1. As candidates, what would be your key priorities over the next four years in your community?
- Finishing the wharf and see it ready for a good long life. This has been worked at by 2 councils; it is time it comes to completion.
- Continue work on our housing issues, this council has made great strides in housing, but we must continue.
- I would like to see the whole municipality become one with separate identities.
2. How would you achieve those priorities within your mandate?
- The wharf project if everyone works together and comes together on the same page, I see it as a good thing, it has been deemed unsafe so it’s a matter of priority.
- This housing issue is vital to the success and keeping our NBCC strong, we need to have affordable and correct housing to meet the needs of our students.
- We as a community WILL not survive without affordable housing , as the community cannot offer services to residents without employees able to live affordably.
- I think with a successful municipal plan we can become one strong municipality with separate identities,
3. How will you ensure transparency and accountability in council decisions and communication with residents?
- I would push for the town to have our own publication of events at the council meetings. I think our town is very transparent in publishing minutes, online broadcasting of all meetings, and live questions on the topics discussed at a particular council.
- Accountability is key, I will and have always had the fiscal responsibility of residents in my sight.
4. What is your approach to managing growth and development while preserving the character of the community?
- I was the one that suggested that council must see plans for all construction (even if it meets provincial regulations) of anything in the historic downtown. This will allow your council to approve any step, any addition etc. to a building to have council approval.
- I also will continue to support the Heritage committee.
- A community must grow to stay current( increased tax base, children in school), but I feel it can be done within the boundaries of preserving the towns personality, and our rural personality remain in tact.
5. What is your position on property taxes, and how would you balance affordability with maintaining services?
- I will continue to follow the governments assessment process; it is being overhauled this year. Taxes must remain affordable with a balance of services increasing in price. We as a town have become accustomed to having certain services so to maintain these, we
need a delicate balance. The municipality is under two mill rates at this time, and in the future, it would be nice to have the same mill rate.
6. Why are you the best candidate to represent your ward, and what experience do you bring to the role?
- I am running on my quote” An election does not change a candidate”
I have been on council for 5 years and, I will not change the way I am. It is the voters’ choice, which pleases me.
Council has allowed me to learn from mistakes, make decisions that I felt best for the community.
The one thing that makes me certain I could be a good councillor, when I retired, I could have moved anywhere, and I chose St. Andrews because it is a great place!
