" The Listening Tour Continues "

   I have spent the past week listening to residents of Ward One who have been more than generous in giving me their insights and thoughts on the upcoming municipal campaign. I have heard the words it's time for a change more often than not and that tells me that this campaign is beginning to draw the interest of the electorate even at this early stage .
  There is so much to consider over the next few months .Many issues will revolve around this campaign and the candidates that have decided to put there name forward. There will be discussions about devising plans on the long term economic growth of this community ,the education of our youth or taking full advantage of Federal and Provincial programs to help replace our aging infrastructure. We will need to be proactive on encouraging the Province to make the new hospital and  2 UCC's a reality , and  urge them to reassess the problems that revolve around our industrial land . We need long term Provincial solutions with regards to funding the Fort Erie Racetrack and should be insisting that we are treated like any other track in Ontario which of course at this time we are not. We need to restore fairness and equity on this issue. This next council will have to restore the faith of investors , developers and business people alike who over the past four years have been to council on more than one occasion stating their displeasure on one issue or another.
  Over the next number of weeks more candidates will come forward for every seat that is available. It is then up to the voter to ask all of the questions that they need to make an informed decision. From what I have heard and seen over the past week , many of the people I have spoke with are already informed and are not afraid to tell you that .
  I have certainly enjoyed the education I have been getting since February as I have learned something new everyday and I suspect that will be the case until the end of the campaign. I will continue to push forward my message that if elected I will `Put People First `in every decision I make as I believe this is the type of leadership that our community needs and wants and has been longing for over the past four years.