UPDATED: Central Frontenac Municipal Election Candidates

Jeff Green | Oct 12, 2022

(This article has been updated to include the candidates from District 1: Kennebec)

There are different dynamics at play in the Central Frontenac council election, this year, than in the other townships that we cover at the Frontenac News.

It is the only township without a race for the higher profile position of mayor, as Frances Smith has been acclaimed for a third term. In two of the district races (Hinchinbrooke and Oso) there are four candidates seeking two positions.

At least one new councillor will come out of the Oso race, as Sherry Whan is not running. The one remaining incumbent, Bill MacDonald is facing three challengers, Susan Irwin, Duncan McGregor and Craig Middleton.

In the Hinchinbrooke race, however, there are three incumbents seeking two council spots. Nicki Gowdy and Brent Cameron are running for re-election, and Philip Smith is the current councillor for Olden, having been appointed after the death of Elwyn Burke. Smith chose to run in Hinchinbrooke, where he has more history. The 4th candidate is Bob Brooks

There is a smaller race in Olden. Of the three candidates, one of them, Victor Heese, is a two term incumbent being challenged by Dan Meeks and Bill Everett.

With the retirement of Tom Dewey in Kennebec, the remaining incumbent, Cindy Kelsey, is being challenged by some new, and some returning candidates, including: Isaac Hale, Jordan Chatwin, Lynne Klages, and Logan Murray.

What this all means is that in November, when Mayor Smith greets the new council, there will be at least 3 newcomers around the table, and perhaps a few more.

In the first three all candidates meetings in Central Frontenac, and in candidate interviews last week, a few themes emerged. There is a sense of unease regarding the township’s finances because of: the current tax rate, the cost of debt payments for purchases in recent years, as well as the high inflation rate this year. There are some candidates, and members of the public, who are challenging the way decisions are being made in the township.

The Mathew Street controversy has sparked debate over public consultation regarding how council decisions are made, and over the perception that council and staff are too heavily invested in the future of Sharbot Lake, to the detriment of the rest of the township.

As one candidate said, during their interview “I don’t want to say ‘everything goes to Sharbot Lake’, but it kind of does”.

There is a referendum question on the ballot in Central Frontenac as well, although it has not been that widely publicised, or discussed, apart from a couple of questions at all candidates meetings.

The question is about the composition of council. It asks whether voters want to retain the current 9-member council, with two council members per district, or whether they would prefer a 5-member council, with a single member of council per district.

If four council positions were eliminated, and council pay and expenses remained at  2021 levels, the change is projected to result in savings of about $60,000 per year ($15,000 per councillor). While candidates have had a lot of differences at the meetings so far, they have been unanimous in saying they do not think a single councillor per district option is a good idea. This is not surprising since it would make it harder to be elected to council. For the most part, however, their reasoning has been that the increased workload, with one councillor per district, including more committee work, would make the already low rate of pay per council member untenable, limiting the number of people who could afford to run for council, to those who are independently, wealthy, retired, or both.

The chances that the referendum will be binding are severely limited. In order for it to be binding, forcing the next council to either keep to the status quo, or make the change to a five-member council, 50% of eligible voters would have to vote on it. Voter turnout in the 2018 election was 24.84% in Central, less than half of what it needed to be for a binding referendum. Voter turnout in elections without a race for mayor tend to be lower, so with no election for mayor in either 2018 or 2022, there is little likelihood of a doubling of the voter turnout this time.

If the turnout is under 50%, the referendum results will still be relevant, but only as a recommendation from the electorate to the new council.

Kennebec - Jordan Chatwin

Jordan Chatwin sees the village of Arden as the land of opportunity. 

With his wife Brooke, he has become established in the village over the last 5 years. They have a house that they are fixing up, and after working for a few different local businesses, he has started up a property maintenance business, with a partner.

So far they have had success finding a niche doing jobs that people have trouble getting larger contractors to take on.

At the same time, community involvement has become a passion, and they have been organising community BBQ’s, with games and activities, throughout the summer months.

“We draw 60 to 100 people to our BBQ’s, lots of families. It shows how much life there is in this community, and what you can do if you work hard and bring your neighbours along with you,” he said.

The BBQ’s will be expanding next summer and he already has a calendar made up with a schedule for 2023.

