EloraFergusToday asked candidates in the upcoming municipal election to tell us a little bit about themselves and their platform.
Name: Corey Woods
Occupation: I breed specialty Ball Pythons & small Turtles (Small business owner)
How long have you lived in Guelph/Eramosa? 25 Years
Do you reside in the ward you are running in? Yes
Why are you running in this election? I’ve been the Ward 2 Councillor for the past three terms (2010 to 2022). I’m running because I want to continue working with the residents, farmers and businesses to make our Ward and Township a great place to live while also keeping tax increases low and maintaining our roads and bridges.
What qualifies you to represent your ward? I live in Ward 2 and I’ve been the Ward 2 Councillor for the past three terms (2010 to 2022).
Why should people vote for you? We have successfully kept tax increases at or below inflation which is something I would like to continue for the next term of Council. I also want to continue to maintain our roads and bridges to the best that our limited local budget allows.
What do you see as the main issues facing residents of the ward? Rising costs due to inflation. For the past 12 years, the council of Guelph/Eramosa has maintained budgets at or below inflation while still maintaining our infrastructure. I would like to continue keeping tax budgets low while maintaining what we have.
What do you see as the main issues facing residents of Guelph/Eramosa on a broader scale? As above, rising costs due to Inflation. At the local level I hope to continue to maintain budgets at or below inflation while still maintaining an equitable distribution of services.
What is the most important thing you want to see changed in Guelph/Eramosa? I believe Ward 2, and Guelph/Eramosa as a whole, is a great place to live, work and play. I want to maintain the course and continue to care for Ward 2 and the entire township as has been done these past years on council.
What services need to be improved in Guelph/Eramosa?
There is always room for improvement but that has to be maintained within local budgets. I am always open to hear from, and respond to, residents on what should be maintained, what should be improved and what services are no longer required.
One thing we desperately need in Guelph/Eramosa Township is additional Commercial and Industrial businesses.
Is Guelph/Eramosa growing too fast, just the right amount, or not fast enough?
We need to maintain farmland, so I agree that limiting growth to the urban centres is important. Cities, towns and hamlets are where residential growth should be directed, however, I don’t want to see Guelph/Eramosa grow at a faster rate than it is now.
What can be done at the local level about the rising cost of housing? At the township level there is very little to be done directly about the rising cost of housing.
If we keep our local budget costs down this should help translate into lower costs for the home owner.
In addition to this, in Guelph/Eramosa township, we have recently allowed, through Zoning, secondary and accessory dwellings in and on your property to allow more residential units within the entire Guelph/Eramosa Township.
Do speed limits need to be reviewed in Rockwood and the township? Yes. I believe we need equality in the speed limits for Guelph/Eramosa Township. To me it doesn’t make sense if one residential road is a 40km/hr and the same road, in a different part of the Township, is a 50km/hr. Consequently, once the speed limit is set, it is up to the OPP (funded by Wellington County) to enforce those speed limits. We definitely need more OPP enforcement of existing speed laws.
In addition, in Guelph/Eramosa Township, current council have put up delineators in the centre of the road way as 2 pilot projects (Conservation Road in Ward 2 and Ariss Valley/Crowsfoot Road in Ward 1) and they have worked wonders. I would like to see this program expanded.
Flashing speed signs have also been installed (Conservation Road in Ward 2 for example). In the 2022 budget five more flashing speed signs were purchased, to be installed around the township, with the intent to purchase more each year to expand across the township.
How do we make Guelph/Eramosa an even better place to live?
Continue to keep budgets at or below inflation, maintain our roads and bridges as well as our parks system to keep people happy to live, work and play in Guelph/Eramosa Township.
Strive to bring more Commercial/Industrial business to the township, to support the local economy, as well as bringing in more tax revenue. Additional Commercial/Industrial tax revenue would go a long way to allowing the township to replace more roads and bridges without increasing residential taxes.
