Wastewater management and economic development emerged as major concerns as about 350 people packed the PMD arena auditorium on Saturday morning to hear Mapleton candidates make their pitch for votes in the Oct. 27 municipal election.
“The (municipal) corporation is a business and we must run it this way,” stated Jim Curry, a current Mapleton councillor who is vying with fellow councillor Neil Driscoll for the mayor’s seat.
In his opening remarks Curry stressed his leadership skills, noting he has “chaired most committees over the years” and currently chairs the township’s wastewater management committee, which he said is working “to solve our present wastewater problems.”
“You the ratepayers deserve to maximize your return on your investment in Drayton and Moorefield to increase our assessment with more residents and growth,” Curry stated.
Driscoll, a first-time councillor, said the past four years “gave me a great chance to see how our municipality is operated.
“I believe the mayor needs to be a strong leader to make decisions that benefit our whole municipality,” he stated.
“We have to figure out a way that we can have sustainable growth that we can afford,” said Driscoll, noting he has also served on the township’s wastewater committee and has “seen some changes that are going to move our community forward in the future.”
The Conestogo Lake Cottagers Association hosted the Oct. 4 meeting and member Chris Schaefer asked the mayoral candidates “what we get from Mapleton Township?”
While noting fire protection is provided by the municipality, Schaefer said, “We do our own water, we do our own sewers we look after our garbage … We’re feeling like the ugly redheaded stepchild.”
Driscoll pointed out the township actually keeps very little of the roughly $345,000 in property taxes paid by cottagers.
“Of that we keep $101,000; $65,200 goes to the school board … the county, who actually plow your roads get $169,456,” Driscoll explained.
“I would ask you to petition very hard to the GRCA and ask them why they aren’t providing some of these services.”
Curry pointed to a number of recent road upgrade projects the township has undertaken in the cottage area and stated, “We also pay to the GRCA $80,000 back out of the money we receive,” in reference to the annual levy paid by the township to the conservation authority.
“We’re here to make sure we work with the cottagers,” said Curry.
Another questioner pointed to continuing annual reductions in provincial funding through the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund and asked how council will make up the shortfall.
Curry said he would aim to “keep the tax increase to an absolute minimum because taxes are high already.”
Driscoll noted Mapleton’s recently-reconstructed 16th Line “was paved in two portions and it was paid for in two portions. That’s one of the creative ways this council is trying to stretch those dollars further.”
Councillor candidates
Candidates for councillor also focused on wastewater and economic issues during their opening remarks.
“Solving our wastewater issue is probably our biggest issue here,” said Mapleton native Marlene Ottens, who added a healthy local economy is integral to a flourishing community.
“When business and industry are thriving, then residents stay, the tax base increases,” said Ottens, who warned the next council needs to be ready to deal with a tight-fisted provincial government.
“When they want to balance their books, often they download things to municipalities and cut transfer payments,” she pointed out.
“I also think the biggest issue is wastewater capacity,” said Paul Douglas. “It’s key to our economy … it creates permit fees and development charges for township.”
Douglas, who said he would like to see tax dollars spent efficiently, said he felt his experience in engineering would be helpful at the council table.
Dennis Craven stated he feels current taxes are too high.
“A very high percentage of township income comes from taxes,” said Craven who suggested the municipality needs to “finish developing the economic land behind the arena and support industrial growth in other areas in Mapleton.”
Craven also said, “I fully realize the importance of agriculture to jobs in Mapleton,” and cited his past local council experience and “extensive community involvement” as assets he could bring to the next council.
Michael Martin moved to Moorefield in 2011 and is a member of the local volunteer fire department. While he has no direct experience as a councillor, Martin said a 14-year career in the public sector as a paramedic and experience with union management committees demonstrates leadership ability that, along with a focus on transparency and communication, “would be very useful as a councillor in Mapleton.”
Martin said serving on council would be “my way of giving back to my community,” and promised his votes would be “fully educated on the subject.”
Angie Culp said she often talked about the idea of running for council while growing up in Mapleton.
“I’m running because I’m ready. I’m ready to pore over budgets, policies and procedures,” she said. “I love this community. It’s where I was born it’s where I was raised. Mapleton is ready to be the kind of place we are all proud to call home,” she added.
Moorefield area resident Lori Woodham told the audience her attendance at Mapleton council meetings over the past two years has given her a good insight into local politics.
“I have attended many, many council meetings. I’m very familiar with policies and proposals. I believe we have the tools to allow this township to move forward – and I believe by working together as a team … we can achieve many things,” said Woodham, adding the municipality needs to “not only maintain the services we already have, but to attract new families and new businesses.”
