Richard Whiten

Office of Mayor

Richard Whiten moved to the County in 2002, and both he and his family say they love it here just as much a when they first arrived 16 years ago. Whiten is the owner of Picton Lube, and knows first-hand the trials and tribulations that come with owning a business in the County. This is Whiten’s first time wading into municipal politics, and with things coming down to the wire, he is both positive and thankful for this opportunity, as well as being generally surprised by the level of support he has received. Whiten says that it’s been a long road for him, but an enjoyable one as well. One of Whiten’s main reasons for running is that most of the people he has spoken to, especially the ones around his age group, don’t feel that their voices are being accurately represented at council. Whiten hopes to change that perspective, although he is dismayed by what he sees in the world of politics these days.

“I’ve lost a lot of faith in our political system, and I think it’s time we stand together in the County and make a change,” says Whiten.

Before owning Picton Lube, Whiten had attained a number of viable skills from a career in construction—welding and millwright being two of those skills. When it comes to all the bureaucratic red tape that seems to be frustrating builders and new business owners and bogging them down further, Whiten says he thinks that the County does a lot more to hinder businesses than it does to help them, and that the planning and development departments in the County have to do a better job in welcoming new businesses.

Regarding the top issues currently facing the County, Whiten’s top answer was affordable and attainable housing, and it is his belief that most of the issues facing the County all stem from the issue of affordable housing. On the flip side of that coin, Whiten is worried that trying to find for-profit companies to come to County and build what is basically a not-for-profit project will be next to impossible. Attracting industry is also a big deal for Whiten, who will look to find incentives for new industries making their home in the County.

When asked how he thinks he can be most effective if elected, his answer was both simple and earnest.

“I have a lot of experience working on a shoestring budget, and saving money is one of the top things I hear from people. We’re trying to eliminate our debt, which even at the low estimate of 45 million is out of control. We do need money coming in to fix other issues. The best way to make sure that money is coming in is to eliminate our waste and to be more efficient,”says Whiten.

The issue of outside contracting is another area where Whiten feels that if we are smart with who we elect and smart about engaging the community to help on some of these initiatives, we can save two to three million dollars in consultancy fees. Roads are another issue where band-aid solutions aren’t cutting it, and the quick fixes and short-term solutions are costing the taxpayers more money in the long run.

Whiten is confident he has done all he can to make sure he is in the mayor’s chair. He hopes that people will be able to see that a vote for him would be a vote for change in the way things are done here.