Then there were three

Picton candidate meeting

Each Picton council candidate—to varying degrees—wants to put Shire Hall on a more financially stable footing. Yet, all are eager to expand municipal funding. All three vying for two council seats are in favour of more spending on:

Tax and water bill relief programs;
Arts funding;

Youth engagement;

Parks, and

Affordable housing.

Moreover, candidate Phil St-Jean is still pushing for a regional water system, a plan currently estimated to cost $360 million—a price tag most of his council colleagues have abandoned as unaffordable.

The candidates acknowledged financial pressures, but offered little detail on how they would pay for their spending priorities.

It seems the two incumbents weren’t listening in June when a consultant observed in stark tones that “demands to do more are increasing, but there is no corresponding action to do less.”

Readers and Picton residents may have legitimate views about the value of these programs and community initiatives. Reasonable folks can disagree about priorities— but promising everything to everyone is how taxes and water bills outpace the cost of living and affordability.

But those seeking to govern should recognize the tension between sustainable finances and rising costs, and explain how they would fund their promises. At last week’s gathering in Picton, however, the candidates seemed more inclined to welcome support from the small crowd rather than address the trade-offs increased funding would require.

Picton will elect two council members next week, but only three candidates showed up for last week’s candidate meeting. Emery Niles remains on the ballot, but did not make an appearance at the meeting.

PRIORITIES
Jane Lesslie emphasized her background in financial management and her experience on the municipal audit committee. Her priorities include restoring the municipality to a sustainable financial path and protecting the environment and the character of the County. She is keen to promote full-time jobs in this community by supporting new businesses in the healthcare and tourism sectors. She believes the County should do more to ease the shortage of affordable childcare in this community.

Kate MacNaughton wants to inspire an empathetic and compassionate local government—one that strives to build an inclusive, affordable community. In the next term, she wants to improve governance and promote better communication with residents.

Phil St-Jean said he is proud of his work on County Road 49, restoring civility and respect to the council chambers, improving the entrances to Prince Edward Collegiate Institute, and improving the town’s playgrounds.

RISING TAXES
The issue of rising taxes, rising costs, and financial controls came up first. Both Lesslie and St-Jean worry that municipal debt has risen too quickly. Lesslie says the County asset and financial plans need more rigorous stress testing to ensure they are viable. St-Jean acknowledged that financial constraints would govern what the municipality can and can’t do next term.

“Some of us will have to eat our promises,” said St- Jean. He suggested Council consider measures to drive the municipality’s commercial and industrial tax base.

Kate MacNaughton agreed, suggesting there may be an opportunity to expand industrial and commercial development lands in the north end of the County—closer to transportation links.

But the solution to financial stability isn’t to cut taxes, according to MacNaughton. “I turn that around to ask: What are we doing with our taxes?” said MacNaughton. “Some programs keep families in our community.”

WATERWORKS SPENDING
On waterworks infrastructure, both MacNaughton and St-Jean supported the plan calling for $360 million of spending over the next decade. MacNaughton says she did so reluctantly.

“My questions were not answered,” said Mac- Naughton.

Phil St-Jean remains solidly behind the big spending.

“I believe we need a regional water system,” said St-Jean. “We need to know the costs, we need to be realistic and to accept the facts.”

Lesslie drew a line between herself and her colleagues. She said the waterworks financial strategy presented to Council last month would have piled on debt and left the County’s hands tied.

“And that is if it all went well,” said Lesslie.

“That hasn’t been our experience.”

She notes the County must have stronger program management capabilities before taking on additional infrastructure projects.

HOUSING
On housing, Lesslie says poor forecasting has held the County back. She questions whether the one per cent annual population growth rate Council adopted in January is too optimistic. Before making decisions, she argues, council needs confidence in the numbers guiding them.

MacNaughton describes Council’s journey on new homebuilding development as a “learning curve”. She said provincial changes to inclusionary zoning had weakened municipalities’ ability to require affordable homes in new developments.

She remains confident the community has an appetite to fund and support non-market housing and “would like to invest” in the County’s Affordable Housing Corporation.

Phil St-Jean says we should be ashamed of the County’s low vacancy rate for rental apartments and homes. He says builders and developers will look after the ‘normal’ market, but his focus is on developing affordable homes.

DOWNTOWN
The Picton BIA hosted the meeting, so there was a question about how the candidates would improve downtown.

St-Jean proposed raising the Municipal Accommodation Tax to five per cent—half of the increase would go to the BIA and the remainder to fund the municipality’s affordable housing corporation.

MacNaughton said she would focus on nurturing small business and improving accessibility.

Jane Lesslie wants greater emphasis on promoting business year-round. She wants more effort to support and extend shoulder seasons.

“Why not focus on Prince Edward County as a destination for marathon runners, cycling and birding enthusiasts,” said Lesslie. “We need to push as far as we can.”

OTHER BITS
All the Picton candidates favour vote tabulators around the council table to improve transparency.

Kate MacNaughton is a staunch defender of the County’s relief programs to assist those unable to pay municipal taxes and water bills.

St-Jean agreed.

Lesslie commended agencies such as the Prince Edward Learning Centre and the County Foundation for their dedicated, full-time expertise and for using evidence and data from the Vital Signs report to inform their work.

All candidates supported enhancing parks and extended arts funding.

Neither Picton Terminals nor the pickleball courts in Delhi Park came up in the Picton meeting.