Desire for change clashes with status quo

Nicole Million Midland Mirror Oct 08, 2010
McKay pushes for fresh ideas, new leadership; Downer argues Midland doing its best in tough times
Travis Mealing photoTravis Mealing photoAll-candidates 10Malcolm Dilts.123456789101112MIDLAND – The word “change” has been bandied about quite a bit during this election campaign, and the all-candidates meeting in Midland on Oct. 7 was no exception. The meeting left many first-time candidates stuck somewhere in the middle between the “need for change” emphasized by mayor and deputy mayor candidates Gord McKay and Stephan Kramp, respectively, and a desire to “stay the course” by incumbents Jim Downer and Ruth Hackney.
“There’s a group that wants to stay the course, keep the status quo – the taxes aren’t that bad, the economy will eventually come back. I don’t believe that,” said McKay. “I want you to hear the other side and make the best choice for Midland.
“My view is that, in the pursuit of a quality of life, we must have a sound economy. We must be able to feed ourselves – have to have the jobs here, keep our kids here, make sure enough money for our hospitals, sewers and to enjoy our waterfront. Part of this is taxes. The reason we’re seeing such high taxes is because our economy is in the rough shape that it is.”
Downer, who has served as mayor for the past four years, noted he has seen the town through a variety of positive projects, such as the new cultural centre and expanded town hall now underway.
“A mayor needs to be open minded, willing to listen, not have a personal agenda and not be beholden to special-interest groups or individuals that have pet projects that are not in the interest of the majority of the citizens, who, in the end, will have to foot the bill for their implementation,” said Downer.
“I urge you all to investigate the many inaccuracies that have been raised in this campaign. Take the time to check out these issues, get the true facts before you make any decisions in the vote. Find out the costs of some of the promises being made.”
Questions submitted by audience members suggested taxes, economic development, heavy-garbage pickup and the implementation of meters in taxi cabs are issues weighing on the public. Also raised was what is seen by many as an obvious divide among current members of council.
Economic development – or the perceived lack of it – has also been front and centre during the campaign.
A question concerning a report by the Economic Development Association of North Simcoe (EDANS) on the issue ruffled more than a few feathers.
“That report is sitting on my desk at town hall,” said Downer. “We are waiting for the government of Ontario to come back and tell us whether we are going to be recognized as an urban growth node, where the employment lands will be and where our future is as far as the growth of Simcoe County.”
McKay acknowledged he was an author of the report, but disagreed with Downer’s take.
“We don’t have to wait for the government. We can start putting this economic development council together today. We can start dealing with some of the associations and groups today so that when the government finally does get its act together, we are ready to move,” he said.
“There is no point in waiting for the government to get all the little ducks in order. The economy is moving on, and there’s nobody in China or India asking how it’s going in Midland. They’re moving on and so should we.”
Incumbent deputy mayor Ruth Hackney pointed out the report was not sanctioned by council, but rather handed to them to be examined.
“The report is premature. It has some very interesting facts and it has some very disturbing facts. I still believe we have to listen to what the government is going to tell us where we are going to be and where we’re going to grow before we can even begin to look at this report in a serious manner,” she said.
Her opponent, Stephan Kramp, said if council waits for the province, it could be waiting for quite a long time. He pointed to Prince Edward County as an example of a community that came out of the economic downturn on top.
“We can do it right here. We need an economic development strategy, and we’re not going to wait for anyone else to do it because it’s so critical.”
When asked what they see as the biggest negative aspect of the town, Ward 3 candidate Doug Ironside pointed to the lack of vibrancy in the downtown area, while Ward 2 hopeful Malcolm Dilts said the municipality lacks the vision to realize what it has.
When a question regarding dissension on council was raised, many in the crowd of more than 200 people chuckled, but the tone got serious as candidates discussed how they would go about bridging the divide.
“In order to have a council that functions well, there must be respect among the members of council and they must respect what they’re there for,” stated Glen Canning, a candidate for Ward 3. “It’s not a matter of who wins the debate or who fights it harder; it is a matter of how we act. Decorum in council has been lost because there’s a loss of respect. There are beliefs within certain groups that they have an innate right to be correct, and that is hurting our entire council and that is almost embarrassing to watch.”
Ward 1 candidate Mike Hearn acknowledged any group will have differences of opinion.
“It’s going to be filled with people who are not necessarily going to see eye to eye on everything. In order to get the respect … transparency and exposure is going to be one of the keys,” he said. “I really think politicians in general need to be more transparent and more upfront with what’s going on.”
A hot topic at the council table over the last year has been the replacement of curbside heavy-item pickup with a voucher system. The topic was brought up again at the meeting, putting candidates on the spot as to whether they would support bringing the controversial service back.
“Yes,” Ward 2 candidate Brenda Murray stated. “I don’t know that all of the things suggested by a couple members of our community were considered in how we could look after the mess. I don’t think we explored it sufficiently, and I would like to see us go back and try it again.”
Ward 2 incumbent Jack Charlebois voted in favour of doing away with the service, and indicated he does not want to revisit the issue.
After the question-and-answer period was over, each candidate gave a two-minute closing statement.