Mayoral candidate Neil Driscoll says if elected his first priority is very simple.
“I want a person answering the phone,” Driscoll told over 100 people who gathered for an all candidates meeting at the Alma Community Centre on Oct. 9.
“That answering service is going,” he said of the automated system currently in place at the township office. “And it shouldn’t take 180 days.”
Driscoll, responding to a question about candidates’ top priority in their first six months on council, noted township communication must be improved.
His opponent for mayor, Jim Curry, said training for the four new members of council will be crucial. He added it can take up to a year for someone new to the position to get up to speed.
“It’s going to take time,” said Curry, who added teamwork “is key” and “communication to taxpayers is very important.”
Nine councillor candidates also offered their top priority for their first half-year in office (the 10th, Richard Molenaar, was absent).
Martin Tamlyn said council and staff need to work together better to create a more “healthy, sustainable community,” to keep people informed and to take into consideration the economic and environmental wellbeing of the township.
Paul Douglas said the township’s top priority should be getting its sewage capacity issues resolved to allow developments to continue, noting, “those developments grow the tax base.”
Michael Martin said he will work to bridge the divide he feels currently exists between council and the public, suggesting the township should record and post online all its council meetings.
Nadia Sommerville went one step further, stating documents, reports and “protocols” should also be made more readily available for the public. She said people need to know their issues are “going to be resolved, instead of swept under the rug.”
Angie Culp also suggested communication at the township needs to be improved. She championed a “24-hour turnaround” for returning phone calls and said if there are delays or if the answer is not satisfactory, “questions need to be asked.”
Lori Woodham said she has witnessed firsthand what she feels is inadequate communication from the township. She stressed the need for “teamwork between [taxpayers], staff and council,” stating people should be able to come to the office with concerns and feel confident they are addressed.
Dennis Craven said he will not accept calls or issues not being addressed by staff. However, he noted the township’s top priority should be solving its wastewater discharge problems.
Albert Runstedler said the township needs to review government grant opportunities every six months to ensure it is capitalizing on all possible sources of revenue. “I think that is critical moving forward” and to balancing the township’s books, he said.
Marlene Ottens agreed with Curry that new councillors will need training, but she also highlighted resolving the township’s sewage issues as a top priority, as it will lead to development and growth.
Ward 2 county councillor candidate Gregg Davidson, jumping off comments made by Curry, suggested if it takes a new councillor a year to get up to speed “they shouldn’t be there.” He added, “I know what it’s like to hit the ground running and that’s what I plan on doing.”
Fellow county councillor candidate John Green was absent at the Alma meeting, though he had moderator Jim de Bock read an opening statement on his behalf.
Green counted the Alma hall and the development of Wallace Cumming Park among his accomplishments during previous terms on township council, and pledged to continue to work for Mapleton – specifically noting its biggest industry: agriculture – at the county level.
Wages and spending
Candidates were asked what they would do to curb “out of control” wages, spending and taxes in Mapleton.
Woodham noted that a large portion of overall taxes goes to the county, but said she would not be opposed to a reviews of township wages. She added that like a lot of things, the job of a councillor, is “a balance.”
Craven said he is also open to a wage review, but stressed it is not so much the amount employees are paid that upsets people, but the fact they seem to always receive larger annual increases than the general public. He also noted the township needs to expand its tax base to keep taxes lower.
Runstedler said “taxes should be kept in check,” and said the township needs to compare its wages to those in other municipalities to see where it stands. He added debt retirement – “how much and how soon” – is also key to keeping costs down.
Noting, “you get what you pay for” when it comes to wages, Ottens said tax cutting always sounds good, but it means services must be cut as well.
Tamlyn said taxes in Mapleton need to be comparable to similar municipalities, and noted the township needs to expand its local economy and look at ways to save money on infrastructure projects.
Douglas said the number of township employees is more of an issue than wages – and council needs to keep an eye on that. He also noted if wastewater issues are addressed it will permit growth and help decrease the tax burden on current residents.
Martin opined that if the township wants staff with the best skills it needs to pay for them, adding prioritized spending, an operational review and grants are also important to cutting costs.
Sommerville said the township needs to ensure taxes and water costs do no increase. “We need to stop this wasteful spending,” she said. She stated current wages are reasonable and pointed out “there are a lot of people without jobs.”
Culp said she looks forward to investigating staff wages. She told the crowd that Mapleton’s population increased about seven per cent between 2001 and 2011 but the number of township staff increased 56% from 1999 to 2012.
Curry said over the last term of council the provincial and federal governments have frozen most grants and decreased transfer payments to municipalities. “It’s tough to get good senior staff” if the township is not offering good wages, he said. “It’s just not possible.”
Driscoll said staff wages make up over $2 million of the township’s budget and the municipality will complete an operational review to see if there could be savings. “We do have some great staff in place right now,” he noted.
Policing costs
When asked if he would cut plans to add OPP officers and use that money elsewhere in the budget, Davidson said the county already has one of the lowest number of officers in the province (per 100,000 people). He wondered why anyone would want to push it even lower, resulting in increased response times.
Driscoll said he does not want to decrease the number of officers in the county, but, “We can reduce the spending in the police system.”
Curry agreed, saying he would not want to jeopardize the safety of families, but he would be open to a review of the OPP’s operational and capital costs.
All candidates gave input on how to cut or curb policing costs, but those are approved by county council alone – which includes the mayor and Ward 2 county councillor as the only two Mapleton representatives.
Youth recreation
Candidates were asked about their “vision” for youth recreation in the township.
Curry said as chair of the parks and recreation committee for a number of years, he brings a very “youth-oriented” approach to council. He pointed out a number of projects the township is currently working on, including a new splash pad and skateboard park.
Driscoll said there are “tons of activities” already available and parents need to encourage their children to get more involved. He said the township should also be careful not to accept cash in lieu of parkland in development deals in order to ensure there are always plenty of local options for play.
Woodham said when it comes to kids, it is critical to “get them outside and off electronics.” She noted it is important to allow them to play freely at the township’s existing collection of “beautiful” parks and facilities, which she said could be expanded going forward.
Craven said obesity is a growing concern in youths and the township needs offer “any kind of recreation we can think of” to combat that. “We have to continue to promote all our parks and get our children involved in any kind of recreation that they desire,” he said.
Runstedler said there are federal grants available for participation and the township needs to capitalize on those and offer more “organized play” as well as “absent chaos” so that children can “have the best time of their life.” He also suggested sport coaches and staff need support to help create a safe environment for kids.
Davidson said some sports, such as hockey, are too expensive. He noted the number of teams and players has decreased recently as a result. He added parents need to encourage their children to get more active.
Ottens said there are already so many recreation options available for local kids. She said the skateboard park is a great idea and it should be made a reality – “the sooner … the better.”
Tamlyn said the municipality need to look at the resources it already has and he also noted the arts and music are important as well. He said it is crucial that the township move projects along in a timely manner.
Douglas told the crowd there is room for more recreational options in Mapleton. For example, he said Minto has two public pools but Mapleton has none. He also noted the need for more trails for walking and biking, including more connectivity between the communities within the township.
Martin agreed Mapleton needs more recreation options, though he noted the area does have strong minor sports organizations. He said the municipality could partner with service clubs to expand the options, stating if kids play locally, “it benefits everyone.”
Sommerville said she has more experience working with children than any of the other candidates, and as such is very in tune with their needs. She said the most important objective should be making sports and play accessible for all kids.
Culp expressed hope that the skateboard park is coming sometime soon, but otherwise she pointed out other Mapleton recreation facilities seem to always be busy. “Personally, I believe youth recreation in Mapleton is alive and well,” said Culp.
