Grand Manan Candidate: William (Bill) Anderson
1. As candidates, what would be your key priorities over the next four years in your community?
Priorities include but are not limited to Medical Transport off-island and patient discharge planning, Public Safety, Ferry replacement, Housing and Road Infrastructure needs. While not all of these are the specific domain of the Village, we are still a stakeholder with a voice.
2. How would you achieve those priorities within your mandate?
I am diving deeper into understanding the history of these issues and where we stand today in addressing them. This will allow me to prioritize and engage in advancing solutions with my fellow councillors. In some cases, work is already underway by council to address issues. I will work tirelessly to advance such initiatives where they represent the best outcomes for all of our residents. Councillors are the voice of the community and must ensure to engage public participation in decision making.
3. How will you ensure transparency and accountability in council decisions and communication with residents?
Firstly, by always being accessible to our residents. Communication is key here and being prepared to explain how decisions were reached and owning them. Part of transparency is being willing to admit what you do not have the answers to and committing to getting these answers. Additionally, it is important that closed sessions only occur in compliance with the Local Governance Act and only as absolutely necessary.
4. What is your approach to managing growth and development while preserving the character of the community?
I was the first on my father’s side to be born on the mainland since my great-great-grandfather settled on Grand Manan Island. Although I grew up away, visiting my family on the island in my youth created cherished memories. It is a special place. Entering semi-retirement and moving here with my wife in 2021 was a great life decision.
In this role I would be an effective listener, to fully understand and champion where there is need for change to manage growth and development, while pushing back on unnecessary components of anything that would diminish the character of the community.
5. What is your position on property taxes, and how would you balance affordability with maintaining services?
No one wants to see tax increases. Sometimes they are necessary. I would be exploring if we have considered all fiscal options first? Reallocation of funds? Cost benefit analysis? In prior roles I have had to deal with challenging budgets. Key was not accepting the status quo as presented and thinking outside the box to achieve our goals while safeguarding the best interests of taxpayers in the delivery of services. In this role committee work is also very important. Village staff work hard to develop a draft balanced budget in accordance with policy and governance set by Council and Provincial legislation. Close examination of the impact of a budget on tax rates, services and spending must be very thorough before any vote on a budget.
6. Why are you the best candidate to represent your ward, and what experience do you bring to the role?
I am passionate about this community. I believe in putting my all into anything worth doing. The residents of the Village of Grand Manan are deserving of the best efforts and representation on their behalf.
My entire adult life has been one of service to community, from wearing a badge, to sitting on non-profit boards and being part of active community service clubs. I have worked at every level in organizations, including leading them. I believe in life-long community service and learning.
Each candidate was provided with the same six questions and equal limits on response length and time. Candidates who did not have publicly available contact information through Elections New Brunswick were required to contact The Courier in accordance with its Municipal Election Coverage Fairness Policy. Candidates who did not respond or declined to participate are noted. Failure to participate will not result in additional coverage elsewhere in the newspaper.
