Eastern Charlotte Ward 5 Candidate: Patty Borthwick
1. As candidates what would be your key priorities in the next four years?
Key priorities would be creating a childcare facility; development of affordable and available housing in the area; addressing the water issues presently affecting those in Eastern Charlotte; providing means of transportation for those with none; creating additional recreational activities that include our seniors as well as children while always endeavouring to keep an affordable tax rate for residents.
As someone who is not a former/present Councillor and lacks all the details of what is currently being planned, I can only offer what I’ve heard in my recent travels around the area. One key priority would be childcare as this is what I’ve been told repeatedly by those I’ve spoken to as of late. Without reliable childcare, parents and caregivers cannot go to work without bouncing children from place to place. Some have family that can support them, or are lucky to have daycare, but there is a great need. We cannot attract people to live and work here in Eastern Charlotte without childcare.
Another priority is available housing. We need more affordable places to attract families coming here to work. We need housing for young adults who move out of their parents houses and wish to stay in the area. Many residents are “couch surfing” as they cannot afford a rent – if they can even find one – and are just one step away from being on the streets. Families that may wish to move back to the community to be closer to elderly family members are unable to secure housing.
2. How would you achieve those priorities in your mandate?
I would achieve these priorities by working together with the others councillors and mayor, various levels of government as well as groups that are interested in investing in our Community. If elected, I would ensure that I researched all options, listened to all parties, including residents and their concerns, and make myself as knowledgeable as possible on the subject at hand.
3. How would you ensure transparency and accountability in council’s decision and communicate with residents?
I believe accountability and transparency is of utmost importance if elected as a councillor. From what I understand of a present bylaw, residents are able to present for five minutes at council meetings on issues they have. The problem felt by residents that I have spoken with, is that they feel decisions are made without them and when bringing concerns forward, councillors nor the mayor have to respond to their questions or concerns at the meeting. They talk. Council listens. It seems to me like there could be more open communication with a two-way conversation to address the concerns. If elected, I can only promise that I will be accountable and transparent.
4. What is your approach to manage growth and develop while preserving the character of the community?
Managing growth and development while preserving the character of the community can only be accomplished when we all work together. Council needs to listen to the wants/needs of its residents with an eye to increasing the tax base in order to facilitate growth and development. Small areas, such as ours, need to keep an open mind to new ideas from residents/ different levels of government/entrepreneurs and businesses to keep moving forward so we don’t become stagnant. We need to be able to lure new residents/investments as well as maintain what we have. I feel we live in a wonderful community and could sell ourselves as a tourist stop because of our natural beauty.
5. What is your position on property taxes? and how would you balance affordability and maintaining services?
Residents do not like to see their property taxes go up, especially when they do not see an increase in services being provided or are not seeing any kind of improvement in their community. People want “bang for their buck”. Increases may be necessary due to the global economy, as costs increase every day due to things out of our control. I believe it’s a much less bitter pill to swallow if we see some progress on longstanding issues in the community like water, childcare and affordable housing. Again, working to bring new residents, homes and businesses into the area to expand the tax base should help with affordability.
6. Why are you the best candidate to represent your ward and what experience do you bring to the role?
I believe I am the best candidate because of my past endeavours. My experience over the years has led me to work with, and against, various levels of government, private industry and Health Authorities. From preventing environmental issues regarding a quarry, bringing attention to flooding issues on our Lake and Rivers, being the driving force to ensure Fundy Health Centre was included for funding as a Collaborative Care Center, to changing legislation and supporting many local community events – especially those that address food insecurity for Eastern Charlotte families. These aspects show I’m versatile and can work with, and for, the good of this community. For these efforts, I was awarded both the Queens Platinum Jubilee medal as well as the Environmentalist of the Year award.
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.
