WHO AM I?

Ten days from voting day and residents of Ward 1 appear to be more focused in their scrutiny of Town Council candidates.

A number of undecided electors have sent me their own questionnaires, some asking for specifics on my financial management, budgeting and business management background.

For the record, my professional background is in purchasing and financial management with a speciality in public sector purchasing & tendering for products, services and construction, including all related insurance and risk requirements. Recently, in the private sector, my speciality includes urban forest and construction project management on behalf of numerous municipal and private sector clients.

I have written public purchasing policy and procedures for three of Ontario’s largest school boards, a hospital and a town and have taught courses in the recovery of excise tax overpayments  – drawing them back into the public treasury.

Budgeting is one of my core financial strengths and I have an intimate understanding of budgetary structures – from inception to hierarchical spending, reporting requirements and audit.

I have written reports to Boards and Councils with recommendations for acceptance or rejection of tendered bids, based on price, references and overall value. I am also no stranger to recommending a project be postponed because of unacceptable costs, prevailing economic conditions and other contributing factors.

It was my job to ensure that adequate insurances (rather than over-insurance) requirements were attached to projects so that the costs related to a specific project would not include excessively high premiums built into the contract price.  It was my responsibility to ensure that certain matters of ‘due diligence’ was exercised prior to the award of ANY tendered bid.

Ultimately, I was the designated “gate keeper” to the formal contracting and purchasing functions for the spending of millions of taxpayer dollars. So, looking for “fat” in our Town’s operating budget is a priority in representing Ajax

One of my priorities will be to review our Town’s budget for 2011 and identify items of duplication or redundancy so that we do not continue to budget for things we simply can’t afford.  Opportunities exist to review ‘single source’ vendors, spending thresholds at departmental levels, certain existing costly bureaucratic Town-wide initiatives and programs and simply, other ‘routine expenditures’ that need to be meticulously reviewed.

Rights & Freedoms We Take for Granted

It was saddened yesterday to discover some newcomers to Ajax live in fear of offending municipal authorities and are completely unaware of their rights and privileges as Canadians.

To wit: An election sign was removed unilaterally by an overzealous bylaw enforcement officer from the lawn of one my supporters. She called me and asked to have the sign replaced. I asked why she didn’t call Town Hall to have it returned. She said she didn’t want to get into trouble or create a situation with authorities.

Later, a similar situation arose where one of my opponents - or someone on his/her behalf - had placed a campaign sign on the lawn of one of my supporters. Through an interpreter, I learned that the homeowner was fearful of drawing attention to themselves from municipal officials and decided not to call Town authorities.

I reminded the homeowners this is Canada.  We do not have an authoritarian regime in power and that we have a constitution that protects their rights from governmental abuse of power.  We also have freedom of speech & expression and are protected by the Charter of Rights.

Those rights that we as Canadians take for granted are ‘virgin territory’ for some newcomers.  The Town of Ajax provides services for newcomers in partnership with the Region through the Community Development Council Durham (CDCD).

CDCD can be reached by telephone at 905-686-2661 and is located at

138 Commercial Avenue, Ajax, ON L1S 2H5

.

If you know someone who is unfamiliar with their rights and privileges and has recently settled in Ajax, I would urge you to direct them to the CDCD to provide them with information that might bring some comfort and relief.

Canada, and Ajax, in particular, are thriving examples of a living democracy. No one need live in fear of government in our community.

Into the Home Stretch

Hoping Ward 1 and all Ajax residents enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving long weekend.

It was interesting speaking with electors during the last several days, discussing issues and promoting my candidacy. I like canvassing. And in particular, enjoy those discussions leading ultimately, to a decision to support of my candidacy.

With just under two weeks left until polling day, my aim, clearly, is to offer up a choice to voters by making a convincing case based on:

• Real experience in the working world that includes the financial management of public funds; project management and due diligence; costing out and contracting based upon those principles of value for taxpayers’ money and accountability.

• Communicating complex proposals and projects to simple terms.

• Finding, or creating solutions through consensus and negotiation.

• An understanding of municipal tax structures and public spending, and ultimately, the financial and social costs to families living in Ajax today.

I understand that some of my opponents take issue with my position to target a zero % tax increase. But I also understand the changing face of Ajax where more and more taxpayers are required to stretch their family budgets even further to meet their financial requirements.

Aiming for a zero percent tax increase doesn’t mean taxes will vanish. It means buying some time to take a long, hard look at the Town’s spending; holding the line on incurring more debt until we can find new sources of business tax revenue.

That said, small and medium-sized business are struggling too under the weight of local taxes, rising administrative costs, regulatory obligations and insurance costs.

It will be interesting this year to see the composition of the next Town Council. 

A possible look to the future?

For anyone who might have missed it, North American, European and Asian economies are swimming in a sea of debt. Even Ajax is in debt.

The minister of finance tells us the days of financial boom are over and we, as a nation, are going to be faced with, or forced to deal with this new reality. This includes Ajax.

