Tiny candidates respond to questionnaire

Simcoe.com October 6 2010
TINY TOWNSHIP – The Mirror posed five questions to every candidate who submitted his or her name for the Oct. 25 municipal election.
1. Why are you running for public office?
2. What is the most important issue affecting your municipality?
3. If you were faced with the choice, would you vote to raise taxes or cut services?
4. What attributes set you apart as a candidate?
5. What specific project or goal do you hope to accomplish during your term in office?
Answers appear below. We requested that the responses be limited to 50 words for each question.
Mayor
Ray Millar
1. The role of municipal council shouldn’t be to evaluate the pros and cons of perceived options. We are not well served by either/or decisions. The role of council, in co-operation with staff, should be to come up with innovative solutions. I want to bring an integrative approach to problem solving.
2. There will be an ever-changing array of issues, and each is important. With that said, there are issues that will have to be addressed sooner rather than later. Issues will be prioritized and resolved effectively only when we stop the practice of choosing the least-worst option.
3. Before considering that question, you must determine the salient points and the expected outcomes. Why would we put ourselves into that box where we are compelled to choose the lesser of two evils? There will be a range of alternatives; we just have to identify what they are.
4. I think all candidates see themselves as having the requisite attributes of honesty, integrity and determination, but what I think sets us apart from each other is how we approach problems. I tend not to accept conventional straight-line thinking, preferring instead an integrative approach, looking for the less obvious solutions.
5. I will re-introduce the concept of zero-based budgeting, a process where every department function is reviewed comprehensively and all expenditures must be rationalized rather than simply adjusted up or down from the previous period’s budget. If adopted, this will result in cost-effective improvements to municipal operations.
Peter Davenport
1. It’s very simple – to give people another choice. For instance, you may agree with a candidate’s position on many issues, but take exception with his or her stance on a particular topic that is very dear to your heart. Also, in my case, to introduce new ideas and ideals.
2. There is a clearly definable problem: lack of available jobs. For someone in a stable work or financial situation, this may be easy to ignore. I remember a bank employee, years ago, indicating to me that she wasn’t aware of any recession. We need to attract and create commerce.
3. I think there should be occasional press releases to invite more public input on how our money is spent. In this township, “we” have decided to spend more than $200,000 to upgrade our “Tiny” signs – while some are struggling to keep their homes (unpaid taxes).
4. I don’t mind being “apart from the crowd.” One of the greatest failings of “civilized society” is lack of enlightenment and people “just doing what others do” because it is safe and acceptable. Independent thought, open minds and collectivism will bring about positive change.
5. Having the name Tiny Township is novel in itself. I’d like to see a “Tiny Peace Festival.” We could make this an event of spiritual awareness and community co-operation – in light of the harmonious foundation created with “our peoples” standing up for “resource protection” – clean water. Peace on Earth.
Peggy Breckenridge
1. I’ve had successful careers in education and business, and am now in the fortunate position to devote full time to community service. As a fifth-generation resident of this area, I’m familiar with its distinctive challenges. Our citizens deserve reliable, proven leadership who can translate our unique traditions into a positive vision of the future.
2. The environment tops a long menu of priorities. Stewardship of the township’s natural resources, septage disposal, protection of beach areas, development of our agricultural base and ongoing protection of ground water are among our biggest challenges moving forward.
3. It’s not a question of either/or. Council is responsible for program priorities that meet identified needs in a cost-effective manner. Ongoing programs require continuous scrutiny for process improvement and cost reduction. New programs must be planned for maximum benefit and minimum cost. Old programs with no current purpose need to be eliminated.
4. My local roots, my formal education and my varied work experiences have given me a sound background for the role of mayor. Over my seven years on council, the last four as mayor, I have relied heavily on my communication, mediation, business planning, financial management, and human-relations skills to achieve significant results.
5. The strategic plan I initiated last term proved invaluable in guiding council deliberations. It needs to be updated. The process can be improved with more public input. Revisiting the strategic plan will be my first order of business, and out of this will flow priorities for the next four years.
Deputy Mayor
George Lawrence
1. I enjoy my position as Tiny Township deputy mayor. I have met many wonderful people and have learned so much. I have seen tremendous success achieved when we work as a team. Simply put, I love this job and want to continue my service to tiny and its residents.
2. We need a safe and acceptable septic tank disposal system. Neighbouring municipalities have advised they can take only some septage, and at a high cost of $400 to $500 per tank. A Tiny Township treatment plant is not affordable. We can, though, create a lagoon system that has been successfully used by other municipalities.
3. Before doing either, I would stop wasting tax dollars, such as the huge amounts Tiny pays for consultants. I would then prioritize all residential services, carefully weighing each service cost versus the proven need. With resident input, I would the cut the lowest-priority services before raising taxes.
