EloraFergusToday asked candidates in the upcoming municipal election to tell us a little bit about themselves and their platform.
Name: Randy Vaine
Occupation:
- Full time for the past 32 years - Senior officer trade compliance with Canada Border Services Agency, formerly called Canada Customs.
- Part time for the past four years - Town councillor with the Town of Grimsby.
How long have you lived in Centre Wellington? One year
Why are you running in this election? I have many reasons for running in this election.
- I have served as a town councillor (in Grimsby) for the past four years and have learned a great deal about local politics.
- I served the people of Grimsby and was able to help many people.
- I also stood up for people who were being harassed and stood up to others who tried to use the town for their own gain.
- I have also been involved in various roles and ways in politics over the past 30 years.
What qualifies you to represent your ward?
- I have many years of political experience on both sides of the political arena.
- I am not afraid to stand up for what is right and to fight against others who try to take personal gains at the expense of the county or the residents or staff members.
- I have served my country as a federal peace officer for the past 32 years and I wish to continue serving my local community and neighbours.
- I have a great deal of business experience.
- I am an excellent team player and builder.
- I have the strength and the stamina to help the county and the towns that I represent to deal with many changes that are going to be brought down by the provincial government in the future.
Why should people vote for you?
- I have a tremendous amount of Political and Business experience.
- I have received commendations and awards for my roles in Canada Customs for such things as, "teamwork," and going above and beyond.
- I will always fight for what is right and what is best for our residents and our neighbours.
- I bring a fresh vision to the county with many suggestions on how to improve everything from environmental issues to Tax savings.
- In the past, some of my accomplishments in other towns that I was able to accomplish include: As an advocate and member of a local neighbourhood association; I led a campaign to convince the local council to build and staff a much needed brand new fire station, after leading an almost one-year campaign, I was successful in convincing the council to build the fire hall; as a member of council and the chair of the Parks and Recreation Committee, I along with the parks director lobbied the local MPP and the local MP, for funding for a new community centre. The town ultimately received a $22-million grant toward the new recreation centre; as a local town councillor, I supported and helped to have many things completed in our four-year term which had been being discussed by other councillors for decades without success: 1) We, along with many others were successful in getting the provincial government to commit to building a new hospital in our town; 2) We, along with other towns and the region, were able to have a region-wide transit system started and operated, with our town making up approximately 60 per cent of the usage; 3) We worked with developers to seek reasonable development in the town and opposed bad plans brought before us; 4) Our town was one of the few which had a surplus during COVID.
- I will fight for a zero per cent tax Increase in the 2023 budget year as I strongly believe that we are heading into a recession and our residents and our business need help and some relief from inflation.
- I will work hard to try to attract new businesses and jobs to our county and specifically the towns that I represent in the county.
- I will be accessible and accountable to all residents.
- I offer Experience, Honesty, Integrity and transparency in this role.
What do you see as the main issues facing residents of the ward?
- As mentioned above, I have heard that the province is planning on taking powers away from Local Councils in the area of Planning and possibly other areas. The County will have to step up and ensure reasonable and acceptable Development for all of our Towns.
- Also, as stated above, I believe that we are headed in to a Recession very soon and we need to find ways to protect and help our Residents and Businesses from being further ravaged by a Recession.
What do you see as the main issues facing residents of Centre Wellington on a broader scale?
- Residents have brought many concerns to my attention such as: Lack of parking in all areas of our towns but specifically in the downtown areas which affects not only residents but also visitors and tourists; Improper uses of our police service, the OPP, for such mundane issues such as parking infractions, and noise complaints. These should be handled by local bylaw officers; Currently 56 per cent of every dollar paid in property taxes goes to the county, many feel that this percentage is too high and more of that revenue should be directed back to Centre Wellington for local projects.
- Many residents are disappointed with the actions and behaviour of members of our councils and expect more professionalism.
What is the most important thing you want to see changed in Centre Wellington?
- See answers above.
What services need to be improved in Centre Wellington?
- See answers above.
Is Centre Wellington growing too fast, just the right amount, or not fast enough? Many residents have told me that they believe that Centre Wellington has grown so much in the past 10 years and they feel that we are growing too fast.
Unfortunately, the growth of all cities and towns in Ontario are very much controlled by the provincial government which is always pushing for more and more development and the OLT or Ontario Land Tribunal which is based in Toronto and hears appeals to developments where town councils have opposed new development proposals often support the developments even though the residents do not support the development.
The county has a huge role in developing an Official Plan to locate this new housing and right now Centre Wellington seems to be an area where a lot of development is being proposed. I will work with developers and other County Councillors to ensure that new development "fits" within our community.
What can be done at the local level about the rising cost of housing?
Working on a reasonable Official Plan at the County level and working with Developers is the right way to support more affordable housing.
Do you support building a new $27 million operations centre? I cannot answer this without seeing all of the planning and justifications for such a centre. As the Township grows, so do its needs.
How do we make Centre Wellington an even better place to live? County and local councillors have to work hand in hand with each other and with residents to ensure that we control our future as much as we can.
Any link to an election website or social media account:
