Tag Archives: Amherstburg Vote 2022

Municipal Campaign 2022 Platforms Revisited

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Council enacted a more restrictive procedure by-law that limits delegates to speak only when an item is on the agenda AND it is accompanied by an admin report or a by-law. More recently, council failed to enact a civic engagement policy.

With just over eighteen months until the next municipal election, I wanted to review what the then-candidates campaigned for in terms of democracy and civic engagement.

FROM THE BURG WATCH QUESTIONS TO THE CANDIDATES:

Q. What civic engagement methods should the town implement? 

Allaire: Group meetings in an approachable setting. Town Council meetings are long and boring for most when they only want to talk about one topic of many. Utilize places such as our ACS building to gain the feedback of residents. Go to schools. We say that the children are our future let’s start utilizing them! 

Pouget: Meetings should be held before budget deliberations and any changes that could affect the operation of the Town.

Crain, Gibb, McArthur, Prue: no answer.

Q. What three things would you do to prove the town is committed to Open Government?  

Allaire: Transparency – I pride myself in being honest. I would try and make discussions more accessible for residents and try and keep our council meeting minutes easily readable and displayed. I think some form of social media would be a great way to inform the residents what we are doing week to week so they do not feel like they are left in the dark.

Listen and Act – I would like to provide more outlets for residents to get the chance to speak on matters that are important to them. Afterwards I would like to  act! Take action on those matters. Weather it is addressing it immediately or trying to incorporate it into future meetings. I feel that the outlets we currently use are not working for the entire town engagement. I would like to implement some other opportunities.

Pouget: I would stop the secret dinners with staff and council.

I would lobby for a decrease regarding in-camera meetings. A council may go in-camera for certain things, but they don’t have to.  They are only obligated to go in-camera for personnel matters, litigation or possible litigation, sale or purchase of land and security.

I would waive the rules of order, if someone wished to address Council.

Crain, Gibb, McArthur, Prue: no answer.

FROM CBC AND PRUE’S BROCHURE:

Prue: Municipal government affects us all. I am committed to ensuring all citizens to have a say on the issues affecting their lives in Amherstburg. To be fully informed. To participate in review processes. To provide and share their opinions. I believe in local democracy.” Promote citizen participation in municipal affairs and allow full deputation rights at town meetings. (brochure).

Gibb: focused on his business and volunteer experience.

Allaire: Financial problems are obvious for Amherstburg. I also feel lack of communication and community engagement. If elected I want to make our meetings more transparent and encourage more ideas from residents. (CBC).

Courtney: Communication and expectations must be in sync between council, staff and the residents. (CBC).

Crain: I am forward-thinking, a great communicator, open-minded, and ready to listen. My involvement across Amherstburg has allowed me to develop a deep understanding of community issues and areas where we can improve. (CBC).

McArthur: I am a hard-working, responsive councillor. I was a fixture at community events, where I supported volunteers and was available to answer residents’ questions. I am active on social media, where I promote the town as an attractive place to invest and reside, with an unrivalled quality of life. I inform and engage residents with my website and digital newsletter. (CBC).

Pouget: Our taxpayers know that I am hard working and that I listen to their concerns and act on them. (CBC).

How Those Elected In 2022 Answered

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Updates: comments that contain personal attacks will not be published and Candidate Answers 2022 page now lists only those elected that answered as follows: the count only reflects my readers’ and my questions to all of the candidates.

Continuing the 2014 tradition of posting how those elected answered during the campaign.

Michale Prue 0
Chris Gibb 0
Molly Allaire 13
Peter Courtney 1
Linden Crain 1
Donald McArthur 1
Diane Pouget 13

the burg watch questions to candidates 2022

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Updated the Candidate Answers 2022 page to include only candidates who answered one or more questions from this blog, including three that answered the following questionnaire.

Do you anticipate having to declare any pecuniary interest? 

