Why are you running?
I’m running for council because I care deeply about this community. I have worked in Windsor for the last 30 years but chose to remain a Chatham-Kent resident. I really want to see this community grow and prosper.
What are the key issues?
Growth has been stagnant for the last 30-plus years, leading to a loss of our youth to other metropolitan centers.
Homelessness continues to grow as more people suffer from insufficient income and access to adequate, affordable housing.
Drug abuse and mental health also tie in with homelessness.
Affordable residential tax rates are key to attracting new residents. Our taxes are some of the highest in the province and this is just unacceptable.
What do you hope to achieve if elected?
Achieve growth and prosperity in Chatham-Kent. Attracting new business, helping local small business grow and in return, C-K citizens achieve a new level of prosperity. This may help the homeless issue on a small scale.
Push our local MP and MPP to direct greater resources and funds to C-K to help us with the homeless issue. More money and resources for mental health and drug addiction. Funding for affordable housing units in conjunction with local contractors.
Finding new sources of tax revenue to alleviate the tax load on residential taxes. With skyrocketing inflation, our citizens are at their budgetary breaking point without an added tax load.
What skills and experience do you bring?
My business experience as a manager at Ford Motor Company combined with my post-graduate education and common-sense approach provide me the skills necessary to make meaningful, fiscally responsible decisions on behalf of the citizens of Chatham-Kent. I’m confident dealing with multi-million-dollar budgets while managing large groups of skilled people. As a maintenance manager at Ford, I’ve developed a very astute technical background. I’ve also honed the leadership skills necessary to lead teams cohesively from project conception to completion.
