Municipal Election 2022
Dianne O’Brien
Office of Mayor
Dianne O’Brien said her skills as a negotiator have served her well in this place she has always known as home. “We are blessed with many natural wonders, [but] it is the people I cherish above all,” she said. “It is my goal to make this community affordable for everyone who chooses to live here.” Her experience includes 30-plus years in telecommunications and manufacturing and 12 years on County council. “I am familiar with the issues and the stakeholders including staff, elected officials, business owners, farmers, developers and residents from one corner of the County to the other,” she said. “We do lots of things well in Prince Edward County and I see opportunities to do things even better.”
When asked about affordable housing, O’Brien said she would work with developers to create rent-to-own programs. She also said it is important to have more small businesses to provide jobs that would allow youth and young families to work and live here.
She said the challenge of tourism management should be met with diversification of the economy. “We have become victims of our success,” she said. “When the visitors are all gone, we are still here. We need to redeploy staff to focus on industry and opportunities beyond destination/tourism.”
To address the issue of managing water rates, she said the solution is to create a water committee composed of users to determine the true cost. “We need to be diligent about lobbying the province for more funding,” she added.
O’Brien feels the County should be taking a harder look at stewardship and protection of farmland. “The County has transitioned from a small rural community into an internationally acclaimed destination,” she said. “The municipal government must work together to create a viable and sustainable region that maintains and protects our heritage.”
She said the size of council is an issue that should be determined by the taxpayers. “I am commited to listening to (them),” she said. “My experience has shown me this issue can be very divisive.”
Has she publicly addressed her convoy support, or her history of voting against LGBT issues on council yet?
I also hope that The Times take a look into her 2022 campaign finances when they are released, because she seems to have a very well funded campaign this time, compared to 2018 when she had just 7 donors over $100. I wonder which special interest groups and individuals have decided she is the candidate to back, and why.