Speaking up

Picton candidates seek to represent the ignored and the forgotten

The five candidates present for the all candidates meeting in Picton on Monday night want to see a smaller council. Most don’t understand why it hasn’t been done already.

Treat Hull made his pitch early—promising to reduce the size of council while retaining existing wards—making it a central plank in his platform. He pointed out that an overwhelming majority of the electorate in the 2010 election indicated they wanted change—yet nothing happened.

This issue for Stephanie Bell is a symbol of how council appears tone deaf to the views of residents.

“It should have been dealt with,” says Bell. “I don’t understand how it is still an issue.”

For Phil St-Jean the issue is personal. He was among 23 residents forming a Citizens’ Assembly (CA) established for the sole purpose of considering, reflecting upon and ultimately rendering a recommendation on the issue of the size of council. The CA delivered their recomendation after discussing the issues over three three Saturdays in 2013.

“I really thought we would be listened to,” says St-Jean. “We were not.”

Lenny Epstein says the connection between residents and the decision-making at Shire Hall is broken.

“We need our citizen’s to drive the agenda,” says Epstein. “That is what the people want.”

Ray Hobson says that, if he is elected, he will work to get it done.

Hull also wants council to speak with a clearer voice on economic development. He says council has been mired the past eight years with unrealistic and unhelpful division over how to encourage job growth.

“We need to focus on our strengths,” says Hull. “Not on factories. We have tremendous advantages investors and entrepreneurs.”

He told the gathering in Picton that Shire Hall must lever its strengths including encouraging—rather than hindering—investments in the County’s wine and hospitality sector.

Hobson says his experience and training as an industrial engineer equip him as a problem-solver—a skill he says has been lacking around the council table.

He also challenged Picton residents to engage more directly in the issues.

“Have you thought about what you want from your councillor?” asks Hobson.

Stephanie Bell says council doesn’t represent her—that the demographic is tightly skewed to older, retired men.

“I’m none of those things,” says Bell. “The only thing I have in common with most on council is that I am self-employed. Serving on council is simply not accessible to people with nine-to-five jobs. But we are part of this community. You need us here.”

Phil St-Jean says the wishes of residents of the County have been ignored for too long.

“This needs to change,” says St-Jean.

He is also worried about rising waterworks rates and its effect on families and seniors living on fixed incomes. St-Jean says the tax base is unbalanced, with too much of the tax burden on residential homeowners. He says the next council must work to diversify this tax base by encouraging more commercial and industrial development.

Lenny Epstein has immersed himself in community projects since moving to the County with his family four years ago.

“I am an engaged resident,” says Epstein.

His goals over the next four years include encouraging more open and responsive local government, creating more youth opportunities, encouraging growth in the local economy and an honest dialogue about roads and infrastructure. He also promises a vigorous fight to protect the Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital and community health care in general.

Laverne Bailey declined to participate in Monday’s all-candidate meeting.