I’m running for mayor because things are bad here and getting worse.
Our population has declined 8,000, taxes are high, our roads are disgusting, my old schools (HHM – Naahii now, RDHS) are going to close soon. No one is doing a thing about it so it’s up to me.
My proposal is 50 per cent industrial, 25 per cent commercial, 10 per cent farm, 10 per cent residential property tax cuts. This creates jobs and you should decide what to do with your money.
This along with my Community Fund, College Campus Fund, road repaving plan, guard posts, traffic lights and debt repayment plan should make us attractive to those of us here and our neighbours.
It will finally make sense to move here. Please e-mail haratkinson@gmail.com for details including where the tax cuts come from. Well folks, that’s It for now. Thanks, Harold.
- Do you support increasing funding for infrastructure given the fact several culverts and bridges – including the Third Street Bridge – have had emergency issues and closures recently?
Yes. Our bridges and infrastructure have decayed. I went out and inspected the bridges along the Thames and Sydenham. The bridges over the Thames are in excellent shape except for the bridge in the news. The Sydenham is a different story. The bridges in Dresden, Prangley Drain and one of the three Wallaceburg ones are all in great shape. The one Wallaceburg Bridge has a rusted support arm. The most cost-effective solution at this point is simply get à local fabricating shop to remanufacture the piece. The second Wallaceburg Bridge has à damaged support pad in the river, rebar is showing thru. The damage was likely caused by debris hitting It during the spring flows. This is a more costly repair. This pad supports the under carriage, it will have to be tendered out. The Tupperville Bridge has multiple rusted pieces where the salt has drained thru. The cement pad in the river is fine but the steel parts that sit on it need immediate attention. Again, a local fabricating shop could make the parts. I budgeted $15,000,000 for bridge repairs but it will probably be around $3,000,000. The condition of the Talbot Trail culvert is not good – this is the one at eastern fringe of Morpeth. Another is at Wildwood Trailer Park. The city engineer and I disagree on the cause of the bank erosion. He says it’s caused by the lake waves hitting the bottom of the bank wall. I say It is caused by water leaking out of the bank at the top. The vegetation is still on the bottom of the slope, please go look. I favour moving the road over and installing better drains along with planting bank holding vegetation.
- Would you support a tax freeze or rollback if it meant reduced staff and/or services?
Yes. My platform has tax cuts as a major piece. 50% industrial, 25% commercial, 10% residential and 10% farm. We need jobs here to attract people with children and to keep our young people here. Along with my repaving plan, Community Fund, College Fund and debt repayment it should attract companies here because we are on the 401 and it makes economic sense to come here. We have significant reserves of $117 million (debt $86.4). Service and program reductions are not necessary.
Note: We did not receive an answer to our third question to Mr. Atkinson
- Do you believe we need a municipal ombudsman or ethics commissioner?
Yes. Chatham-Kent is very secretive which leads one to harbour suspicions about the true state of our financial affairs. John Cryderman has been, so far, unsuccessful despite the Province ordering them to comply. If elected I will post the budget online and at the library. It is OUR money and we should see where It goes. Further, Council meetings will rotate around the county. Chatham has 40% of the population of C-K and the county 60%. From now on we are all going to be treated the same. By working together, WE can make C-K the bell weather for others.
- Do you support investigating a reduction in the number of council members?
No. We elect 17 to be our eyes and ears so we get good value for our tax dollars. They have failed miserably. Neither Mr. Canniff or Mr. Hope have ever seen the budget. Gentlemen it boggles my mind that you never cared enough to see if our money has been wisely spent. Hardly “new leadership.”
- Should the municipality try to land an Ontario Cannabis Store as soon as possible?
Yes. In my opinion it should be sold just like cigarettes. If one is caught with a lit one walking down the street treat it just like open liquor. Driving impaired is dangerous to others who aren’t, treat it the same. After October 17 the noise will die down. Two years from now it will be largely forgotten. It will help keep our tax dollars here.
- Should council be more proactive in terms of working with landowners with contaminated wells?
Yes. As part of my platform if elected the first motion I enter is for a water well study. Council should quit playing games and put our families’ health first.
- Some critics say the municipal building department is an impediment to development in C-K. Do you agree?
Not sure. Right now, we lack new jobs and I believe it is because taxes are high. New companies are not going to come here to pay more. Our roads are horrible. This makes companies think we will need a large tax increase to cover our infrastructure decay. The bridges in the news make us look bad. By us using my plan we have a chance at new jobs and keeping our schools open. Look at my fellow mayor candidates. They all say they want jobs but it’s all talk. Our current Council has not done anything but talk; at least I have a plan.
- Do you believe Chatham needs a new twin-pad arena?
Yes. But not a 52-56 million one. We are simply too small and it would lose money year after year. Navistar still owns the site and well it won’t come cheap. Instead I propose the following: I came up with the “Community Fund”. We have a large reserve of $117 million. We earmark $6,000,000 of it – divide It 20 ways giving us $300,000 to fund various things such as arenas. I contacted ToroSteel.com to see how much one of their steel buildings cost. They already make arenas. A 120’x240′ building at $36 per ft. comes to slightly more than $1,036,000. One of these could be completely outfitted for less than $2.5 million. So, two Ice surfaces could be done for $5 million with us lending $600,000. More than one group could fundraise towards the building. Solves the Ice time problem.
For our part we lend out the $300,000 at 2.5 per cent. Payments of principal over 20 years. ($15,000+$7,500 interest). Our lawyer registers the mortgage, we pay water and sewer hookups.
Those loans would be available for medical centres, senior centres, sports facilities, etc. The possibilities are endless. With 20 groups paying each year we could add one new building every year. The interest I propose goes equally to Community Living C-K/United Way each year. This helps people who through no fault of their own are disadvantaged.
- Should the municipality cut back on its expenditures for overseas economic development efforts?
YES. If I get elected mayor this nonsense will stop. With my tax cut plan, I’m pretty sure it will create jobs on a scale we aren’t used to. Any factories coming here have to be near their supply chain.
- Should municipal councillors ever be forced to go the Freedom of Information route when seeking municipal information?
Bananas. Who does administration think they represent? Seriously it’s our information that our elected representatives need. Really Mr. Canniff/Mr. Hope; guess we need someone else to stand up for us.
- Should members of the public have more access to municipal information without having to resort to an FOI?
Yes. We all should have as much information as possible. It’s a democracy. Well folks, my email is haratkinson@gmail.com. if you have questions.