“I would include other events that groups put on in the calendar,” he said.

When the election came along, he saw it as an opportunity to expand his community involvement.

“If I can help people by bringing their concerns to Council, by working as hard as I can for everyone, that’s what I want to do,” he said. “It’s all part of the same thing, helping move everything forward.”

He said that he knows there is a lot to learn about how council operates, but thinks that hard work and commitment will take care of that.

“I know about budgeting and I know that the township has a lot of needs, and issues to deal with, and I am up for all of that. As long as we are all working for the community, I’m in. If anybody has an issue with the township, with the roads, the waste site or recreation, I can bring it forward, with a lot of passion.”

He said that he appreciates that the township is putting in a rink in Kennebec.

“Anything we can do, to bring more families, and the businesses that will be needed to help them out, the better it is for all of us,” he said.

Aside from the run for council, he said that he is working on some fundraising for playground equipment for Land O’Lakes Public School, where his son attends.

Kennebec - Isaac Hale

Isaac Hale ran for council in 2018 in Kennebec, and finished third behind Cindy Kelsey and Tom Dewey. He thinks that it was a good showing.

“Both Tom and Cindy had pretty solid bases of support, and I knew they would be hard to beat, but I enjoyed the process,” he said.

This time, with Dewey not running, and five candidates instead of three, it is a very different election cycle.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about commitment to service, which is what I think being a member of council is all about. I have now been a volunteer firefighter for 8 years, and if I am elected to council it will be an extension of that commitment into another institution in the same community,

Isaac was born and raised in Arden, where his mother. Sarah Hale, continues to live and work. 15 years ago he returned to the village with his wife, Sue. They run a market garden business, Learning Curve, and one of the major goals they have for their business is to make sure the land that they are cultivating is healthy and thriving.

“The goal for our business is to “leave the space better than we found it, and that would also be my goal for the township, if I am elected to council.” he said.

He thinks that one of the biggest concerns for the new council will be dealing with the 2023 budget, in a time of high inflation. “The finances are already stretched, and I think Council is going to have to make decisions based on the needs of the many, rather than the wants of a few. We are going to have to leave off some of those wants in order to make sure the needs are covered,” he said.

“I am not willing to make any promises when there may not be enough money to cover them. If I am elected I can only promise to tell the truth, whether it is what people want to hear or not.

While it has been popular, during this and other elections, to question how well the township operates, Isaac would like to look more carefully at hiring policies, and provide support and training for current employees in order to keep and promote qualified people, familiar with the area, particularly in public works. “We have a lot of knowledge and commitment within the township, and we should be using it before looking outside.”

“It is a workers’ market out there. I know of at least a few people, who were working for the township, happy to work locally, who have left because they can make more by working for themselves.

He said that because Central Frontenac council meetings are now broadcast live on YouTube and remain available on the township YouTube site, the level of transparency about Council decision-making has taken a leap forward.

“I have chosen to live and work in the Kennebec Ward of Central Frontenac, and I want to see it become a place where others will want to stay, work and retire,” he said.

Kennebec - Cindy Kelsey

Cindy Kelsey has been a councillor for Kennebec District since 2014, and when asked why she was seeking a third term, she answered without hesitation; “unfinished business”.

She elaborated by saying that, among other things, she is committed to seeing significant road improvements on both the Henderson Road and the section of the Arden Road between Highway 7 and the south end of the village of Arden.

A trip down memory lane to her comments in 2014, when she first ran for council, reveal that she is serious when she talks about unfinished business.

“I believe that there are areas within the township that need to be improved. We need to find some way to find savings if we are going to be able to make necessary road improvements. When you look at roads such as the Henderson Road, for example. The south end has partially been completed, but the north end is still a mass of potholes,” she said at that time, when talking about what her priorities were in her first four years on council.

What she said next provide a partial reason why some work has not been accomplished in the township over all that time.

“At the same time, I know people who don't have enough money to cover their tax bills and living expenses, even though they are working families. We need to avoid large tax increases”

This time, she said that she has been patient over the years as road priorities in other parts of the township have seen improvements, but she is no longer willing to wait

“In the last two budgets, the Arden and Henderson Roads were slated for upgrades, but each time they were pulled before the budget was completed. I hope to work with the other councillor from Kennebec, and the rest of council, to make sure these roads get the attention they need. They are more in need now than they were back in 2014.”

Cindy Kelsey has been a fixture in the Kennebec community all her life. She helped her mother when she was growing up, and later began her career working for Canada Post herself. For the past 18 years she has been the Post Master at the Arden Post Office, which puts her in contact with a ride range of community members on a day-to-day basis. She said that in the next term of council financial pressures will continue to be felt by the township, but she sees opportunity for growth as well. She said that, overall, she thinks the township is well managed, but communications continue to be a challenge.

Kennebec - Lynn Klages

Lynn Klages is a new full-time resident in the Arden area, but her history on the local lakes goes back to her youth. Her family originally had a cottage on Kennebec Lake, then moved over to Big Clear Lake.  Lynn and her husband bought their own cottage on Big Clear in 2005, and when they decided to retire, they built a new, year-round home on the lake, where they have been living for the past 18 months.

Before retiring, they ran a mechanical contracting business together, where she ran the office. She also spent a couple of years setting up and running the office for MPP Peter Bethlenfalvy in Pickering.

She is running in this election because she said she wants to bring some change, to help reverse a decline in Arden that she has seen over the decades.

“There was a lot to do in Arden in the 1970s. There were hardware stores, grocery stores, and Saturday Night Dances. We can’t bring all that back, but there are opportunities, and if I am elected, I would like to see how we can see some improvements in our part of the township. My first priority would be to Kennebec and my second priority to the township as a whole.”

She said that when she had a look at the official plan for Central Frontenac, Arden was listed as one of 8 settlement areas.

“There is a lot in the plan about Sharbot Lake revitalisation, but Arden is only mentioned once in the plan. I’d like to address that.”

That being said she “knows that the township’s finances are not in very good shape, and that roads are a big issue, so it will not be easy.”

Her experience with the provincial government does give her an ability to make some contact with provincial politicians, which she will gladly do for Central Frontenac, should the opportunity arise.

Her experience there, and running a family business, will also help when it comes to assessing priorities when the township looks at budgets and priorities for spending.

“It is important to establish a working relationship with the other Kennebec councillor, and with everybody else on council. I know how to work through the nuts and bolts of budgets from my experience, and I know how important it is to make sure to find common ground with the other members of council.”

In addition to her interest in local politics, she is on the executive of both the Arden Legion and the Kennebec Recreation Committee.

Kennebec - Logan Murray

Logan Murray is a musician, a cabinet maker, and a political veteran in both the former Kennebec Township and in Central Frontenac.

He sat on Kennebec Council in the late 1990s, when the provincially mandated amalgamation process led to the creation of Central Frontenac. In the subsequent years as a member of council and a candidate for both council and mayor, he has made no secret of his feelings that Kennebec has not been well served by amalgamation.

He said that the easiest way to see what has happened is to look at the roads, in the entire township, but particularly in the western edge, where he lives, in the Elm Tree Road area.

“I used to drive to work in the 70s, early in the morning, the roads were always plowed and sanded. When my wife drove out to work as a teacher over the last 20 years, she mostly drove over roads that had not been touched, whenever it snowed. It shouldn’t be like that.”

He also questions the efficiency of the township when it comes to grading the roads.

“We need a much better road plan, and a much better set of procedures to make sure that we make the best use of our staff and our equipment, which we don’t have right now.”

And the roads have a big impact on economic development, in his mind.

“We aren’t going to have businesses moving here. What drives our economy is people living in houses, with their families, in Central Frontenac, with the ability to work from home,” he said.

He said that when he was a member of council, he was willing to be persistent even if the ideas he was promoting were not accepted by other members of council, at first.

“I was promoting clear bags for waste, to keep recycling out of the waste site and keep us from having to close sites and ship out waste, for years before the other members of council, and the staff, finally took a look at it, and ended up putting it in place. And we are better off for it. Taxes are too high now, but when the time comes to truck all of our waste out, they will be that much higher,” he said.

He said he would also like to see Council engage the community much more.

“They used to hold meetings in Arden and there was always a full house. They should move the meetings around more.”

District 2 - Bill Everett

Bill Everett moved to Central Frontenac in 1995, when he retired from the armed forces, but he had been visiting the area ever since his parents moved to the Bolton Lake area in 1982.

