Why are you running?
My first push to run for council happened when the county issued the tree-cutting bylaw. This was a decision that affected farmers directly. Farmers are stewards of their own land and should be left to do so. When the bylaw was repealed, it was a very close vote. Primarily, I want to be on council to make sure such an overstep of power never happens again.
What are the two biggest issues for the next term of council?
Property taxes, and infrastructure are going to be the two biggest issues in the next term.
What do you hope to achieve if elected?
If elected, I’d like to push for a reduction in the farm tax rate. Rural infrastructure is also needing a lot of attention. We may not be able to afford to pave all the gravel roads, but there are some heavily used roads that should be upgraded. Many of those roads also have outdated bridges that need to be upgraded as well.
For example, I would love to see a bypass made around Tilbury to keep heavy traffic and transport trucks from going straight through town. And I’m pretty sure the Talbot trail road closure won’t be fixed yet. If so, I would like to continue being part of the influence that gets that project finished.
What skills and experience do you bring?
I serve on the Grain Farmers of Ontario board here in Chatham-Kent. I also sit on the board at Chatham Christian school. Sitting on boards, especially policy boards, gives me experience on how policy boards work.
I also run a farm and, for the last 20 years, I’ve run a small eavestrough installation business. This has been a great experience in meeting people from all parts of the county, rural and urban. I’ve had a lot of experience dealing with people telling me the problems they’re having and being able to offer practical and effective solutions.
Are you a fan of Donald Trump? No.
