City council hopefuls lay out positions, priorities

Owen Sound voters got a look at the candidates in the Oct. 24 municipal election Thursday night.

Sixteen candidates for council introduced themselves and fielded questions in a packed room at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre during a meeting organized by the Owen Sound & District Chamber of Commerce.

Questions were directed at smaller candidate groups, not to everyone at once, to contend with all the people participating in the meeting. Frequent concerns raised included high taxes, homelessness and addiction, the high costs of housing and of living in general.

The event was broadcast live on Rogers TV. It will be rebroadcast on TV and will be posted to the Rogers TV Youtube channel and website.

In addition to four incumbent councillors seeking re-election -Travis Dodd, Brock Hamley, Marion Koepke and Carol Merton -eight newcomers are seeking one of the five council seats. A ninth new candidate, Michelle Tompkins, didn't attend.

Owen Sound Mayor Ian Boddy faces incumbent Coun. Richard Thomas for the position of mayor. Deputy Mayor Brian O'leary faces one challenger, Coun. Scott Greig.

Among the new councillor candidates are Jeff Caldwell, who said he's running to get taxing and spending under control and to deal with homelessness, housing and the cost of living. He opposes development charge breaks for developers. He called for voters to elect candidates with “a sense of urgency and passion and want to see change . . ."

Retired city firefighter Al Douglas cited homelessness, mental illness and drug addiction as priorities to address, as well as retaining youth and solving high taxes.

Jon Farmer touted his experience in co-ordinating groups and community outreach to help address problems including housing, drugs and climate. There should be more opportunities to bring diverse voices together, which is the way to find the best solutions, he said.

Robert Galbraith said retaining and attracting young people by pushing for jobs is a priority.

He said poverty, homelessness and addiction and growth would be solved with jobs and he's “really eager” to start working on them.

Suneet Kukreja, a newcomer who came to Canada and settled in Owen Sound in 2015, works for Grey Bruce Settlement and Language Services.

Her priorities include attracting more doctors and using her passion and belief in collaboration to solve problems.

Rocking Horse toy store owner Melanie Middlebro' said fiscal responsibility will guide her decisions and she'd look at best practices to solve housing, homelessness, transit and waste management issues.

Drywall company owner Meghan Robertson called for careful financial management. Concerning homelessness this winter, she suggested homeless people could sleep on cots in the market building extension in a pinch.

Jasmine Schnarr said she is an OSCVI alumnus who toured as a professional musician for 25 years with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and was homeless in Owen Sound last winter. She wants to use her experience to help the city deal with homelessness.

But the city has worked at Grey County on climate mitigation plans, economic and business attraction efforts, and to do with housing, mutual aid with the fire departments.

“We're breaking down those barriers without breaking down the boundaries, little by little. And I think that's where we're going to have to go, until we can get our neighbours to be willing to even talk to us.”

Boddy said in his introduction that the city is in better shape than when he was first elected as a councillor in 2010 and as mayor in 2014.

He said the city has repositioned itself, going from issuing very few building permits, with shrinking population and high commercial and industrial when he was first elected, to seeing the beginning results in attainable and affordable rental housing -- thanks to council decisions to create development-ready lands.

“We have opportunities moving forward to get more housing of various types. We have attracted more commercial development, jobs and citizens. We're attracting new and innovative green manufacturing, using the latest technologies,” Boddy said. Other council successes include upgrading public spaces “to foster a sense of community.”

Council has renewed bridges, underground pipes and roads, said Boddy who added he supports county council efforts on homelessness, housing and climate change. “There's so much more to do, I seek your vote to continue the progress we've started.”

Looking ahead, in addition to likely harder economic times coming, Boddy said the city will be facing a homelessness problem this winter, and an ongoing doctor shortage, which he said will require working with neighbouring municipalities “to figure out how we're going to attract doctors if we are going to continue to grow.” Establishing an organic waste program is another priority.

Thomas said in closing remarks that revenue growth and cutting costs are always proposed solutions to high taxes but he hasn't seen property taxes decline.

“It's time for some creative solutions and for taking a deep dive and for someone to advocate for you, the taxpayers. And if it's not going to be the mayor, I don't know who it's going to be.”

Thomas also proposes a development charge holiday on purpose-built affordable rental units, better communications from city hall, continued growth, improved transit and continued action on climate change.