He has a company, Bee Sanitation, that provides garbage pickup services in the township, and has done contract work for the township in waste management and maintenance at township sites for a number of years. He is planning to pull away from Bee Sanitation at the end of the year.

He ran for council in 2018, and is running again this year because he feels the township needs to begin moving in a new direction.

“I think Council is too heavily tied to the status quo, and it has us moving backwards. Things have to get better, because if not they tend to get worse,” he said.

He thinks that the township needs to maintain essential services, but make sure not to spend money unwisely.

“Why did we buy the two schools,” he asks. “Why did we buy the barber shop? I would like to know the dynamics of things like that.”

One area of the township that he knows quite well is the waste management system. He has been involved with the waste management committee for over 10 years, and helped develop the way the public access the system, but that committee has been less active in recent years.”

He said that he is “okay with the basic rules of the dump,” but would like to look at streamlining services by having brush and waste construction wood accepted only at the Crow Lake Road site, to be chipped and used as cover for the site. This should make more room at the Olden site, which will soon be the only site with landfill capacity in the township.

“This would ease transportation costs,'' he said. “We used to burn brush, but the new fire chief is not okay with that, which is quite acceptable, in my opinion.”

He said that while the controversy this summer over Mathew Street is not an issue of direct interest to residents in Olden District, it has harmed the reputation of Council in the eyes of voters across the township.

“Decisions are being made without public consultation and the public wonder how all decisions are made. That makes people think Council is not doing their job properly, and I would like to see that change. I have no problem raising issues, even if it is not always popular to do that, within the rules of council, of course. But there are ways to do that on council. You just need to choose to ask questions when you don’t see procedures being followed the way they should be,” he said.

District 2 - Victor Heese

Victor Heese has been a member of Central Frontenac Council since 2014.

He said that in 2014 the township was in pretty rough shape, in terms of senior management, because of rapid turnover in both the chief administrator and public works manager positions.

“The stability that Kathy McMunn has brought to the chief administrator role, and her history with the township before that, has made things run a lot more smoothly than they did when I was first on council,” he said. “Having Frances Smith as mayor, has also done that.”

That being said, he has seen the township face many challenges over 8 years, and there are a number of issues that are of concern right now as well.

He said that the hiring of a new community relations person, with a “basket of responsibilities including communications and social media, should help us with some of the communications and community engagement issues that surfaced over the Mathew Street issue in Sharbot Lake.”

“As a council, we did not consult properly, with the public, before making that decision. That has been made clear to everyone,” he said.

A few years ago, he spearheaded an effort to establish a re-use centre in Central Frontenac, similar to ones that are in place in both Lanark Highlands and Tay Valley. That effort ended in disappointment, when it did not get off the ground.

While he said that he is open to starting up that effort again, he is happy that “next year there will be a hazardous waste depot in Central Frontenac, mostly at the Olden Waste Site.”

He is also quite enthused about the new pickleball committee that the township has set up in response to all of the work done by the Sharbot Lake Pickleball Association.

“We can use the experience in Sharbot Lake as a template for community groups who want to set up pickleball courts in other parts of the township. In Sharbot Lake, they did it without township support, and we can now offer some support elsewhere.” he said.

As for challenges facing the next council, finances will certainly be particularly difficult.

“Budgeting is always a challenge for us, and next year will be an even greater challenge, than in past years, because we have not had to deal with inflation in the past. But I do have confidence in the people we have in senior staff positions, and that will help us get through it.”

Victor Heese lives with his wife and daughter. He works at the Sumac Centre, a retreat on the McLean Road near Mountain Grove, and at Community Living - North Frontenac.

District 2 - Dan Meeks

Dan Meeks feels that the time is right for him to step up and get involved. He has lived and worked in the Parham area pretty much all of his life, first for Jack York at what was then called the Woodland Dairy, starting as a 12-years old, and later for Tarasick Carpentry where he has been working for the last 35 years or so.

“I started working for Steve Tarasick when I got accepted to Loyalist College for Police Foundations, planning to save some money before starting the course, but one thing led to another and I ended up staying there,” he said.

