The following list of questions is being asked of each candidate seeking elected office in Collingwood. I am looking for 1 word answers – FOR or AGAINST, or YES or NO. If you are a current member of council, please answer based on your voting record, if you are not currently on council, answer based on how you would have voted on these issues.
Hiya, thanks for your questions, but my answers can't really be 'yes-or-no' since there are so many variables that come with each of these issues, especially before we know all the facts on any of them. But, to the best of my ability and with as much brevity as possible, here you go:
Do you support culling the coyote heard in Collingwood? In general, I support finding ways to live in harmony with nature, so I don't like the idea of a cull, however, I do support people being able to enjoy their surroundings safely, so I would defer to the experts on when and whether a cull becomes necessary. My dad was a livestock evaluator in Clearview for many years, and I saw firsthand the damage done to farm animals by coyotes, wolves and in many cases offleash pet dogs.
Do you support the intent of the judicial inquiry?
Are you in favour of the costs associated with the judicial inquiry? I will support the recommendations regarding governance from the judicial inquiry. We can't back out of it, so the cost are going to be the costs.
Do you support the building of the Indigenous gathering circle? I think the Gathering Circle is beautiful and that reconciliation with indigenous Canadians is necessary and will be helpful to everyone in this country. The idea for the Circle was part of the Waterfront Master Plan, and happened earlier than expected when a union having a convention in the area offered to pay for part of it.
Do you believe the Collingwood Elvis Festival is of economic importance to the town?
Do you support the continuation of the Collingwood Elvis Festival? I think the Elvis festival does fill up the restaurants, hotels and B&Bs, but the recreation master plan calls for it to be retired in the next few years. We will need more facts about whether it's still viable before any decision is made.
Will you spend more money than the current council? I can't know whether there will be some circumstance or emergency that will necessitate the next council spending more than the current council, but I believe in responsible spending and reasonable debt. The debt has been lowered substantially in the last few years, and we should continue on that path. There is now money from the sale of the second half of COLLUS and the airport that will have to be allocated. It could go to pay off debt, reduce taxes or go toward spending on infrastructure and improvements. I would advocate for a mixture of all three.
Will you support increased taxes for any reason? I might support a small tax increase, depending on the circumstances, to pay for things like inflation and contracts with the OPP and unionized workers etc., but again, I support being reasonable with the spending. I am a taxpayer, too, so I don't want to see increases if at all avoidable.
Do you support the province’s plan for private businesses selling cannabis in the municipality? We still don't have a real understanding of the province's plan and haven't received clear direction about it yet, so we will have to wait to see what the rules are. A staff report on this issue is coming soon, possibly before the election, and I will be interested to read it. I would not vote in favour of rules that would make a retail business impossible to open.
I hope that helps, and thank you for your interest,
Mariane
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