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BWG mayoral candidates outline policies

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In Bradford West Gwillimbury
Oct 2nd, 2010
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By Jay Gutteridge Simcoe.com Sep 30, 2010
Two experienced candidates are vying for the opportunity to lead Bradford West Gwillimbury for the next four years.
Incumbent Doug White and former town councillor Jim Corneau are seeking the mayor’s seat.

As mayor, the winner will serve on both town and county councils.
Mr. White said he sees Mr. Corneau and deputy mayor candidate Rob Keffer as a team challenging himself and Deputy Mayor Dennis Roughley.
“They’re joined at the hip, and I’m proud to say I’m joined at the hip with the deputy mayor (Mr. Roughley),” Mr. White said.
“(Mr. Roughley) is probably the most respected politician I’ve crossed paths with the entire time I’ve been mayor.”
Mr. White said he wants to continue the work the current council started, with two main focuses: diversifying the town’s tax base and expanding recreation services.
Everyone wants better services and reasonable taxes, he said, adding the only way to provide both is by increasing the commercial and industrial tax base.
The amount of taxes the town receives from businesses increased by 40 per cent over the current council term, he said, referencing the many new businesses in town
That’s “a drop in the bucket” compared to what’s coming, he said, noting construction equipment supplier Toromont Industries is coming to town in 2013 or 14 and he would work toward bringing other major industries – and their tax dollars – to town if re-elected.
On the recreation front, Mr. White said he’s proud the new leisure centre, library and soccer dome are under construction.
The town received a donation of 97 acres of land from Phyllis Henderson and must now develop it into an outdoor recreation hub, Mr. White said.
As part of its application for federal and provincial funding for the new library, the town included a plan to convert the existing library into a health centre. Mr. White said he believes that was essential in securing the funding and credits Mr. Roughley with coming up with the idea.
On the issue of public transportation, Mr. White noted the town plans to hire consultants to study the issue and answer two key questions: ‘Who will use it?’ and ‘How much will it cost?’.
As part of its downtown revitalization plans, the town should develop an administration centre downtown, he said.
The current council got together and decided upon its strategic priorities at the beginning of its term, he said.
Mr. White grew up in Etobicoke.
He has a degree in political science from Queen’s University. He has a post-graduate degree in journalism from Ryerson University.
He and his wife, Jeanene, moved to Bradford in 2000 to start a family. They have two young daughters.
Mr. White works as a mail carrier for Canada Post. He was elected to town council in 2003 and elected mayor in 2006.
Mr. Corneau said Bradford West Gwillimbury is going in the wrong direction and needs change.
“We face major challenges,” he said. “We must preserve our unique agricultural industry, while expanding our commercial and industrial sectors. We need to build on our diverse heritage and take full advantage of the creative energies of the newcomers to our town.”
The town must increase its commercial and industrial tax base, Mr. Corneau said.
“In four years, council has not created one industrial job,” he said.
“The concentration has been on getting the big fish, but the big fish are hard to land sometimes,” he said.
Taxes in Bradford West Gwillimbury are high and that deters industrial businesses from coming here, Mr. Corneau said.
“I will be vigilant in ensuring tax dollars are wisely spent – no more massive budget overruns,” he said.
Council must work as a team, Mr. Corneau said.
“This council is dysfunctional; it has not functioned as a team,” he said.
“It’s not a democratic and not a healthy structure. A bureaucratic centralization of power has taken place.”
Mr. Corneau said each councillor should have specific roles and responsibilities.
Council should debate the issues and when a decision is reached, council members should support that decision as a team, he said.
For the councillors to have confidence in the mayor, the mayor should have confidence in them, he said.
Bradford West Gwillimbury needs an innovative and affordable public transit plan to give more people access to local services, Mr. Corneau said.
In addition, he said the current council has made it more difficult for vehicles to get around town by allowing several construction projects at one time on local roads.
“It’s disrupting people’s businesses to the point they might not survive,” he said.
Among Mr. Corneau’s other priorities are getting the Bradford bypass linking highways 400 and 404 back on the provincial agenda and promoting small business.
Mr. Corneau grew up in Bradford West Gwillimbury.
He has an honours degree in business administration from the University of Western Ontario.
He was married for 26 years to Birgit, who died of cancer in 2004.
Mr. Corneau runs his own small businesses.
He served as a West Gwillimbury township councillor from 1988-90 and a Bradford West Gwillimbury councillor in 1991 and 2000-03. He ran for deputy mayor in the last election.
He has served on several local boards and committees, including as chairperson.
Mr. Corneau has been a member of Bradford Lions Club since 1986.

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