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Race on for mayor’s seat

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In Candidates / Election 2014
Apr 28th, 2014
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By Sara Carson, Orillia Packet & Times

There’s now a race to become Orillia’s next mayor.

John Maxwell, 68, has filed to run for the top job in hopes of making a difference in the city.

“I’m interested in the homeless. I’m interested in the poor. I’m interested in the police expenditures,” the Orillia resident said Thursday.

Maxwell, a retired entrepreneur, is the second man to throw his hat into the ring for mayor in the Oct. 27 municipal election. Orillia businessman Steve Clarke filed his papers to run for mayor April 23.

Asked why he is opposing Clarke, Maxwell said, “Because he is the opponent.”

Maxwell said he does not oppose Clarke’s views, but believes he will be the people’s choice.

“Because I’m for the people,” he said. “We want people to be involved. We want neighbours to be neighbours.”

The mayor of a city has more power than a councillor, Maxwell said when asked why he is running for the position.

“Council don’t have power. The mayor has power to get things done,” he said, adding the mayor must have the support of council. “The mayor is one vote — not the head cheese or anything else, but he does have the deciding vote.”

Maxwell said he wants voters to know he has a criminal record.

In June 2010, Maxwell, then 64 years old and living in Severn Bridge, was charged with two counts each of fraud, forgery and uttering forged documents in relation to a business he was operating as John Maxwell Total Foot Care.
e rented space at the Independent Grocer stores in Huntsville, Bracebridge, Gravenhurst and Beaverton on a weekly basis.

He was unlicensed, had no formal training in the field of orthotics and held no accreditation, states a police media release from the time.

Maxwell said he was writing prescriptions for his clients to get money back for their orthotic footwear inserts.

“They said I was not a doctor. I said I never claimed to be a doctor,” he said. “I just wrote the prescriptions, though it was wrong, so people could get their money back through the insurance company.”

Maxwell was sentenced to nine months’ house arrest and one year parole.

“Why I tell this is because I don’t want anybody ever to come up and say, ‘Well, you’re a criminal and everything.’ No. I committed a crime, yes. I plead guilty from the get-go,” he said.

He did it to “help people.” He said he knew writing prescriptions was wrong when he started to write the first one. He said did it for seven years.

“I believe I was on the verge of a breakdown when I wrote the first prescription,” he said.

Maxwell said he decided to get counselling to deal with his issues. He also turned to the church.

“I was allowed to go to church while I was on house arrest,” he said.

Regarding his platform, Maxwell said wants to see more affordable housing in Orillia.

“I believe in encouraging for second chances in life,” he said.

He said OPP should purchase the former Huronia Regional Centre (HRC) property and build an Orillia detachment there.

“… There are so many abandoned buildings down there. Why not fix them up?” he said.

OPP General Headquarters on Memorial Avenue is across the street from the HRC and the OPP has its academy on that site, he noted.

“… Stop building buildings all over the place,” he said, adding OPP should put its facilities in the same area.

He said he supports building a recreation facility at 174 West St. S. with Tribal Partners as opposed to the city’s plan to build a $35-million facility on James Street — “just because it’s easy access (on West Street), and I believe James is more industrial.”

Maxwell said he would like to see a Costco and Princess Auto in Orillia. Costco is planning to set up shop on University Avenue.

“We need things that people love and adore but that is affordable for them,” he said. “Somebody coming down from Huntsville all the way down to Barrie is ludicrous.”

Maxwell said he has a simple campaign.

“Don’t ask me to do something that I’m not capable of doing,” he said.

If anyone wants to contribute to his campaign, he said, he is capping the donations at $5 “because I don’t want to be obligated to anybody,” he said.

Maxwell has lived in the Orillia area for eight years with his wife, Tammy. He lives in Ward 1.

He previously lived in Brampton, where he worked as an entrepreneur. Maxwell owned an upholstery company and industrial chemical companies, he said: “I was used to starting my day at 6 a.m. and finishing at 11 p.m. every day.”

He has bachelor of arts from George Brown College.

Maxwell lost a portion of his left hand in an industrial accident in 1967, when a punch press malfunctioned.

“I have had no bitterness or anything else. In fact, I have become the encourager to people who have handicaps,” he said. “The only handicap you have is in your own mind.”

As mayor, Maxwell would strive to inspire others.

“I believe in being first in line to pick somebody up, not first in line to put somebody down,” he said.

Maxwell is a member of Calvary Pentecostal Tabernacle and he is involved in Living for Jesus Outreach Centre and its outreach ministry.

Maxwell encouraged the administrators at Calvary Pentecostal Tabernacle to put in a bocce ball court, basketball court, horseshoe pits and a volleyball court for public use.

“It’s a way of life. I don’t believe in playing church … I believe if you’re going to help somebody, you help them,” he said.

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