Candidates for the Ward 3 byelection in Wellington North had their first chance to convince residents to vote for them at an Oct. 6 debate at the Arthur Community Centre.
Candidates Ross Chaulk, David Culp, Jens Dam, Cliff Heffernan, Lisa Hern, John Matusinec, Stephen O’Neill and Gerald (Shep) Shepetunko spoke to a crowd of about 50.
Taxes versus services
The first question of the night came from a resident who asked why property taxes are higher with less services, and what the candidates would do to improve that relationship to provide more money to residents?
Shepetunko said the municipality has to figure out a way to handle its demands without the province.
“I hate to say, they’re broke. We’re on our own. All we can do is continue to provide the services that we’re trying to do for you,” he said. “Part of the problem is if … we can adjust our demands so we can get down to practicality, we may be able to do something.”
He went on to explain that practicalities would be major issues, such as infrastructure.
O’Neill said, “Property taxes are a major concern, I say it all the time. In Wellington North our property taxes are much higher… it has a lot to do with the tax base.
“We’re never going to get the mill rate down that is welcome to a larger sector, that’s just never going to happen. As far as what we get from the province, no idea what we can get out of the province… it’s just an issue that is getting downloaded more and more,” he said.
Matusinec agreed, saying, “We don’t have the base that the city has, so we do pretty much depend on what we have and yes, the governments, it’s getting harder and harder… things have changed both provincially and federally. We subsidize farmers through our tax base.”
Hern, who said she has developed relationships provincially and federally through her position with the Wellington Federation of Agriculture, wants to see council think outside the box.
“We have suffered some significant losses to infrastructure cutbacks. I think something we can do is follow the example of our township’s actions a little better,” said Hern. “Rather than passing over a million-dollar bill for the Hopkins Bridge, they partnered together with other parties and created a cohesive force to try and make our impact a little better.
“We are a small voice, we can make that voice bigger, we can work together with other people, there is strength in unity, there is strength in cooperation and I think a multi faceted approach is what we’re talking about.”
Heffernan wants council to work with other similar municipalities.
“It is difficult living in a rural, agricultural area and farmers are the ones that get hit. Our taxes are higher … but I’d like to see a study done with other rural communities similar to ourselves and see what they’re doing to raise taxes and try to keep the taxes down for the farmers,” he said. “Rural communities in our area we should be talking with, working with and jointly forming committees with to talk to our provincial and federal governments about what is needed.”
However, Dam wants council to take a look at better development charges and said provincial funds are available, but council has to act quickly to get them.
“We probably need to look at … development charges in the future. It may be time to get our development charges in line. The government has infrastructure money available, the municipality has been slow to get on the band wagon with their infrastructure program and to access money that way,” Dam said.
Culp explained farmers pay only 25 percent of taxes and the government has been giving the remainder back to the municipality until recently.
“The government is backing out of that and we do not get our 75 per cent. Also … the downloading from the government, their transfer money is on an application basis and they’re giving it to municipalities that are ready with jobs, ready with projects that are shovel-ready, and that’s who they’re giving the money to. So we’ve got to be shovel ready,” said Culp.
Chaulk also wanted to see municipalities work together.
“It is true that the provincial government has given us less than it used to. I don’t accept the fact that nothing can be done about it,” he said.
“We need to lobby, we need to speak with a unified voice, not just as one municipality… with that we can generate change… The government has taken money out of our pockets and are focusing it on urban areas.”
Residence
Question two came from a resident concerned about candidates not living in the ward.
Rules state a candidate simply must live in or own property in Wellington North, and not necessarily within a given ward, but the resident was concerned Ward 3 would not be represented.
“I do not reside in Ward 3. I ran in Ward 3, I have always run in ward 3. Prior to amalgamation, I was an Arthur Township councillor. I have chosen the ward that has the greatest part of Arthur township in it. That’s where my history is,” said Chaulk.
He added, “What about councillors that are already on council that don’t live in their wards, are you going to be upset with them?”
He went on to say that if the ward system was abolished councillors would all be from the economic centre with the greatest population: Mount Forest.