What does ‘accessible’ mean to you?

What community groups do you belong to?

What three things would you do to prove the town is committed to Open Government?

Who should determine priorities for the town?

How will you contribute to maintaining decorum at council and committee meetings?

How will you ensure the Boards and Committees Appointment Policy is adhered to?

How will you demonstrate that your decision making reflects the interests of the community as a whole?

What civic engagement methods should the town implement? 

When did the town hold consultations regarding the proposed Libro Trail?

What would you do to change the timeframe for the posting of council and committee minutes?

Are you aware of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy implications of the use of social media?

Councillor Candidates: My Opinion, Last But Not Least

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After evaluating the Mayoral candidates, and favouring John Laframboise, excluding the 18 of 25 that may have excluded persons with disabilities, eliminating Leo’s lineup, and criticizing incumbents, except Peter Courtney, seven candidates remain. Based on my interactions, or lack thereof, I have no opinion except for Diane Pouget, who has an impressive commitment to the community and previous council experience for 14 years. Pouget therefore knows the role of council and will fulfill her obligations conscientiously. and without conflicting loyalties.

Councillor Candidates: My Opinions, The Incumbents

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My opinions are based on a variety of sources, my interactions, my own fact checking and my perspective as a person with disabilities and advocate. THE INCUMBENTS: newcomers in 2018 With all the discussion about fiscal responsibility, debt control, strategic plan, KPMG Report, wasteful spending, over expenditures, lack of amenities, community safety, trust, transparency, Ombudsman Report, lack of decorum, sidewalks, road maintenance, fire hall, town hall, studies, design plans, , etc., do the incumbents deserve another chance? for 4 more years? Peter Courtney is the only incumbent I would like to be re-elected. He has the courage of his convictions and asks tough questions that he acknowledges taxpayers relayed to him. Addressing issues is more important to me than spinning positivity for the sake of avoiding negativity and I trust he’ll do that. Donald McArthur’s commitment to active transportation and trails, dog park, skate park and Open Air is obvious. He moved to waive the procurement policy and felt the kids were owed an apology and suggested the traffic by-law should be changed because of the distance to the Libro. McArthur felt there’s a cry for help and he wanted to give more money to the Park House museum than was requested, an additional $6500. He mentioned their fundraiser, music off the back porch, which he has participated in so he’s aware of the museum’s accessibility barriers. His self evaluation includes ‘hardworking and responsive.’ He angrily argued with a delegate and he hasn’t answered many of my emails. After his speech calling for no reference to Jeffrey Amherst in the new high school name, I asked him if it wasn’t hypocritical to promote ‘a step towards reconciliation’ for the new high school, when council has no jurisdiction to do so, yet dismiss the idea of a name change for the town? McArthur vociferously promotes Open Air while I equally object to it because of its impact on businesses that are opposed, because its COVID related rationale for existence has ended and because taxpayer money should never be used to sponsor an event that may be contrary to the legislated principles and protection of equal rights. Marc Renaud is not as vocal as some and also hasn’t answered many of my emails. After nudging and fact checking, he answered my blog reader’s question about removing Open Air barriers. He has minimized concerns about Open Air barriers and remained silent on my delegation about other barriers, including bureaucratic barriers, to the Accessibility Advisory Committee where he was Council’s representative. Patricia Simone would be my nominee for a ‘mum’s the word award’ because for 7 months she has avoided answering my questions regarding her Notice of Motion and the town’s namesake, Amherst. Without discussion or a motion, Mayor DiCarlo pulled it from the agenda when it was to be discussed. She also hasn’t answered many of my emails or my blog’s questions. Her interest in not for profits is obvious, as is her dedication to heritage, but her promise to engage with residents, in my case, has not been kept.

Do Endorsements Matter?

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It depends. I’d want to know a bit about the endorser and their reasons for their choices. Amid rumours of a slate, I looked for commonalities.