She also stated, “I am very honest and straightforward. I value people’s opinions and I’m certainly not shy to express my own. I’m very detail-oriented and apply common sense to most things.”
Albert Runstedler noted unlike some other candidates, he couldn’t claim his children still live in the area.
“Mine have moved on, married and have the same compliant about this area as many of you. They say, ‘Your taxes are too high, Dad.’”
Runstedler said, “the difficulties in our council are numerous, but can be overcome.”
Runstedler said clean drinking water is a priority for local residents and he wondered how the township has ended up in a deficit position in terms of available sewage capacity units.
He also said, “we have to look at contracting out our services as opposed to doing them ourselves.”
Martin Tamlyn, a 15-year resident of Mapleton, says the township is “where we call home and we decided to stay here and raise our family.”
Tamlyn said, “my skills and passion and my interests are sustainable capacity,” and stated he would “make sure all decisions of council are informed.”
Tamlyn feels a strong local economy would help keep money in the community.
Noting attractions like the Drayton Festival Theatre bring many people to the township, he said, “wouldn’t it be great for there to be more things for them to see and buy?”
Nadia Sommerville said as an active volunteer and a member of the Drayton Kinette Club, “I know some of your concerns.”
An advocate for people with disabilities in her work, Sommerville said she would be an advocate for taxpayers as a councillor.
“I would like to control spending – spend less money or don’t spend money that we don’t have.” She said she would focus on job creation in the local community.
“The people of Mapleton are hardworking people. We don’t need our tax money spent wastefully. We need to ensure that the tax dollars and the cost of water do no go up.”
Council candidate Richard Molenaar did not attend the meeting and cottage association officials said he did not contact them to provide a reason for his absence.
County council
Incumbent Ward 2 Wellington County councillor John Green said he has “a vast amount of experience,” having served local taxpayers in various political capacities over the past 36 years.
As a county councillor, Green said, “I have lobbied successfully for maintaining roads and bridges in this municipality.”
As chair of the county’s finance committee, Green said he “led a charge” to block the automatic hiring of two police officers per year by the county, “because we’re the safest community in Ontario.”
Green pointed out agriculture is the largest industry in the township and “Mapleton is one of the top 10 agricultural townships in Ontario.”
With two farm equipment dealerships, three feed mills and numerous other agriculture-related businesses in the township, he said, “as agriculture goes, so goes Mapleton. I think we should recognize that.”
Green stated the community “should be improving in some other areas of economic growth,” but noted, “agriculture is our base.”
A former police officer who now operates the Listowel M&M Meat Shops outlet, Gregg Davidson has been a Mapleton resident since 2006.
While noting, “Wellington County has a very strong, outstanding economy,” with a population base projected to grow by 20,000 people in the next 15 years, Davidson pointed out, “our population is aging and that’s only going to intensify our problem of a shrinking labour pool and a skill gap.”
As a councillor, Davidson said he would be “questioning and making educated decisions on everything that comes through council.”
As a businessman Davidson said he is comfortable working with budgets and his experience on the Oakville planning board and other boards and committees “will make my transition to county council seamless.”
Reducing duplication and looking for cost savings will be among Davidson’s goals, he stated, adding, “I will be a good listener.”
One questioner pointed out the province “downloaded” about $10 million in hospital capital costs to the county recently and asked the candidates what their position on further downloading would be.
Green said the council agreed to provide a local funding component for capital projects and hospitals in the county because “there was a threat that some of the hospitals were not going to be expanded and the Fergus hospital was not going to be built.”
However, he noted, “the province at some point has to realize there is only one taxpayer.”
Davidson said, “Downloading seems to be a thing the provincial and federal governments like to do.
“We get stuck with trying to figure out how to deal with the mess – that’s why it’s important to have more industry,” in order to generate more assessment to spread out the tax burden.
School board
Incumbent Upper Grand District School Board trustee Bruce Schieck represents Mapleton, Minto and Wellington North on the board. A local trustee since 1991, he has been acclaimed to the position for another four years.
“I think our children are our community’s greatest assets,” said Schieck, who pledged to do what he could to support local students.
Schieck said budgeting will be a big issue for local school boards. “With the provincial government under restraint spending, they don’t have any money so there won’t be as much going to us.”
He also pointed out “all of our contracts come due this year. The province is putting freezes on salaries, so it’s going to be really tough negotiating.”
Schieck expects before and after school programs in rural areas to be a challenge.
“It’s easier in Guelph, Shelburne and Orangeville because there’s enough people wanting it. If there’s only three people in Drayton wanting it, it’s harder to do because it costs too much.”
Another candidates meeting was planned for Oct. 9 at the Optimist Hall in Alma (results not known by press time).