4. As deputy mayor, I have continually proven my commitment to balance what’s right for Tiny Township and the potential impact on residents and the environment. I am readily available to listen to residents’ concerns. I also invest time learning from other municipalities on how similar situations were handled.
5. We must deal with septage disposal. We can and should do this with a “made in Tiny” solution, avoiding ineffective and costly consultants. We know the options and their respective costs and implementation issues. The lagoon system wins hands down. Let’s get on with it now.
George Cornell
1. I have been a permanent resident of Tiny Township since 2003. I want to participate in local government at the township and county levels, where I will make a difference by advocating for sustainable essential services and protecting our environment while being fiscally responsible, transparent and accountable.
2. Managing complex environmental issues within our budget. This includes management of waste and septage, alternative energies, water quality, beach stewardship, our trails system and forest management, including a municipal tree-cutting bylaw. We need to work within our official plan, zoning bylaws and strategic plan.
3. I would first ensure that the services we are providing are essential and reflect the needs of our community. I would challenge staff to look at more innovative ways to provide those services through stronger community engagement – volunteers and co-operation with neighbouring communities. My last resort would be to raise taxes.
4. A civil engineer with over 25 years’ business experience. Demonstrated skills in the areas of fiscal responsibility, budgets, strategic management, problem solving, negotiation and communication. Worked in the corporate environment and effectively managed change dealing with complex issues. Listens to all sides of an issue in a fair and responsible manner.
5. I will be a leader at both Tiny and the county in reforming how council works. We need to better engage the community as we debate major issues. This would include introducing e-communication, customer service standards, an enhanced code of ethics and conduct, and town hall meetings.
Councillor
Nigel Warren
1. My management skills learned in private and public sector will be beneficial to Tiny. I am comfortable researching issues, asking pertinent questions and assessing the responses before making my decisions. I am committed to making the right decision, rather than a politically expedient or convenient one, and remain confident these decisions will bring continued positive change.
2. The environment, including septage disposal (evaluate alternatives to land spreading, including lagoons, biodigesters, plasma arc incineration and processing), garbage (reduce, recycle, reuse), source water protection (evaluate potential effect of new developments), and the Green Energy Act (return the right of municipalities to determine if energy projects such as wind turbines are appropriate).
3. Neither. I would see this as an opportunity to examine ways to provide greater cost-effectiveness in the delivery of services in line with the existing budget.
4. Senior management experience in the private field and complementary experience in the public field. Commitment to Tiny as a year-round, retired resident. Courage to ask the uncomfortable questions. Fiscal responsibility and preparedness to invest for long-term returns. Professional, analytical, communication and listening skills.
5. Find the solution for septage disposal that is cost effective, environmentally responsible and acceptable to Tiny residents. Work to keep the public informed on the progress of initiatives and projects.
Ken Scott
1. I am running for office because I care deeply about this township and do not like the direction it is heading. I feel we are a township fragmented. Council is the voice of the people and therefore must reflect their needs and wants. This council does not do that.
2. Community is by far the most important issue in Tiny. By developing strong community bonds, we can recreate what once was a great community. Supporting Festival du Loup, Summerama and remembering our wonderful history will help revitalize our Tiny.
3. Essential service? I can’t see there being any need to increase taxes in the near future based on the wasteful spending of this council. $350,000 for signs, $100,000 for unneeded lights at Balm, $20,000 here and there for consultants, etc. No tax increase.
4. I will be working at this full time. The only agenda I have is to do what is best for Tiny. When I take a project on, I stay with it and work hard until it is complete. This is a pivotal time for Tiny, and we need the right people in place.
5. It would go a long way to bringing the sense of community back if we could stop all this nonsense on the beaches. Police calls have cost Tiny hundreds of thousands of dollars. Traditional historic use of the beaches should rule the day and bring peace back to the beaches.
Anthony Lancia
1. I enjoyed my three terms as mayor of Tiny, and am very proud of the record of achievement. The prospect to once again serve the citizens of Tiny is a pleasure I look forward to. I liked the job of serving the township’s residents and taxpayers.
2. Financial accountability and elimination of unnecessary spending on ambiguous projects. My goal is to achieve zero increase in the municipal portion of the property tax. To do this, council must make decisions that benefit residents and taxpayers as a whole. I have the council experience in achieving zero tax increases.
3. I would vote to raise taxes, but not before all steps were taken to eliminate any unnecessary spending of tax dollars. Vital services such as fire protection should not be cut.
4. Nine years’ experience as mayor and Simcoe County councillor is an invaluable asset to the new council and Tiny’s citizens. I am known for my integrity, honesty, electoral experience, and ability to co-operate and work with others to achieve a personal standard of being the most highly effective and receptive councillor.
5. Financial accountability and elimination of unnecessary spending; a continued and enhanced environmental protection policy; increased openness, accountability and accessibility to our elected council members; maintaining and improving municipal services; council decisions that benefit all residents and taxpayers; additional water supply services to areas requesting same (a user-pay service).