Leo’s lineup

Outgoing Deputy Mayor Leo Meloche publicly commented, ‘With the exception of the Mayor’s position here is the lineup I am supporting in the upcoming elections for Amherstburg Town Council.

For Councillor,
Lori Wightman
Linden Crain
Marc Renaud
Pat Simone
Don McArthur

For Deputy Mayor,
Chris Gibb.

I have had conversations with them and am confident in their ability to make key decisions that will move the Town forward while exercising financial stability. Wishing the team all the best.”

Leo’s

Gibb

Crain

McArthur

Renaud

Simone

Wightman

ACF

✅

✅

0

✅

0

✅

S Gibb Q

✅

✅

✅

✅

✅

✅

Heritage

✅

✅

✅

0

✅

✅

Barriers

✅

✅

✅

✅

✅

✅

ACF is the Amherstburg Community Foundation where the website lists all the members of ‘our team‘ and ‘Community Builders‘ like Leo Meloche and Marc Renaud, 2021. Only those running are listed above.

S Gibb Q, is Chris Gibb’s wife and these candidates answered all of her blog questions.

As I previously stated, candidates are not obliged to answer anyone’s questions and I make no assumptions, although I do wonder if it would have been fair to answer all, or none, rather than favouring some.

Of note, Lori Wightman was the only one of the above candidates who answered my blog’s questionnaire. McArthur, Crain and Renaud, after nudging, answered one about removing Open Air barriers. Crain said yes and added, “If there are particular barriers in place,” which was similar to McArthur’s, ‘If there are persisting issues with accessibility.” Renaud mentioned parking and walking distance. Gibb and Simone publicly supported Open Air but didn’t answer my reader’s question.

One more common comparison: Richard Peddie (director), and Renée D’Amore (director), along with Linden Crain, were part of the T.H.R.I.V.E. team that created the Open Air White Paper. D’Amore wouldn’t allow my Facebook comments about the candidates’ nights at the Downtown Espresso that he is an owner of, and Peddie blocked me after a few tweets about barriers at the bookshop.

Heritage refers to the Architectural Conservancy Ontario Windsor-Essex chapter’s request for candidates’ heritage platforms.

Barriers includes meet and greets, website and twitter issues that may have excluded persons with disabilities.

Other candidates may share common interests, but these are only the ones I compared due to the rumours of a slate for information purposes only.

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The Mayoral Candidates: My Opinion

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My opinions are based on my having reviewed:

  • RTT profiles
  • Windsor Star profiles
  • CBC question answers
  • am800 Mayoral interviews
  • campaign print materials
  • online information
  • the one accessible meet and greet
  • Chamber of Commerce Candidates’ Nights
  • CBC Youth candidate interviews
  • survey responses to others
  • answers and responses to my blog’s questions
  • T.H.R.I.V.E. White papers
  • Amherstburg Community Foundation site and,
  • any interactions I’ve had with them.

The candidates are not obliged to answer anyone’s questions and I make no assumptions, although I do wonder if it would have been fair to answer all, or none, rather than favouring some.

Mayoral Candidates

The first time I met JOHN LAFRAMBOISE was at his meet and greet and I appreciated that of the two meet the mayoral candidates’ events, his was accessible at the K of C hall. Laframboise addressed rumours he’s aware of and offered documentary evidence to refute what has been circulating. He took regular breaks during the sharing of his platform to invite audience members to question him. I concluded that he is a task-oriented person who prides himself on completing tasks and taking on challenges. I followed up with an email and he indicated he would be pleased to show anyone documentation; his phone number and email are publicly available on the candidates’ page of the town’s website and in this post, Candidates Address Rumours. During the Chamber Candidates’ Night, he was also the only mayoral candidate to specifically acknowledge the need to make the town hall accessible.

Laframboise’s platform includes creating a ‘desperately needed’ strategic business plan for the town, ensuring residents’ participation in the decision-making process, addressing the lack of amenities in the town’s parks, and reclaiming the town’s senior citizens’ centre.

