Feature Article
LAND O' LAKES NewsWeb HomeReeve Candidates Debate at all Candidates Meeting in FlintonWith the retirement of Henry Hogg, the only Reeve the township of Addington Highlands has known, Reeve candidate and current Deputy Reeve, Ken Hook took on the role of incumbent, answering questions about the current direction of council from the audience and his opponent Tom Thompson.
In fact Thompson, a former Reeve of Kaladar, Abinger and Effingham, was in a real questioning mood, turning the tables on the audience and asking their opinion on a variety of topics.
The other candidate for Reeve, Gord Hanna, was very supportive of the current council, and said he plans to work with council whether he is elected or not.
Thompson wanted to know what the audience and the candidates thought about three roads that were transferred from Addington Highlands to the County of Lennox & Addington. Ken Hook said the transfer meant the County has agreed to pay $3,700 per kilometre per year to AH for the maintenance of the roads, a total of $140,000 in annual savings for the township. Thompson then said he thought it was imprudent to enter into an agreement with the County without a 15 or 20-year commitment, because the County can saddle us with the road at any time.
Thompson also disagreed with the Councils decision to spend $20,000 in the past year on economic development. Hook pointed out that $10,000 of that money was transferred from an Ontario Works surplus. Only $10,000 was spent out of ratepayers money. We have received a grant of almost $75,000 on top of that to put together a business case in order to look for investors in a resort project for the township. We could have waited for an investor to maybe come along and do something, but we decided to be pro-active and seek the investment.
At a cost of $10,000? Thompson asked. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, Hook replied.
Much of the meeting was devoted to the issue of Waste disposal, with Hook talking mostly about diversion of waste through the voluntary bag tag project of the township, and Thompson arguing that incineration was the preferred option. The Kaladar dump is slated for closure in six years under current provincial regulations and the current rate of fill up, and several other dumps may have to close within 10 years. With improved recycling, Hook said it was hoped the life of the Kaladar dump could be extended several years, but Thompson said an incinerator would extend the life of the dump by a thousand years.
Hook replied, North Frontenac is looking into incineration, and if they go that route we would be sure to partner with them on it, but I dont think it makes sense for us. We will have to get money from the province for dump closings in any event, because we dont have anywhere near the necessary resources.
If it will cost $7 million to close seven dumps it might as well cost $700 million, because we will never have that amount of money. It would bankrupt us. The province will have to step in, Hook concluded.
[See page 7 for candidate statements by Gord Hanna, Tom Thompson, and Ken Hook]