Richard James Hinton
1. I am running for public office because I truly believe that giving back to your community is very important. Also, there are key issues in Tiny coming up in this term, and I believe I can be a real asset to helping make sure the proper decisions are made.
2. In my opinion, the most important issue and most significant cost will be dealing with septage and ensuring that our drinking water is safe for future generations.
3. Before cutting services, I’d look for savings in the way we currently provide services. Looking at how we are spending our money is key before we consider another raise to property taxes or cutting services.
4. My entrepreneurial background gives me a real advantage to bring fresh ideas. My problem-solving abilities have served me well throughout my business life. I now want to use them to serve Tiny. My successes in my business partnerships demonstrate my real ability to work with people.
5. I would like to solve the waste and septage issues in Tiny Township.
Janet Evans
1. I want to bring positive change to the way council operates and communicates with its constituents, and restore the public’s trust in the municipal political process. My vision is to bring openness, transparency and accountability back into municipal government. The public has the right to participate in the decision-making process.
2. The most important issue affecting the Township of Tiny is finances. Setting the 2011 budget will be a big challenge for the new council. Township communications implied a 2010 municipal tax rate increase of 1.5 per cent; in actual fact, it is 8.2 per cent. Operating expenses have increased 30 per cent over the past two years.
3. I would prefer not to do either. Instead, I would reduce costs of consulting, engineering and legal fees. Having come from a consulting background, I understand how consulting firms cost their services. Secondly, I would investigate the feasibility of revenue creation for the municipality in order to relieve the strains on property taxes.
4. I am extremely knowledgeable of past, current and future issues facing Tiny, having monitored council on a regular basis for over seven years. I have a thorough understanding of the municipal political process. I have been extremely active within the community and have a thorough understanding of their wants and needs.
5. I want to revisit the issue of fences on the beaches in Tiny. I would recommend repealing the zoning bylaw amendment on fences under the Planning Act, and creating a fence bylaw under the Municipal Act, which is what the consultant recommended. Council ignored a letter on behalf of 700 people who opposed the fence at Balm Beach.
André Claire
1. I ran in 2006 because of concerns on the environment. Site 41 is behind us now, but this township needs a strong voice to help deal with important issues to come. I am a team player, and enjoy my work on behalf of our residents.
2. The practice of spreading septage on our fields has to stop. At a time when we try to protect our source water, our township has to find rapidly an appropriate solution to septic tank disposal.
3. First, I would look – through an organization review – for areas of waste and how to improve services efficiency. Then, weighing cost versus need, and with residents’ input, I would cut (or find new ways of funding) low-priority services before raising taxes beyond inflation level.
4. Besides being bilingual, I worked and lived in foreign countries and developed an acute sense of respect for other opinions. I am a good listener and team player, and make my own research on all issues that are presented to me before taking any decision.
5. As stated previously, the protection of our water resources is everybody’s priority. Therefore, I will pay special attention to find a solution on handling our septage issue in order to stop the environmentally harmful field spreading practice.
Stephen Campbell
1. I am running for office to help make Tiny Township roads safer, and to ensure we protect our environment by responsible use of our lands.
2. I feel the most important issues are speeding in areas marked 50 kilometres per hour or less, and the dumping of raw septage on our lands. I am also very concerned that council seems to work a great deal behind closed doors.
3. If it meant a tax increase to properly treat and dispose of septage, for example, I think a raise would be justified. If we needed to raise taxes to continue to mow the shoulders of the road twice a month in the summer, then perhaps a reduction in the service would make sense.
4. I would need plenty of input from all sides to ensure we make the right choices. I have historically been a great consensus builder when working with education groups writing policy documents. I am a very hard worker and, if elected, I would want to get the public and council to interact more.
5. I have two goals I hope to achieve. One is a practical solution to the issue of speeding in our township. I would do this to help ensure the safety of my constituents, their children and their pets. I would also endeavour to end the dumping of raw septage on Tiny Township lands.
Cathy Burgers
1. I am concerned with some of the changes I have seen in Tiny Township’s communities over the years. This used to be a quiet, relaxing community; now it is charged with conflict and controversy. I would like to see that change.
2. As every living thing on this planet needs water to survive, the most important issue affecting our municipality is without a doubt safeguarding our water and our environment. Landfill sites, the spreading of untreated septage on open fields, and gravel pits are the most immediate threats.
3. That is a difficult question to answer without knowing by how much and which services. Given only two choices and no other information, I would cut non-essential services before raising taxes.
4. I am not a politician. I am a wife, a mom and a taxpayer. I am not an expert, nor do I have all the answers on the environment, budgets or the future. I am honest and I am learning. I am an ordinary person just like you.
5. People are frustrated. My goal is to improve communications and transparency between council and its constituents. With hard work and a little luck, that will lead to improved relationships. Council members and residents need to work together. Site 41 is a testament of what can happen when we do.