Editor’s Note: This letter is addressed to the incoming council.
Sir: Since it’s your job to set the vision for the future of the municipality as it will be pursued over the next four years and as it will shape the strategy and work plans that are followed and the budgets that are set, you’ll want to consider it carefully. (And quickly – budget time will be upon you very soon.)
Here’s how the vision currently reads: “Chatham-Kent will be the fastest-growing, sustainable community in Southwestern Ontario.”
What does this mean? Let’s add quality of life considerations to it and try re-expressing it a little more explicitly: “By 2025 Chatham Kent will have the fastest-growing population record in Southwestern Ontario, ecological sustainability and a high quality of life.”
Still hard to operationalize. Let’s spell out each piece of it a little further.
“Fastest-growing population record” equals 130,000 by 2025. Why? Because that will likely be what it takes to be ”fastest growing.” Population growth projections for other Southwestern communities are: Guelph 20%, Kitchener-Waterloo 22.5%, Cambridge 26%, Sarnia 1.2%, London 20%, and Windsor 3%. Sarnia and Windsor have had similar recent population changes to ours. Is Chatham-Kent’s growth to 130,000 by 2025 feasible? Are we prepared to spend the money and effort to get us there?
“Ecological sustainability” equals tree cover of 10% plus, water quality, drought resistance, low greenhouse gas emission and improved air quality). Each of these items should be quantified and costed. As climate change progresses, all will become more essential.
“High quality of life” equals unemployment below Ontario average; household income above Ontario average; homelessness below the provincial average; subsidized housing available to all in need; transportation infrastructure completed (pedestrian, cyclist, transit, road) and well maintained; vigorous prospering, well-maintained downtowns; residential properties and neighbourhoods affordable and of good quality. How much of this will we try for? How much will we budget for?
Remember, these are just the “vision” decisions. The strategy decisions for each element, and preliminary implementation plans need to be completed before a realistic budget can be set. Are council and staff prepared to do that work? It’s what would be expected of a high-performance municipality.
Failing that, we fall back on what seems to have been the real strategy in recent years: “Attract employers by being the low-cost (bargain basement) area of Canada.
Achieve that low-cost status by 0% tax increases (although commercial and industrial tax rates are an infinitesimal part of operating costs).
Achieve 0% tax increases by letting existing infrastructure deteriorate and letting deficiencies in infrastructure and natural environment continue (roads, bridges, sidewalks, bikeways, tree cover, waterfront quality, downtown development).
Sell this deficient situation with slogans and smiles.
That kind of strategy is called putting lipstick on a pig. It’s not pretty or effective.
Let’s switch and invest in our communities.
John Sigurjonsson
Chatham
