Over 30 years of experience in financial, business and human resource management. I have spent 17 of those in the shopping centre industry and 15 as area manager of the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Chatham-Kent & Windsor Essex chapters.
For the past five years, I have been general manager of Downtown Chatham Centre. Instrumental in its sale, I took on the challenge of finding the efficiencies and savings to allow for much-needed upgrades.
I have brought in new retailers and provided opportunities for local entrepreneurs. On behalf of DCC, I accepted the Corporate Citizen of the Year from the Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce.
Being elected to three terms as a trustee of the former Kent County Board of Education gives me the experience, skills and understanding of working in a county system before the municipality was even amalgamated.
Would you support a tax freeze or rollback if it meant reduced staff or services?
My loyalty is to the taxpayers of Chatham. Whether business owner or homeowner, I am committed to ensuring that their voice is heard. I will vote “NO” to any increase in taxes for the entire term of office. Efficiencies and savings can and should be found within the existing revenues. I am in favour of freezing services, not in reducing them. Fear tactics to reduce line items that have a minimal effect on the taxpayers is wrong.
Would you support an OPP costing study?
Yes, why not? We get competitive quotes in the private sector all the time. As long as any quote is apples to apples, I’m all for it.
Would you support examining a volunteer-only fire service if the provincial arbitration system isn’t overhauled?
Living in the City of Chatham I can’t support a volunteer-only fire service. I believe there is savings to be found if we had a First Responders type organization that has paramedics and firefighters working in an integrated workplace.
I’ve been hearing “provincial arbitration” as the reasoning behind police and firefighter salary increases for far too long. I think we need to voice our displeasure with the provincial government who are allowing the awarding of salaries at GTA levels.
We need to ask ourselves why our police and firefighters go to arbitration. They can certainly negotiate a “made in CK” contract. Let’s put the responsibility right where it should be with the officers and firefighters themselves. They are a part of our community and I would hope they would be the first to step up and show their support at keeping taxes in line.
Do you believe we should continue our ongoing efforts to attract economic investment from China?
I think we need to explore any and every opportunity for investment in CK. An Economic Development department that gives equal importance to the retention of existing businesses as attracting them is vital to moving our community forward.
Would you support contracting municipal services to the private sector if those services can be delivered more efficiently?
In some cases, I believe it makes complete sense.
Would you support investigating amalgamation of fire/ambulance/police services to reduce costs?
Yes, most definitely.
Would you support a municipal tree-cutting bylaw if it contained incentives for woodlot owners to retain/increase tree cover?
Absolutely! Just drive to any other municipality and there are trees everywhere. It’s really quite a sad state here in CK. Trees are not only good for the environment; they are good for our health.
Do you believe we need a municipal ombudsman or ethics commissioner such as London and Windsor have added?
I don’t believe we need another salary here in CK. As I understand the Ontario Ombudsmen will now be overseeing every Ontario municipality. In the past they were allowed to opt out of having him oversee or investigate issues brought to his attention that will not be the case any longer.
Would you consider developing a usage benchmark for municipal offices, arena and libraries and closing those that don’t meet the standards?
No, I don’t believe you can centralize everything. In an amalgamated municipality such as this, there will always be inequality in some areas. To take away a library or arena in a small community would be devastating.
Do you support development of a community-wide multipurpose recreation centre?
No, I don’t support the building of a multi-purpose recreation centre. The YMCA and St. Clair College are brand new and there are enough private sector recreational facilities in our community. The YMCA has services for those with reduced incomes.
I do support the need for a new arena in Chatham; however, it could be a private/public partnership as is the case in other communities across Ontario.
Do you support an adopt-a-park program in which service or volunteer groups assume some maintenance (grass cutting) of some municipal facilities?
Yes, I think it’s a great idea.
Do you support investigating a reduction in the number of municipal councilors?
Yes, it makes a lot of sense.