What might this mean to Ajax? Here’s what we might expect:

• a focus on debt reduction
• spending cuts and possible civil service layoffs 
• municipal 'belt-tightning'

As federal spending diminishes, it trickles down eventually to squeeze funding from provincially-administered healthcare, social programs, housing and transportation programs among others.

Has anyone noticed a decline in the cost of food, medicine, gasoline, bank lending rates, GO passes, electricity and other utilities charges? I haven’t.

The rise in our property tax rate was set by the current council and remains at 2.75%. The Town is preparing to incur more debt, and, at the end of the day, little room is left to cut services any further if the current spending programs will remain.

If a  zero percent tax target is attainable, we need to take a long, hard, serious look at Ajax spending and dig a little deeper into the books to discover where we can achieve savings.

If our finance minister’s comments are a signal that austerity measures are in the works to reduce the debt, we as a Town, should be looking to the future to buffer ourselves from that trickle down pain that is surely coming our way.

Seeking a Mandate from Ward 1

The election process requires two things that a candidate gives voters. We need to give voters a reason for their votes.  In return, voters give their Councillor a mandate to represent their interests, even if it means challenging the Mayor’s position to protect and promote Ward 1 interests.

There are five candidates vying to represent Ward 1. Therefore, a selection of which candidate is best qualified to argue the case for Ward 1 residents on Town Council must come down to trust, financial leadership and the ability to represent the residents in THEIR best interests. 

At each Council meeting, the Councillor for Ward 1 has the same voting rights as the Mayor. The Mayor has one vote; Municipal and Ajax Regional Councillors each have one vote. The Mayor, of course, has the additional duties of leadership and serves as the Council’s director with Town Staff.

And after visiting nearly 3,000 homes to date, three issues dominate voters’ election agenda.

They are:

• Our Increasing taxation and value for money
• The urgent need to create local jobs to be closer to home and family
• The need for greater Council accountability and responsiveness to taxpayers

For the record, it is Town Council that electors charge as their supreme authority of our municipal government. Mayor Parish has one vote.

As a candidate, I’m asking Ward 1 residents to be their representative and spokesperson on Town Council with their direction to:

1. Enter a motion at Council to target a 0 % tax increase over the next four years!
2. Offer reasonable incentives to corporations looking to establish large, job-creating business centres in Ajax  with long-term benefits for the Town!
3. Scrutinize Council spending proposals with a view to eliminating additional burdens to Ward 1 taxpayers.
4. Find the resolve to say NO to Council proposals that defy common sense during these times of global and national economic decline, and;
5. Maintain an open line of communications with Ward 1 electors that is meaningful, honest and transparent in order to promote our community’s views and needs on Town Council.

If Ward 1 residents believe these five points constitute a mandate – a contract – between us, then I’m asking for your vote.

Our greatest assets in Ajax are our residents!

Thanks to all residents who fed me goodies this weekend. Your generosity was much appreciated. The curried goat, roti, pre-thanksgiving turkey, fresh brownies and hot tea were awesome. I door knocked about 1500 houses this weekend and that helped to walk off the calories.

But the content of today’s blog is also about hardship. Canvassing this weekend brought home the hard, cold realities of this enduring recession. Two homeowners I met Sunday - both had lost their jobs. They have little choice but to sell up and leave Ajax.

And along the way, I met a woman who told me point blank, she simply couldn’t afford the taxes on her property where the market value of her home had declined, but her tax bill had advanced by $2400 over the last four years.

Our greatest assets in Ajax are our residents! Residents have less money left in their pockets every week to support and feed their families. Although things look rosy on the outside of the street, inside our homes, our residents and having tougher times these days! Given the impending crush of a prolonged economic downtown, perhaps Town Council may need to reconsider its spending plans over the next four years.

I said Sunday that Ajax has been spending money like there is no recession. Perhaps its time we had a long, hard look at targeting a zero percent tax increase and at the same time, take a much more detailed discovery of where to find savings and trim fat where it exists without trimming necessary services.

The ‘red tape’ at the Town is securely in place and it costs us dearly every year – maybe, there’s a little too much red tape? Maybe, there are a few things we can do without?

Amazing Ward 1 Generosity!

Three weeks and two days from today Ajax votes.

It continues to amaze me how generous electors in Ward 1 have been to me during the last three weeks. I really want to thank all of you for your hospitality and the kindness you’ve shown me.

Saturday, for example, after 6 hours of door knocking, the offers of a bathroom and a cup of tea on a cool day were unexpected and wholly welcome.

And it’s those unexpected events along the way that provide those insights into people’s nature. Like the gentleman that was adamant he was he was not getting involved in the election, but after considering my vigorous rebuttal, not only agreed to vote,  but asked for a campaign sign for his lawn! Thank you sir!   

And it’s the unsolicited offers from church leaders of a venue to hold future community Town Hall meetings in Ward 1. 

And it’s witnessing first hand that a smile and a kind word can motivate people to help a less fortunate and unknown neighbour.

People of Ajax will always have their differences. That’s just natural. Those differences however, are the threads that bind us together as a community, and as a community of communities. And that’s where we’ll find solutions to present to the next Town Council.