Culp, who also does not reside in Ward 3, said, “I chose to run, just everything lined up and I chose to run in this election.”
Dam is from Ward 3.
“I have attended council meetings for a long time and I think Ward 3 has not been represented too well in the last few years,” he said.
Another resident of Ward 3, Heffernan said he wants to run in the election because “I think there’s a lot that this ward has to offer and has been neglected over the last few years… I want to bring change and progress to this ward and work with you to do that.”
Hern also lives in Ward 3. She ran for Ward 3 councillor in 2010 but missed the 2014 election due to illness.
“I think my devotion to Ward 3 is pretty clear,” she said. “The reason I’m running for Ward 3, I love you guys, when you do get sick or your machinery breaks or a whole lot of things happen, you’re without hydro, it’s your neighbours that help you and you guys have helped be big time and this is my way of giving back to you,” she said.
Matusinec lives in Ward 4, but said he is devoted to the whole township.
“I feel when you sit at the council table, you represent all of Wellington North, not exactly where you reside,” he said.
O’Neill also live in Ward 4, but said he is there for the community.
“We are one community; it’s been 11 years since we amalgamated and I think it’s time we finish the amalgamation,” he said.
Shepetunko is a resident of Ward 3.
“Although I am somewhat not particularly happy with other candidates coming into a ward that they do not live in, I’m only going to say this: the perspective I have is not specifically related to issues identified in Ward 3, this is a township, it’s a corporation, we have a broad perspective on things, we have to be able to understand and help with the needs of the community across the entire zone,” he said.
Performance, farmland
When asked about the current council’s performance in its first year, all candidates agreed, saying councillors have done a good job and are on the right track.
Candidates also agreed they should not be raising taxes on agricultural land to the level of other businesses in order to increase revenue. All the candidates mentioned farmers are important to the economy and that the farmland does not create demand for municipal services.
Non-profit groups
Candidates were asked about how the municipality could be more interactive with non-profit groups.
Shepetunko, who spoke first, said he has experience dealing with and using social service groups.
“Over the course of the last four years, part of my learning experience within the community was I got exposed to a great deal of what those are with non-profit or social services,” he said.
“I’ve had the opportunity to sit on sessions dealing with poverty in the community, issues dealing with transportation, seniors … it’s got to be an interactive process.”
Shepetunko added it is not strictly up to council – the whole community should be involved.
O’Neill did not want council to pick favourites.
“I don’t want to ever see a time … that council ever says ‘well, we’ll give this group this hall for free’ … I want to see us work with them but we just have to support the town and that’s what service clubs are here to do,” he said.
Matusinec said “council needs to stay interactive with service clubs, non-profit groups, anyone that is looking for support or wanting to do a project.”
Hern said, “Non-profit organizations are the heart of our community… if we can all get together, my goodness, we would have a lot of power.” She suggested having a database on the township website for non-profit groups.
Heffernan also said non-profits are important in the community.
“Non-profit clubs or groups contribute a lot to the community and should not be ignored. Council could help in recognizing these groups, offering assistance with advice for how to structure themselves, verbal support, recognition at special events for the work they are doing, and help them to be effective in their organizations,” he said.
Dams said non-profits are important, but, “Our local municipal council took it upon themselves to say that each household was paying $14 and change to the hospital foundation. I think our municipality is on a very dangerous, slippery slope to start funding health care out of our tax money.”
Culp wants to see the town help in ways without spending money.
“I would like to see the township supply as many resources as they can, the township website, anything the town can do for them. Funding or helping money wise, I’m not a fan of that,” he said.
Chaulk however, said the non-profit groups are essential for services in the town.
“Non-profit groups, service groups here, and the township, they do work hand in hand… they all donate money… Without the service groups the township would be very hard pressed to provide the service that the children do have available to them today. Support or promote by any means necessary,” he said.
Ward 3 vote-by-mail kits will be mailed out on Oct. 23 and voters can return the ballot until Nov. 6 by mail or by 8pm on voting day, Nov. 16. Official results will be announced on Nov. 17.