After having only two jobs for his whole life, he wants to bring his local knowledge, as well as family experience, to Council. His father Archie was a member of council, his grandfather Fred Smith was the reeve of OIden Township and served as Frontenac County warden, and even his brother-in-law Elwyn Burke was councillor and reeve in Olden and councillor in Central Frontenac.

“I’ve been to most back roads in the township, at one time or another, doing construction as well,” he said.

His motivation to run for council is to offer his perspective, and effort, to making improvements.

“With the debt situation in Central Frontenac, I think we need to figure out how to control our spending, and I would like to see more transparency at council. People need to know what is being planned,” he said.

Recognising that road construction and maintenance eat up 50% of the budget, he thinks that if there are efficiencies to be found to save money, that is where they would have the most impact on the budget.

“If we did more internally, instead of contracting, there could be savings,” he said.

But he said that while he thinks that “people are looking for a change… I would not jump into anything too quickly. I would need to look at everything at the beginning before saying too much. But I don't think that, even with inflation pushing up costs, people in this township cannot afford a double digit tax increase, so it will be a lot of hard work when next year’s budget comes.”

In addition to his run for council, Dan recently joined the local Lions Club. With his wife, Sharon, he also works to maintain the Oso Church on Road 509. The Meeks have two daughters who have made their lives in Central Frontenac as well, and have young grandchildren in school.

“Our families have been here for a long time, and we are still here. It’s been a great place to live, and I hope to give something back in return, to keep it strong,” he said.

District 3 - Susan Irwin

Susan Irwin came to the Sharbot Lake area in the late 1980’s from London, when her husband Jim was hired as the lead lawyer for the Legal Services program that eventually became Rural Legal Services,

Until that time, she had been working as a lawyer in private practice in London. The Irwin’s raised three children at their home near Sharbot Lake, and Susan ended up working for Rural Legal Services, becoming its lead lawyer and executive director. Rural Legal Services was eventually merged into the Legal Clinic, based in Perth. Susan continued to provide free legal services out of Sharbot Lake until she retired earlier this year.

She is currently chair of the Board of directors at Rural Frontenac Community Services, and is a board member with the Sharbot Lake Family Health Team.

“I see this an opportunity to make use of my skills, and knowledge about health and social services, as another way to potentially benefit the community,” she said.

She also said that one of the reasons why she decided to run for council is when she learned of “the decision-making process around Mathew Street. I followed that issue in the newspaper and at council and have read everything I could about it, and still don’t understand what happened. The process that was followed to come to a decision about traffic direction appears to have been made without adequate notice of the proposed change or opportunity for public consultation and that is my real concern.”

She is also concerned about the perception that Sharbot Lake is where all of the township’s efforts are centred.

As a council, we have to make decisions for the well being of the township. And I believe council is divided at the moment. We have to look at ways that would guide us in making decision that reflect the entire township.

As a lawyer working with clients dealing with financial struggles at The Legal Clinic, she is keenly aware that there are families in the township facing money issues at all times, and even more so at this time, so she said she is “aware that there is little or no appetite in the community for large tax increases. The challenge for this community comes from our small tax base, our debt load, and today’s economy. It will not be an easy budget next year.”

She said that if she is elected, she will devote her time to learning as much as she can about municipal politics, and will be prepared to act as a liaison between the municipal world, primary care, and community services in a time of change in all three areas of public life.

District 3 - Bill MacDonald

Bill MacDonald started his municipal career in the early 1990s, and has held just about every position, deputy reeve, mayor, county warden, and councillor.

He has also taken two runs at provincial politics for the Liberal Party of Ontario. Since 2014 he has been one of the Oso councillors, and since 2018 he has been the second Central Frontenac representative to Frontenac County Council, a position that he said he will seek again if he is re-elected.

He said that he is “running again mainly because we are in the middle of a couple of projects, especially at the county.” He is currently the chair of the office expansion committee at the county, which is providing oversight as the project is underway. And with the province looking at long term care homes being capable of accommodating 160 residents, Frontenac County has started looking at options for Fairmount Home.

“We could be looking at a full rebuild, or a renovation, and I was there the last time Fairmount was expanded, so my perspective may be of value,” he said.

He said that in his entire municipal career, “my focus has always been on the interest of the community as a whole, I never look at one district or another district, I look at where the needs are greatest and what we can do to make things better.”

