EloraFergusToday asked candidates in the upcoming municipal election to tell us a little bit about themselves and their platform.
Name: Andy Lennox
Occupation: Self-employed farmer and consultant
How long have you lived in Wellington North? 51 years.
Why are you running in this election? I am running in this election to continue the work to prepare Wellington North for the future. The future holds increased population growth, economic prosperity and opportunity.
Why should people vote for you? People should vote for me to continue to lead the Township in a direction that embraces a bright future of better opportunity with a focus on maintaining our small town values).
What do you see as the main issues facing residents of Wellington North on a broader scale? The biggest issues on a broad scale involve the attraction of people to work in our businesses and suitable housing available to support our local economy and the needs of volunteer organizations and community services.
What is the most important thing you want to see changed in Wellington North? The most important thing that needs to be changed in Wellington North is to attract the best people to our communities to contribute economically, culturally and socially, that will continue to make our communities such great places to call home.
What services need to be improved in Wellington North? Services that need improvement in Wellington North include greater housing options suitable for people of different income levels, and access to provincial services such as mental health supports and childcare.
Is Wellington North growing too fast, just the right amount, or not fast enough? Wellington North has been growing at a modest pace that has allowed for growth to easily integrate into the community. Increasing growth pressure that is now coming will challenge the community to adapt to the increased pace, and make appropriate preparations to avoid some of the rapid growth pitfalls experienced in other communities.
What can be done at the local level about the rising cost of housing? Many issues surrounding the rising cost of housing are beyond local influence. In Wellington North we have put in place policies that encourage the building of a diversity of housing types that would be attainable to people of differing levels of income and we have been successful incentivising and attracting more purpose built rental accomodation. We have also created policies that will more freely allow additional dwelling units on existing properties. Efforts need to continue to focus on these activities while looking for additional ideas that will help maximize housing options.
Should a new pool be built in Mount Forest at $6+million? We continue to look at options for replacing the existing Mount Forest swimming pool. Currently we are working toward refining the cost estimates of the preferred new design. The current estimated cost of approximately $6 million is too expensive to be paid from property tax revenue without jeopardizing the health of the Township, given the available revenue and pressure on infrastructure and costs. Other sources of funding will have to be found to allow the current pool design to built for the community.
How do we make Wellington North an even better place to live? We can make Wellington North an even better place to live by engaging as many citizens as possible to find local solutions to the challenges we face, such as adapting to rapid growth. An ongoing community conversation about the opportunities and changes we face will help find the best solutions.
