I was born and raised in Chatham. Ten years ago I left the city to pursue work in Windsor, however, my family ties have always kept me close to Chatham-Kent.
Being married for two years to my wife, Olivia, and having our first child this past October, I decided to move back to Chatham-Kent. I knew coming back to Chatham would be a great move, as it is a tight-knit community with a lot of potential and it would make the perfect environment for raising a family.
I know the potential Chatham-Kent can bring to the people. Being in a bigger city for 10 years, it has opened my eyes to the unrealized opportunity Chatham-Kent has. I would like to bring my vision to Chatham-Kent to create that opportunity, unity and strength for the community.
I have a connection with many people in all types of businesses who can help bring Chatham-Kent back to life. With support from my peers and the community, I know I can do big things for Chatham-Kent.
Would you support a tax freeze or rollback if it meant reduced staff or services?
Yes, because unfortunately Chatham-Kent does have high property taxes. However, I do feel that as a mayoral candidate and potential new council members, we can work to find a better solution than reducing staff or services.
Would you support an OPP costing study?
No.
Would you support examining a volunteer-only fire service if the provincial arbitration system isn’t overhauled?
No, because this takes away local jobs within Chatham-Kent.
Do you believe we should continue our ongoing efforts to attract economic investment from China?
Yes, because if China or other investors are willing to buy property within Chatham-Kent to build business for the future, this puts money back into Chatham-Kent.
Would you support contracting municipal services to the private sector if those services can be delivered more efficiently?
Yes, I believe if we can create a system to promote new jobs in Chatham-Kent, I’m all for it. However I don’t want to take away from jobs that already exist.
Would you support investigating amalgamation of fire/ambulance/police services to reduce costs?
Yes, I would support the investigation but if it meant loss of jobs, I am not for that.
Would you support a municipal tree-cutting bylaw if it contained incentives for woodlot owners to retain/increase tree cover?
Yes. If the incentives were in place I would agree with that. Chatham-Kent has a vast variety of wood lots and we need to preserve that.
Do you believe we need a municipal ombudsman or ethics commissioner such as London and Windsor have added?
No. This means more tax dollars.
Would you consider developing a usage benchmark for municipal offices, arena and libraries and closing those that don’t meet the standards?
Yes, because if certain businesses are not doing their job we are keeping those open for no reason which means we are paying for something that is not working for the community. However, we need to look at all aspects of why those places are not working and try to come up with a solution to fix it.
Do you support development of a community-wide multipurpose recreation centre?
Yes. This promotes jobs, income for the city, is a magnet for tourism and retains youth as well as retirees.
Do you support an adopt-a-park program in which service or volunteer groups assume some maintenance (grass cutting) of some municipal facilities?
Yes. This helps clean up our city. It’s very important to maintain that for a clean environment within Chatham-Kent and it helps with the attraction of our city.
Do you support investigating a reduction in the number of municipal councilors?
No. I feel that if the new potential council is young and fresh new blood, we don’t need to reduce our council.