He is aware of the financial constraints that Central Frontenac faces.

“We spend a high percentage of our money on roads. The fact is that we have a small tax base, when you compare it to the amount of roads that we have to maintain. I am hoping that the amount of building that has taken place over the last few years will lead to an increase in our assessment in a year or two, and that we can get a new zoning bylaw in place to activate our new official plan, which allows for granny flats and small houses, which could help as well.”

But he said he takes the perspective that Central Frontenac had made capital investments that will pay off in savings, going forward, as well.

“We have done Highway 38, Crow Lake Road, bridges, and we have made investments in our fire department, with new fire halls and equipment. That all puts us in a better position because we don’t have to finance those things again.”

He does not favour any talk of amalgamation as a way to deal with local problems.

“We went through amalgamation once, and I was there, and it was not something anyone would want to have to go through, I can tell you that,” he said.

District 3 – Duncan McGregor

One of the things that stands out about Duncan McGregor is that he is much younger than most of the candidates in Central Frontenac, even in Frontenac County as a whole. And he is up front about what that means for his candidacy.

“I am bringing a fresh new perspective. The council we needed 20 years ago is not the council that we need today.”

As a technology worker with North Frontenac Telephone Company (NFTC) and the owner, with his wife Erin, of two online businesses, he would like to bring the ethos of labour-saving uses of technology to council.

“One of my biggest concerns is that the township is over-staffed. We have the highest debt load in Frontenac County and no plan to pay it back,” he said.

He also said there are issues around the environment and waste management that need to be addressed.

“I think we need to look at a complete redo of our waste management system, to limit what goes into the waste stream, in order to keep our remaining landfill and keep us from having to pay to move garbage out of the township. It starts with garbage pickup, which would cost residents about $125 a year extra, but would provide convenience and an easier way to make sure there is no recyclable materials in with the garbage, in the clear bags,” he said.

He would also look very carefully at the budget with a view towards eliminating some expenses.

“I have looked through budgets from previous years, and there are line items that were never used in previous years, but more money is being requested the next year. I think we should look at those,” he said. “I would not look at cutting staff, not at all, but there is spending that we don’t need in the budget.”

He also said that the township needs diversity on council.

“We need to start looking now, to see how we can bring about changes, not only getting younger people interested in sitting on council, but other members of the community who have never considered running for council,” he said.

One initiative that he considers essential for future growth and for housing options, to be there for current and future residents, is the communal servicing initiative that is being spearheaded by Frontenac County.

“Communal Servicing is the only way that we can bring any affordable housing or new commercial development, not only to Sharbot Lake, but to Parham and Arden as well,” he said.

He said that he has talked to his superiors at NFTC about the time demands of council, and feels confident he can juggle work time and family time with council responsibilities.

District 3 - Craig Middleton

Craig Middleton was born and raised in Sharbot Lake, and his family history dates back several generations within Central Frontenac.  He made his career at Hydro One; first as lineman and then working his remaining 12 years for the Power Workers Union, the largest union in Ontario’s electricity sector as a Regional Representative which included several Provincial duties.

During his robust career he traveled across Ontario, which included living in Chatham for 8 years. He returned to Sharbot Lake in 2008 when he was first elected to his role within the Power Workers Union and has resided here ever since.

He is active member of the community. He has previously coached baseball and is currently the Co-Chair/Treasurer of the Sharbot Lake Rink/ Sport Court Committee and is currently a member of the new Central Frontenac Trails Committee.

Craig would like to be a member of council because “I have always had an interest in it, and now that I am retired, I know that I have something valuable to offer, which is my time and experience. I also believe that there needs to be a change. There are many things that the township does well, but also many areas that require improvement.”

He said in addition to being an active member in the Central Frontenac community, his experience in managing budgets, negotiating agreements, helping workers protect their rights, and obtaining the benefits that they were entitled to, will all serve him well if he is elected to council.

In his years as a Union Representative, he found that the more he became involved on the Provincial Level, the less in touch with the workers he represented from Eastern Ontario he became. It is from this personal experience that he would not let that happen if elected as a member of council.

“You have to be there, you have to talk to people about what their concerns are, what their issues are.”

He said there are a lot of issues that are important for Central Frontenac in the coming term of council, including the budget, parks and recreation across the township, doctor recruitment, tax and housing issues just to name a few.

