Community News

DOURO-DUMMER MAYORAL CANDIDATES DISCUSS THE ISSUES

VOTERS WILL GO TO THE POLLS OCT. 24 TO SELECT NEW LEADERSHIP FOR TOWNSHIP COUNCIL

We asked Heather Watson and Jim Coyle, both running for the position of mayor in Douro-Dummer, where they stand on key issues for the township.

Here's what they had to say:

Work-from-home and big city affordability is pushing more people to consider rural living. What is needed in your township to accommodate this?

HEATHER WATSON: People need reliable and affordable internet and cell access. Good work has been done over the past decade to advance this, but more work needs to be done to ensure commitments are upheld. Our parks and arenas facilities are not meeting the diverse needs of the community. Further planning is needed to determine what enhancements need to be made so we can devise a plan to generate further investment.

JIM COYLE: I agree that the "work from home" phenom that resulted from COVID is here to stay to a large extent. Work from home requires good high-speed internet as does any business that operates now and will operate in the future in Douro-Dummer Township. Work is being done to bring high speed internet to the residents of Douro-Dummer Township and we need to continue with our foot on the gas pedal to make sure it happens. I would also like us to maybe look at a task force of like-minded citizens who can study the issue and investigate other options to bring high speed internet to our Township sooner rather than later.

Q: RISING COSTS (INFLATION/ PANDEMIC FALLOUT) BROUGHT NEW PRESSURES TO MUNICIPALITIES, BUT ALSO TO TAXPAYERS. HOW DO YOU SEE THAT AFFECTING MUNICIPAL TAX LEVIES IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS? HEATHER WATSON:

We have to begin a planned approach to taxation in Douro Dummer. The budget process has historically been driven by staff without any strategic direction from council on a desired

HEATHER WATSON

tax rate. This has resulted in erratic and unpredictable increases that makes future planning difficult. To help stabilize this, I would like for the new council to set out some guidance for the next term to better plan for the needs of the Township.

JIM COYLE: Inflation is a big problem today and it affects all of us. Municipalities are no different. I come from a financial background so for me, the budget process will be looked at carefully. We are all "Taxed Out" and we need to make sure we are spending tax dollars on things we need and not things we want. I would also like to look the Township reserves to see if any of the reserves can be used to offset some of the inflationary pressures for the next few years. My focus will be to keep mill rate increases minimal for the next few years.

Q: ARE THERE ANY CONSIDERABLE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOUR COUNCIL TACKLE IN THE COMING TERM? HEATHER WATSON:

There have been plans initiated to build a new joint public works/fire hall facility. We now need to take meaningful steps to see that through. Additionally, there is a committee looking into the arenas facilities and how they are serving the community. I would like to see council develop a formal plan that identifies community needs and invests in the preliminary planning to address them.

JIM COYLE: Capital Expenditures are a big part of the municipal budgeting cycle. Presumably, we have sufficient monies in replacement reserves to cover the costs of replacing assets when they need to be replaced. My financial background will orient me to asset management strategies and reserve requirements. As new capital expenditure requests come forward, they will have to be evaluated and the related financing plans secured. I do not know of any significant new capital expenditure requests coming forward in Douro-Dummer Township.

Q: WHAT OTHER ISSUE OR ISSUES FACING YOUR TOWNSHIP DO YOU WANT TO ADDRESS AS MAYOR?

HEATHER WATSON: The Township needs policies to address concerns related to short-term rentals. While banning them does not make sense, we need to find balance between enforcing nuisance-related issues and restrict the commercialization of neighbourhoods. The road conditions and road safety continue to be an issue that requires additional support through the roads department and a targeted approach to address safety. Finally, COVID recovery efforts are needed to help reconnect and rebuild a sense of community.

JIM COYLE: Road safety is a big concern of mine as we are now seeing users other than vehicles on our roads. We have cyclists following designated cycling routes through our Township and no cycling lanes for them. We have pedestrians, joggers and people riding their bicycles on our roads with no shoulder areas to move to avoid vehicular traffic. This can be problematic in highly congested areas and areas with blind hills and corners. Also, the provincial government mandates things to be done at the municipal level and often it is a big expense to smaller municipalities like Douro-Dummer Township. The staff at Douro-Dummer do a good job negotiating shared service agreements and shared use of asset agreements with some of the other neighbouring small municipalities. I am not convinced this is the best solution and investigating other alternatives will be on my radar screen.

MUNICIPAL ELECTION

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2022-09-29T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-09-29T07:00:00.0000000Z

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