Issues on the doorstep

Mayor-elect Robert Quaiff is congratulated by Queen’s Park representative Todd Smith at Wellington Community Centre on Monday night.

What the candidates heard over the past six weeks

Crumbling roads, higher taxes, wind turbines— and the beloved, beleaguered hospital. Certainly, these were the big, meaningful issues in the 2014 municipal election in Prince Edward County.

But the hot topic that confronted candidates over and over again as they knocked on doors throughout this long civic campaign: The size of County council.

“People were really disappointed; they were asked for their opinion and then their opinion was ignored,” says council veteran Jim Dunlop, who was re-elected councillor in Wellington in Monday’s vote.

Dunlop is referring to the 2010 referendum, in which more than 80 per cent of voters supported a call to reduce the size of the 16-member council.

Despite the overwhelming voter mandate to cut the size of council, politicians squabbled over the issue for years and ultimately failed to do anything. In the grand scheme, whether the core 10 may seem unimportant. But some politicians see it as emblematic of a larger concern.

On Monday night, as candidates gathered at the Wellington arena to await election results, more than one worried whether council’s inaction on such a straightforward issue—or certainly one issue in which council did not rely upon Queen’s Park or Ottawa— helped contribute to cynicism among voters, maybe even a low voter turnout.

“The way it was handled did not impress people,” says newcomer Lenny Epstein, who led the polls taking one of two council seats in Picton.

At 35, Epstein is one of the youngest members of council. He is in touch with younger voters and knows it is hard to get them out to vote, because, he has heard them say, “my vote doesn’t make a difference, my vote doesn’t matter.”

“I don’t know that (young people) feel like politicians are actually listening to them. And then you come to (an issue like) the council size, and it’s just an example of that.”

Another 35-year-old and new member on council, Steven Graham, representing Hillier, heard a lot from voters about the state of the County roads and zoning, especially as it applies to the wineries concentrated in his ward.

But Steven Graham, too, notes that it was harder to get younger citizens involved in the election.

“Maybe one way to engage the young is to get younger candidates,” says Graham. “I can say I probably brought 20 or 30 people out to vote this time who have never voted before, mainly because they knew I was running and started the discussion.”

Working with council to “get everything we can out of the federal and provincial governments,” is a priority for another first-time councillor, Bill Roberts of Sophiasburgh. One of his aims is to work with senior levels of government to help develop an atmosphere that will create “year-round jobs for the young.”

“It is not acceptable that our economy is the second worst in eastern Ontario,” says Roberts. He believes council has to concentrate on economic diversification and good management. One of the issues that needs to be tackled quickly, he believes, is the development charge for new construction in the County.

“We need to make sure we are competitive with other municipalities in the greater Quinte area,” he says.

Building connection charges hover at close to $17,000 in Prince Edward County, compared with less than $10,000 in Belleville and Quinte West, for instance.

While Roberts believes the county is very well served with its current policing by the OPP, “we would be foolhardy not to work with the OPP to find greater efficiencies.”

Dianne O’Brien, a returning councillor for Ameliasburgh, sees a juggling act for council over the next term as it tackles two issues of major concern to her constituents: Keeping taxes affordable and improving road maintenance.

“I find that people are realistic,” says O’Brien, noting residents now understand the pressures to keep costs in line and get services.

“They are willing to be patient, but they want to know that their roads will be fixed,” says O’Brien, adding she is pleased there is new blood on council this term “who will bring in new ideas, we can always use them.” But with enough of the old guard to provide stability.