“In Oso, we need to get the rink/ sport court completed, maintain the trail section that runs through the district, and also address the washroom facilities at the Sharbot Lake Beach,” he said.

He said that the controversy over the direction of Mathew Street in Sharbot Lake is an example of council losing touch with the people they represent and failing to bring issues before the people before making decisions. “That could have been handled better with some basic consultation,” he said.

“A councillor should be around, communicating with the people that they represent. They should be available to make/receive calls and find out what individuals are thinking and how they feel about the decisions that are being made in their area/ surrounding area. As councillor, I would listen and take these concerns to Council and would vote in the best interest for not only the people I represent but also vote on other issues that enhance and benefit the entire Township of Central Frontenac as a whole.

District 4 - Bob Brooks

Bob Brooks has lived in Central Frontenac since his family moved to the area when he was a teenager. He runs a business, Major League Builders, out of the Parham area, and works everywhere across the region as a carpenter and builder.

With his wife Melissa, he has 4 children between the ages of 17 and 20 in their blended family.

“It is hard to raise a family in this community,” he said, “the changes that I’ve seen over the past 30 years, the loss of businesses, the lack of resources for youth, all make it difficult for families. There is not enough going on for many people to want to build a future here. That’s one of the reasons why the fact that the township purchased the Hinchinbrooke school and then allowed it rot away is such a missed opportunity for this community. And it sends a signal about priorities for Central Frontenac, not a good one.”

He said that his concerns go beyond the school itself, to the state of the Parham Fair Grounds, support for the Hinchinbrook Recreation Committee, and even the state of repair on the Westport Road.

“I think the township is managed fairly, except for how resources are distributed, and my number one goal is to be the voice of Hinchinbrook and not back down.”

He also said that finances are a big challenge for the township, and would work to limit non-essential spending where he could, while at the same time working with council and others to create new opportunities for growth.

“Our spending and our dreams have gone further than our tax base. Promoting some new development through creating some incentives for business to locate here would be a start. If we don’t develop that tax base, we will remain behind other communities,” he said.

He said that he comes to township politics from the perspective of someone who is committed to his family and his neighbours well-being, not from the perspective of a lifelong politician.

“I’m the guy that the voters see working every day, or out in the community, not the politician they see when it is time to vote. I’m the guy that lives here and wants to raise a family here and sees the struggles people are going through and wants to change that.”

District 4 - Brent Cameron

Brent Cameron said that he is seeking a third term on council because there are a number of priorities that he would like to see through, particularly on the economic development front.

“I have been involved with the downtown revitalisation process in Sharbot Lake as Chair of the Economic Development Department, and I would like to bring that process to Parham and Tichborne,” he said.

To do that, he said that he would like to see the creation of a working group to reimagine what Parham and Tichborne would look like.

“That’s why I think the basic process that was used in Sharbot Lake can apply in every other community by starting with a local working group. In Parham and Tichborne that means bringing together the Rec Committee, the Oddfellows, the Eagle Lake Property Owners, Tichborne rink people, the Parham Fair board, firefighters, everyone who has a stake in the community to set their own goals.”

On the issue of funding for local community projects, he wants to see a ‘matching grant program’ where 4 conditions need to be met in order to secure funding: Costs need to be fully budgeted, proof needs to be offered that people will use it, there needs to be a volunteer base to run it, and the people who want to build it need to raise a portion of the money that is required.

“I don’t want to play favourites in different corners of the township. For any group or organisations wanting to make something happen, it should always be the same. You check the 4 boxes, you get the funding. People respect answers if they know the logic behind them.”

He said that he would like to see council and the township, act more as a catalyst for development rather than a drag, including a standing committee for digital government.

“We need to create good conditions at the township. We need to make sure we aren’t ever getting in the way needlessly, but it is the residents and investors who make things happen. The township should not be needlessly gumming up the works for the sake of putting our finger prints on everything. We have the planning and zoning rules that we need, and we are developing a communal services process that will be workable. If we could also look at our assets, increase the stock of commercial properties, we can create some opportunities where people can make the improvements that will help is all.”

Brent Cameron works at Queen’s, in administration. He sits on the Frontenac Arena Board and the District 4 recreation Committee, as well as chairing the Economic Development Committee at the township.

