We Are a Team.

It is September 3rd – many of us are getting ready for school, university, and getting back to the daily grind as the last days of summer come to a close.

Perhaps the upcoming Municipal Election hasn’t consumed much of your thoughts, and that is ok.  I just wanted to take a moment to share my ideas and get your feedback. 

Municipal Elections are the “grand report cards” for the work your Council has done over the past 4 years, and rightly so!  When re-offering candidates come to your door, hold us accountable for the things you don’t like, tell us the things you do like, and share your thoughts about the future.

For new candidates, it’s a perfect opportunity to ask about their ideas and priorities if elected, and their thoughts about the future of the town.

Here are my thoughts.   

Our region is on the verge of an economic boom in the green energy sector.  To ensure Port Hawkesbury can fully benefit, we have so much to do!

We need to increase our efforts on our housing file to attract private developers to house a growing workforce, seniors, families, students and more.  We need to work with partners for non-profit affordable housing developments to ensure everyone has a place to call home, no matter their income levels. 

We need to increase our efforts on our economic development file, to ensure we are working with our partners to support existing businesses, and to attract new businesses to our Town, including further development of our business parks. 

We need to increase our efforts on growing the Town’s revenues to re-invest in critical infrastructure like roads and sidewalks and to prepare for, and enable, business and population growth. 

New housing and new businesses, plus other innovative revenue generating strategies are how we grow our revenues to re-invest in our Town’s future.  I know many residents continue to struggle post-covid and increasing our tax rate is NOT the answer. 

It is a HUGE decision to pick 5 people that will champion the Town’s future for the next 4 years!  I know that you will give it a lot of consideration.  Which candidates will have the knowledge, experience, and skills needed to continue the Town’s progress?  I hope our residents will have their questions ready, because we need a forward-thinking council with capacity, with optimism, with drive, and with a collaborative mindset.  There is no “I” in team!

Finally, I am so thrilled to see so many people stepping up to run in this election!  It is no small thing to put your name forward for public service.  Having a range of choice for mayor and council is a positive thing!  I sincerely hope that candidates and voters alike have many positive and constructive conversations during this election, and that everyone feels heard, respected, and valued for their time.  At the end of the day, we ALL want to see good things happen for OUR TOWN -  so with that said - TOGETHER we are “TEAM Port Hawkesbury” - no matter who you plan to vote for.      

So I will leave you with this question: what opportunities and issues are the most important for you this election?