Dennis Scott
Councillor
Dennis Scott – road crews need supervision
Dennis Scott has an insider's view of how the township's public works department works since his business works under contract for the roads and waste management departments. Scott's provide trucking services for recycling bins and winter road maintenance on some of the smaller township roads.
A lifelong resident of the township, Dennis Scott has decided to put his name forward for Council at this time because he is interested in seeing for himself how the township operates from the perspective of the senior management and in providing the perspective he has gained in his years in the workforce.
He has been a member of the township Recreation Committee, and has helped to organize the Snow Drags. He has coached minor softball as well.
He is aware that he will need to remove himself from any vote or debate on council dealing with contracts where his company has submitted a bid.
“What really interests me is the way road maintenance is carried out, and that has nothing to do with any of the contracts I work under,” he said.
He said that he is hopeful that a more complete report by the public works manager is brought to council at each meeting in the next term, and that council will have the opportunity to respond and provide direction to the manager
“We need to know, as a council, that the work is being done where it is needed, and that the manager is on top of things and is giving the crews the direction they need,” he said.
Ultimately he is concerned that “there has been a lot of wasteful spending and poor decisions in the roads department and waste management, which have caused unnecessary tax hikes.”
He said that he wants to see Central Frontenac reverse a trend that has seen infrastructure improve in neighbouring townships while Central Frontenac remains behind.
“That is not something that should be happening. I think we can fix that,” he said.
READ MORESherry Whan
Councillor
Sherry Whan – eliminating a communication gap
Sherry Whan was raised in Parham, and moved to Crow Lake Road 12 years ago.
She had worked as an Educational Assistant for the last 23 years, mostly at Hinchinbrooke School, and she is now working at Granite Ridge Education Centre.
Among her community activities she is the treasurer for Central Frontenac Softball Association.
With her children being older now, she finds she has time to focus on something new, and has turned her attention to municipal politics.
“What I have noticed over the years is that there is a huge communication gap between the municipal office, the council, and the community. People don't feel they have the knowledge or the awareness of where their tax dollars are being spent. People also feel that when they address council for whatever reason, there is not follow through afterwards.”
It is her commitment, if elected, to make sure that if people come to her with questions she will try and find answers for them.
“I want them to know their problem is being addressed,” she said.
She is concerned that there is a lack of cohesion between the districts in Central Frontenac and would like to see council take a lead in putting an end to the divisions.
She said that while she supports septic inspections, she is a bit wary of a mandatory system.
“I would support it, because it is such an important issue for our area, but I'm not even comfortable saying I support the program unless there is some assistance for people who can't afford the inspection or the costs that might come as a result,” she said.
She would like to see the township come forward in support of local bus companies in their dispute with Tri-Board transportation.
“When you talk about the economy of the area the fate of those companies is important because they are all local businesses that contribute a lot to the township. It is something Council should address,” she said.
Although new to politics, she brings a fresh perspective to council and an understanding of how the community relates to council and the township.
READ MOREWayne Millar
Councillor
Wayne Millar – township solid but there is work to be done
Over his last four years on Council, Wayne Millar has developed an appreciation for the way Central Frontenac Township is run, and he thinks the township will be facing some severe challenges in the years to come.
Since moving to Tichborne 21 years ago and later to Sharbot Lake, after retiring from a management career in construction, Millar has been operating a small business, Sharbot Lake Lawn Service. Before coming to Central Frontenac, he lived in the Niagara Peninsula, and sat on Council in Dunnville between 1982 and 1985.
“Council does a pretty good job managing the money and trying to get done what people want done, but there is only so much money in the kitty. You can't pave every road out here. People have to realise they live in the country,” he said.
He is concerned about the vacancies at senior positions in the township and about the impact of added policing costs to the budgets in the coming years. He thinks that it might be necessary to look into service cuts.
“With those kinds of increased coming in, what can happen? We will need to cut back on something, unless the province comes through with some money, which is unlikely,” he said.
In this context, he said he is particularly wary of taking on the former Hinchinbrooke school building.
“It's a great piece of property and has recreational uses, but we would be crazy to take on that building, unless we can get it for nothing,” he said.
He also thinks that council will need to look at the viability of the four halls it owns, in particular the Piccadilly Hall.
“The revenue from that hall was $500 last year, and its use is severely limited. We can't afford not to look at it with all we are going to be facing,” he said.
He said he has enjoyed being on council and has worked hard to keep informed about issues and to keep the township's interests front and center when making decisions.
“I think I've done a pretty good job on that score,” he said.
READ MORETom Dewey
Councillor
Tom Dewey – “recycled country boy”
Tom Dewey is seeking a second term on Council. He lost a close race in 2006 and then won handily in 2010, receiving the most votes of any ward politician in Central Frontenac Township.
Dewey was raised in Croydon, in Lennox and Addington County, and lived for 40 years in Toronto and Oshawa during his working life. With his wife Shirley he purchased a property on Horseshoe Lake near Arden in the 1980s. They renovated the cabin on the property and moved in permanently in 2005.
“That's why I call myself a recycled country boy,” he said.
Since moving to Arden, he has been a member of the township's economic development committee for the past eight years; a former board member of the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation (FCFDC), and a member of the Heritage Festival Committee for eight years.
Tom also sits on the board of EOTA (Eastern Ontario Trails Alliance) and the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority. He is on the executive of the Arden Legion and has been a Legion member for 32 years.
Dewey thinks that the priority for the new council will be to fill the chief administrative officer and public works manager positions, although he is reassured by the fact there is a temporary fix in place for them.
He continues to be committed to working on economic development in the township, but recognizes that, “It is a really slow process. We have a really small budget and need to make use of Anne-Marie Young at the County and Anne Prichard of the CFDC. Another thing we can do is look at our zoning to create more commercial zoning to be ready for investors to come in.”
He also thinks the township should look at purchasing property that is suitable for housing projects, but said all of this is coming in the context of increasing budget pressure.
“Insurance went up $40,000 last year and the OPP costs are going up. We will have to work hard not to pass that on to ratepayers,” he said.
If elected, he may be interested in the second County Council position for the township.
Priority issues for Tom Dewey include finding a permanent location for the Parham Library and seeing a fire hall built in Parham as well.
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