I am 31 years old, married and have three children. My kids are 10, nine and six years old and I am running for council because I don’t want my children moving away when they are older like many of our youth have been doing.
If elected to council, I will help build Chatham-Kent to be a safe place for families, for youth to enjoy and a community of choice to retire.
- 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. We need to invest in our core infrastructure. If you own your house and the roof is leaking, do you build a new deck in your backyard or fix the leaking roof? We need to sort out our priorities and maintain the infrastructure we do have or our problems will continue to grow.
- Would you support a tax freeze or rollback if it meant reduced staff and/or services?
No. We are capable of getting our house in order without job loss or reduced services. We need to elect progressive candidates with a new look on things to get this done.
- Would you support shifting some services to the private sector if those services could be done more efficiently that way?
No. Let us use the ambulance service as an example of what shifting services to the private sector does to important services. 45-minute wait times speak for itself. Private sector is in it to make money and the priorities will always be money for the private sector. Quality of care is the priority of the public sector because you can hold your elected leadership accountable.
- Do you believe we need a municipal ombudsman or ethics commissioner?
No. If an ombudsman is needed the province provides one.
- Do you support investigating a reduction in the number of council members?
Yes. I would support investigating to see both the pros and cons of reduction in number of council members. Once the information is available I would support having the question on the next election ballot.
- Should the municipality try to land an Ontario Cannabis Store as soon as possible?
Yes. Medical and recreational cannabis is legal and here to stay. We need to capitalize on the market and take advantage of its economical gains.
- Should council be more proactive in terms of working with landowners with contaminated wells?
Yes. Our council should never have invested in the windmill’s as it created a conflict of interest with our own citizens. We need to take some blame and own up to the mistake. Council saw dollar signs and they say we can not stop it so we mine as well make money off it. This logic has tied our council’s hands. It is no longer about the money, we need to join our people in the fight for water wells rights!
- Some critics say the municipal building department is an impediment to development in C-K. Do you agree?
As a new candidate I am learning about issues for the first time. I do not currently have an opinion on this.
- Do you believe Chatham needs a new twin-pad arena?
Yes. The twin-pad will compliment the new casino. This is a smart investment and needs to be considered.
- Should the municipality cut back on its expenditures for overseas economic development efforts?
Yes. We do not need to go to China or other places overseas when we have MP’s and MPP’s that should be doing that themselves. We need to worry about attracting economical developments from home.
- Should municipal councillors ever be forced to go the Freedom of Information route when seeking municipal information?
No. Councillors need to have any information they need to make the best decisions possible.
- Should members of the public have more access to municipal information without having to resort to an FOI?
Yes.
