I am running for a seat on Council because I feel I can make a positive difference to the community. I have no personal agenda, only a willingness to work hard for the taxpayers. I feel my work background will be beneficial to understanding the internal workings of the various departments within the Municipality.
I work well with people and am a strong team player. I’m a life-long resident of Chatham-Kent and have lived in the former Dover Township for over 40 years.
I’m married to a farmer; therefore, I understand the importance of infrastructure within the rural communities.
My knowledge of budgets and my determination to press for answers are what this municipality needs. I’m a good listener with a broad range of experiences and knowledge to get the job done. I have served as President on both National and Provincial non-profit Boards. Visit patriciasylvain.ca for more information.
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
Crumbling infrastructure is not only happening in Chatham-Kent, but it’s also a global issue. Many of our bridges built 40, 50 or 60 years ago were meant to last 100 years. Now natural factors such as ice, floods and extreme weather along with higher than predicted amounts of traffic and heavier loads have taken their toll on our bridges sooner than expected. Structures need rebuilding, and we need to be pro-active in coming up with a more aggressive plan of replacement than we currently have. I believe we can take advantage of provincial and federal funding to ease the burden of the Chatham-Kent taxpayer.
Would you support a tax freeze or rollback if it meant reduced staff and/or services?
YES
We must turn over every stone to look for savings. We must reduce duplication of services and unnecessary spending. I would challenge every department manager to look for a 5% savings within their budget. I believe if we took the advice of those people doing the job, they would have some excellent information to share. We need to listen more carefully to those people doing the actual work. Otherwise, we will have no options but to reduce staffing levels, or freeze wages. I don’t believe we can roll-back taxes and invest in our infrastructure without severely impacting the current service levels.
Would you support shifting some services to the private sector if those services could be done more efficiently that way?
YES
Having worked in both the private sector and public sectors, I feel that private operators may have more efficient ways to reach the same outcome. Let’s look at efficiencies and be more open to looking at the private sector to achieve those cost savings we are looking to gain.
Do you believe we need a municipal ombudsman or ethics commissioner?
YES
The Province of Ontario already has an appointed Ombudsman, to oversee concerns with Municipalities; therefore, an Ombudsman is not needed in Chatham-Kent. However, I do believe we should have an Ethics Commissioner or Ethics Committee to call on if items that fall under this category arise. i also think we should implement a whistleblower hotline for those employees who have a complaint or a comment they would like to make without fear of backlash or repercussions.
Do you support investigating a reduction in the number of council members?
YES
This question again falls under the category of leave no stone unturned to save Municipal tax dollars to fund infrastructure and other items that would benefit the residents of Chatham-Kent. As I understand it, there was a study conducted a number of years ago that made that recommendation, but it did not pass at a Council vote.
Should the municipality try to land an Ontario Cannabis Store as soon as possible?
YES
Having discussed this question with several people, most people under the age of 40 would like to see this happen as soon as possible. My reservations centre around regulation and liability issues, however, we would capture some much-needed tax dollars. If we take a wait and see attitude, we risk missing out on the opportunity. I believe the stores will come eventually. By and large, the same restrictions and regulations placed on LCBO’s and the sale of alcohol in grocery stores would likely suffice for the short term, until we have more Federal and Provincial regulations to guide us.
Should council be more proactive regarding working with landowners with contaminated wells?
YES
The people whose wells have been affected feel like their concerns have fallen on deaf ears. We need an unbiased third party to conduct a thorough investigation of the who, what, why and when of what happened. Water is not a luxury it is a necessity.
Some critics say the municipal building department is an impediment to development in C-K. Do you agree?
NO
From the conversations, I have had with new business people, and people who have been in business for quite some time, they have reported that this department has stepped up and are better to work with now, than in the past. I believe we can improve. I would like to see more of a “one-stop shop” customer-facing department. I’m hoping that at the end of the next council, we can say we have streamlined the processes and our “open for business” sign has brought in more businesses to Chatham-Kent.
Do you believe Chatham needs a new twin-pad arena?
YES
Firstly, we need to conduct a robust Recreation survey throughout Chatham-Kent and get citizen involvement. Secondly, we need to look at building a community complex around the arena. We need to work with other departments such as Health and Social Services to see what programs can be offered within the complex. I believe the complex could be a central hub and a feature of which all residents of Chatham-Kent would be proud. Physical fitness is a vital part of well-being. A sports complex would help to attract and retain younger professionals and tradespeople to the area, and increase tourism.
Should the municipality cut back on its expenditures for overseas economic development efforts?
NO
However, the delegation needs to be leaner and with a specific set agenda and strategic goals and objectives. All of this needs to be transparent and available to the public. I do not believe we can attract businesses by sitting idly by, and I do not necessarily think the Mayor is always the best person to send. We do have a Director of Economic Development, and that person should be spear-heading the trips within their annual budget allotment. We need more transparency for this issue, and we need to see a return on investment.
Should municipal councillors ever be forced to go the Freedom of Information route when seeking municipal information?
NO
Councillors are elected to represent all citizens of Chatham-Kent. Their task is to make wise and prudent decisions that will affect the future of the Municipality. If they do not have all the information they need to make the best decisions possible, they may be seen to be derelict in their duties; this is not the type of leadership and decision-making we need nor want. Municipalities must ensure they are transparent in their dealings.
Should members of the public have more access to municipal information without having to resort to an FOI?
NO
There are times when we need to protect the privacy and confidentiality of people involved in business within the Municipality. However, we need to have clear policies and procedures in place that define what is private and confidential. All Municipal staff and Councillors must be trained in these policies and abide by them. I believe in full transparency for accountability and innovation. In my opinion, fewer layers of management would make it less easy to hide corruption, and therefore reduce the amount of FOI requests.
