1. Why are you running?
I am running because I care about our Community. I want to see Grey Highlands communities be vibrant, safe, healthy, and prosperous. I care about our community centres and ice surfaces. I care about our resident’s health, their access to primary care. I care about our New Hospital. I care about Grey Gables. I care about our Community Health Centre.
It has been a privilege to have served the residents of Grey Highlands as one of their Councillors for this current term. In spite of issues with Co-Vid, I believe that Council was able to work collaboratively with Staff, our Residents, and all levels of Government to manage the business of our Municipality and achieve some remarkable progress.
There is still work to be done. The next term of Council will be pivotal and difficult in these inflationary times. Experience counts.
My Platform is:
- Responsible Fiscal and Asset Management
- Growth that preserves our Rural Heritage and the Environment
- Downtown Revitalization
- Attainable Housing
- Right Sizing the new Beavercrest School
- Continued support for the New Hospital and Grey Gables
- Physician Recruitment
- High Speed Internet Access
- Natural Gas Expansion in our Settlement Areas
2. Are there any steps municipalities can take to ease cost of living concerns?
In these inflationary times cost of living is a concern for everyone. One of the things that Municipalities can do to ease the cost of living is to keep any local levy increase as low as possible. Council will have to consider the current and future service levels and balance how these are funded. The use of the levy, reserve funds, grants available and long-term debt will have to be considered when deliberating the operating and capital budgets for our Municipality. The growth that Grey Highlands has seen recently will help broaden the tax base.
3. What are your ideas for economic development in your municipality?
Grey Highlands needs to continue to be a welcoming place for new and existing businesses, their customers, staff, and their families. Building vibrant, safe, healthy, and prosperous communities with attainable housing; revitalizing our Downtowns; responsible growth that respects our rural heritage and the environment will all help with Grey Highlands’ economic development.
4. Do you think the municipality has a role to play in the recruitment and retention of Physicians and other healthcare workers?
Yes, the municipality should have a role in the recruitment and retention of Physicians and other healthcare workers. There are over 2000 unrostered residents in Grey Highlands. Residents that do not have access to primary care through a Doctor or Nurse Practitioner. As a Councillor I sat on a Joint Municipal Physician Recruitment and Retention Committee that worked on this issue. As a Councillor I worked with the JMPRR and ROMP and spent time introducing first year medical students to the wonderful area that Grey Highlands and the surrounding municipalities would be to live, work and set up their practices. Our Long-Term Care facilities, Home Care Support, and hospitals need PSWs and Nurses. We need to continue to support primary care facilities like the South East Grey Community Health Centre. Municipalities need to support building vibrant, safe, healthy communities with attainable housing for these physicians and health care as a place they would want to live.
5. What would you like to see for land development in Grey Highlands?
Responsible growth that respects our rural heritage and the environment. Increasing density in our settlement areas where services are available to facilitate attainable housing. Preserving our agricultural areas. Seeing the Talisman project move forward with public consultation as it becomes a potentially world class health and wellness destination respectful of its unique environment. Exploring the establishment of an industrial park where light industry could be established on serviced land. These are all land development opportunities for Grey Highlands.
6. What would you like to see for community safety and well-being?
Vibrant, safe, and healthy communities would contribute to well being. Road safety is an issue that concerns us all. I support the concept of a road safety community partnership committee to collaborate with staff to look for ways to make all roads in Grey Highlands safer. I also support Grey Highlands continuing to work with Grey County on a Community and Well Being Plan.