their practices here, grow their families here, be involved here, and stay here.
5) Should the township pursue more shared services with neighbouring municipalities?
Shared services is important in any township to help ease the cost of those services or trade off services for a mutual benefit. There are many services that we already share with neighbouring municipalities. There are also many that we could benefit from sharing such as more water supply, waste collection, disposal, and diversion services, sports and recreational services, health care services, and the list goes on.
In order to achieve this, it is even more important to work collaboratively and constructively with our neighbouring councils to ensure we do what’s best for both municipalities. We as a council need to look for these opportunities and propose mutually beneficial solutions. We need to take the first steps and initiate discussions, not wait quietly for others to come to us. This will help keep costs and taxes down but also increase the services the residents have access to.
6) What issue do you believe is a top priority for Georgian Bluffs to tackle during the next term?
I think its important to recognize that a top priority for one may not be the same top priority for another. We are a geographically large township and the needs from one area to another vary.
I believe as your councillor it is my job to listen to everyone’s concerns and needs, prioritize those needs, and then find common sense solutions to the problems within our budget. We need to multi task and tackle the problems simultaneously so the residents get the most from their council.
The previous council has spent a lot of money on consultants and studies, some necessary, some not so much. However, very little action has been taken from the recommendations in those studies. It is time to take action and make the changes we need for the betterment of the residents of Georgian Bluffs.
There is a lot to do and I commit to put in the time no matter what and start getting things done.