District 4 - Nicki Gowdy

Nicki Gowdy

After four years on council. Nicki Gowdy has not seen anything that alters her initial perception of how Central Frontenac needs to improve on the way it manages it business operations and delivers services.

I still feel that the township needs change,” she said, “it needs to be more transparent and needs to be accountable to the residents, for the way that we are spending their money.”

Within the last four years that she has been on council, Gowdy has not voted in favour of a budget stating that she believes that residents are paying enough in taxes and because she is not in favour of the way the capital budget has been allocated.

“There is a lot of fat in the budget,” she said. “We also need to reconsider some of our asset management in light of the tough times our residents are facing in the upcoming years.”

 Then there are roads…

“A road needs study was conducted but we don’t follow the recommendations that were identified as priorities within it, and because I believe in fairness and equality.  I do not feel that road work is done with these ideals in mind around the township. “If there are only going to be four roads fixed in a year, and we do not usually have the money to do more, we should do the roads in greater need in each district. This is fair for our municipality and what our residents deserve from their elected council.”

She would also like to see the budget work completed in the fall instead of late winter, so in a regular year the budget will be done by early December for the coming year. This would benefit getting tenders out earlier therefore road work could commence earlier, and if there are any unusual large expenses they could be corrected before the fiscal year starts.

“It is always later after an election, and I understand that but next year it should be done in the fall.”

She said that Central Frontenac has been a reactive township for years, and “I would like to see it become proactive. Our district, Hinchinbrooke, has been seeing the highest growth rate. People are moving in from Toronto and they have expectations for service based upon what they are being charged for taxes. Unfortunately, we cannot deliver these services in an already stretched budget. Gowdy has been instrumental in reaching out to obtain information for the council on garbage/ recycling pickup. She has presented this information and will continue to pursue the possibility of garbage/recycling pickup in Central Frontenac if re elected for another term. She said she sent a proposal to the waste management committee but she is awaiting a reply.

She has an interest in making positive contribution to the way the county’s ambulance service is being managed and may seek the second Central Frontenac position on Frontenac County Council to pursue that issue.

Her biggest accomplishment is listening to the residents.  She is proud to say that she was able to respond to every call, email and need of the residents.  She was not always able to provide “good” news but always provided direction to help resolve the issue if able.

Nicki Gowdy works for Rural Frontenac Community Services as the interim supervisor of Frontenac Transportation Services and handles some bookkeeping responsibilities for the agency as well. She resides in Godfrey with her husband and her children still live on the family farm.

District 4 - Philip Smith

Philip Smith has been elected and appointed to Central Frontenac Council a number of times since 2006.

He said that he is running again this time because he “feels that he can still add value to the township, and it is also a good way to contribute to the community, for me.”

While he is less likely to be the councillor who is “banging their fist on the table”, he said that he prefers to do his research first, and then asks questions when he finds that reports are unclear or incomplete, or proposals don’t quite add up.

“That’s my approach everywhere,” he said, “in business and on council. I’d rather give a quick call to staff before a council meeting for clarification, instead of bringing something up at council, if that is possible,” he said.

One thing that he would like to thoroughly review, in the new term, is the planning agreement that Central Frontenac has in place with the Frontenac County planning department.

“With the amount of development in our township, much of it being in our district, I would like to make sure that the system is still working as well as it was when we first entered into it a few years ago. For the most part the planning services provided by the county have been a benefit, but I want to make sure that is still the case. The focus is on the end user, and timely service. We might be at a point where a dedicated planner makes sense for us, but we won’t know that until we review the service.”

He is concerned about the township reaching the recommended limit for debt servicing, but said that much of that debt came about because of opportunities to obtain funding to complete projects that the township would not have been able to afford, at any point in time.

“If we are budgeting to pay back loans, it takes money out of the budget for things that we need to do. But then again it is hard to say, ‘let’s turn down this million-dollar grant’ We would never have been able to do the Sharbot Lake project, Crow Lake, Wagarville Road. We needed those grants to fix roads that were falling apart,” he said.

He also thinks that addressing waste management will be important in the next term of council, because even though the consultants say the township has 30 years of life left in the Olden waste site, “that might change with new people moving in to the township, and 30 years is not as long a time as people think it is.”