I feel that Laframboise is a well-rounded candidate with proven leadership, impressive job experience in multiple sectors and extensive volunteer involvement:

Sports…Hockey, as a Volunteer
Head Coach North Stars Elite Program, and Villanova High School, Organized the Senior Men’s Sunday Night Hockey League

Community Fundraising…Volunteer
Door to Door for the Ambulance Squad
Door to Door for the Lion’s Club Swimming Pool
Door to Door for the 1st ARENA

Served as a Volunteer…
Chairperson for Team Canada Olympic Basketball Team
Chairperson for the 100th Anniversary of the Basilian Priests in Amherstburg
Board Member for the United Way of America Council in Washington
Vice Chair of the Canadian Host Committee for the Republican Convention Detroit
President of the National Catholic Broadcasting Foundation of Canada.

The Artisan Grill event to meet MICHAEL PRUE was not accessible, which is surprising, given his speech about his involvement in the provincial accessibility legislation passed in 2001. For that reason, I hold him to a higher standard. Prue’s website and Facebook page also may have issues that prevent some people with disabilities from accessing information. Prue spoke in opposition of the 2020 recommendation to request an extension to the website accessibility compliance deadline from the province but voted in favour of the motion. Reaching a consensus is fine, but so is disagreeing and voting in opposition, especially if one feels strongly about an issue. Decorum has been a complaint and Prue advertises he is an expert on Rules of Order and maintaining decorum. I wonder how many times during the last four years he raised a point of order to return to proper decorum. His website lists 12 priorities and his literature acknowledges residents’ concerns he’s heard, along with his commitment to act and resolve the issues. I would have been more impressed by a long list of specific accomplishments rather than listing political positions as experience.

I also would have appreciated more consistency in the action regarding correction of minutes. During a council meeting this year, Prue questioned committee minutes, the presence of his wife, a member, at a committee meeting and the recording of votes. I pointed out an error in the minutes of another town committee his wife chairs when I appeared as a delegate, and he was silent.

Prue’s commitment to heritage is obvious; he proposed 6 actions in his platform. Also, at the October 17 council meeting, Prue wanted to hear from staff or the proponent, in attendance, whether 6 Heritage Committee’s recommendations will be carried out. The proponent agreed as he also did when he attended the committee’s September 29 meeting.

Prue has not answered many of my email questions to council members nor did he answer any from my blog to the candidates or my questions on his Facebook page. His literature includes a testimonial from an anonymous Facebook page.

My opinion of FRANK CERASA is brief. He readily admits he’s not a politician, and I don’t think being one is necessarily a good attribute. He comes from a business and union world. He seems committed to planning for the future, being fiscally responsible and sharing information with taxpayers. He likes a hands-on approach and would like to bring in increased revenues through developments but also maintain the heritage. In response to concerns from taxpayers, he promises no new taxes in 4 years, and he knows that will be a challenge. He would welcome input from the community and recognizes the need for larger council chambers.

I haven’t had a conversation with BOB ROZANKOVIC. When he announced his intention to run last fall, I sent questions that he didn’t answer. I agree that taxes need to be held by finding efficiencies within municipal staff, but we never learned if we would have realized more significant savings with the OPP and whether those potential savings might have helped pay for the current lack of amenities. The town’s finances have been a hot topic since 2014. Some municipalities saved up to a million dollars annually through OPP services and Council did pass two motions to obtain an OPP Costing. Unfortunately, at its inaugural meeting, the Joint Police Advisory Committee (JPAC) “determined that the OPP costing process is not feasible.”

I didn’t appreciate that Rozankovic was a JPAC member when it excluded the public to discuss the policing RFP on four occasions. The Ombudsman concluded: Failing to comply with the terms of reference was wrong under s. 21(1)(d) of the Ombudsman Act.

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