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HomeElections2022 Municipal ElectionCity Of Kawartha Lakes Mayoral Candidates In Their Own Words

City Of Kawartha Lakes Mayoral Candidates In Their Own Words

KAWARTHA LAKES-With the municipal election coming up we asked each one of the local Mayoral candidates the same question: What do you feel are the main issues facing residents of Kawartha Lakes and what would you do to improve those issues?”

We also asked for a separate short bio and photo. If they responded we are printing their answers in full, exactly as written.

Jim Riches

Jim Riches

I grew up in the rural city of Kawartha Lakes back when it was Victoria County and then ,after getting an education, worked in the public sector for the past 20 years.  Work life balance is the only major issue the working community has outlined time and time again. One thing I know, coming from both worlds, is that our trades are the single most important workforce the city needs to advocate for in the future. Young kids are not interested in these vital jobs and when the old tradesmen retire everyone will notice a huge problem. Most people during this election talk about what services they think should be improved by city leadership, but fail to realize services are wholly dependent on competent tradesmen and women. Without better education and recruitment strategies in the very near future the city will lack the basic workforce in the trades, and become saturated with bureaucrats who will simply compensate by spend,spend,spend tactics. My strengths are in growing people by highlighting the benefits  to their community doing a good job produces,  (starting with City Staff management.)  Knowing the way the next generation is being spoon-fed reality from their screens also helps leadership form modern recruitment and staff management strategies to fill the huge workforce voids facing the City in the next decade.

Kathleen Seymour-Fagan

Kathleen Seymour-Fagan

To me, the most important thing impacting the residents and businesses of Kawartha Lakes is the future. Simply put, this election will set a course that puts us on a path for growth, a path for accountability, a path for responsible spending, a path that recognizes the affordability challenges people are facing, and embracing the opportunities we have to grow and prosper.

This election is not about the past, and it is not about continuing down the same road we have been going down and expecting a different or better result. This election is about putting people first, and to me that is the most important issue facing us; we have forgotten the decisions we make as a council are impacting real people and real lives, and we need to get back to basics.

My platform has been clear, roads and infrastructure are critical to our success moving forward. Good roads equal opportunities for growth and growth equals an increased tax base. 

We know that our water and wastewater infrastructure is a challenge we will need to address. Our landfills are filling up quickly and are going to be a challenge. 

I believe it is more than just that though. I am a mother, a daughter, a parent, a business owner, and a resident. I see first-hand every day the challenges being faced in Kawartha Lakes.

I worry about my ageing parents and the rising costs of everything. I worry about my children, and how they will be able to afford a home, how they will get good jobs, and what the future looks like for them. I worry about the sustainability and affordability of businesses, the challenges of rising costs and the availability of staff. I see these things and live these things every day, and I know many of those in our community are experiencing the same struggles and challenges. It is causing endless anxiety and stress for too many people.

Let me tell you what my vision for Kawartha Lakes is. I want a community where my children can choose to live, work and play here. I want a community where responsible growth leads to endless opportunities. I believe that growth can help us support the much-needed infrastructure we will need to invest in, like roads, bridges, culverts, water and wastewater.

I want a community that supports and embraces our libraries, our arenas and recreation facilities. Let’s make sure our children, our neighbours, our friends and families and new residents moving to Kawartha Lakes have places to learn, grow and play.

We can’t stop paying for the very things that attract people to our communities. We need to invest in them and support them.

We do need to do things differently. We need to do them better. We need to do them smarter.

Can we find economies of scale with roads for example by working with our municipal neighbours and aligning road work with border roads? Can we work with municipal neighbours to look at larger vehicle purchases so get a better deal for everyone? The truth is, I don’t know. But I know we need to start having those conversations.

A made-in Kawartha Lakes solution does not mean we need to go it alone. We need to work collaboratively with our provincial and federal levels of government. We need to look at the lessons learned elsewhere and realize we don’t need to reinvent the wheel. And we need to look at every opportunity, big and small.

Many small savings will equal bigger savings, so everything needs to be looked at.

But the bottom line for me, and if I am elected mayor of Kawartha Lakes, my commitment to every resident and business owner is that I will put you first. Will you get everything you want, no; that would be unrealistic. But as a taxpayer as well, I know the frustrations and the worries about paying for everything.

I want to be your mayor to represent you, to represent an opportunity for growth and positive change. Let’s work together to build a better tomorrow together.

Bill Denby

That is a good question because just about everything has been a Disappointment over the last 20 years for the People! When the County of Victoria became the Corporation of the City of Kawartha Lakes, people in rural areas were upset, not much has changed in 20 years! They still feel that Lindsay gets everything, the problem they were never told that Lindsay had been Carved out & received special treatment under the Agreement. My goal is to change all that with my 13-point Plan to give everything back to Rural Kawartha While still looking after Lindsay’s needs! This is very easy to do once you have laid the Foundation for planned Growth across the City.  Every Place outside of Lindsay that has Sewage & Water Treatment Facilities have to be up graded to prepare for planned growth over the next 30 to 50 years. Lindsay needs a new Sewage &Water Treatment Facility on both the East & West sides of Lindsay to accommodate all the planned growth over the next 10 to 20 years. We have to get out of relying on Lakes & River to meet our needs, we must drill deep wells for our water need in the Future, Now! If we are to become a real working City with all the new big Box Stores & with  two Walmart Super Centre, we have to increase our population by double, to 40,000 or 60,000 population in Lindsay. If we are to enjoy all the things a big City has in way of Shopping Centres, Entertainment Centres, Senior Housing, Affordable Housing, Apartments’, Subdivisions &  affordable Housing for our working Class & Seniors., Traffic design is a must, Bus services, Hospitals, Medical Centres, Community Care Services, Drug Addiction Treatment Centre, Funeral Services ,Policing, EMS Services, Fire, Fast food & Maw & Pop places to make this a  working in the City & in Lindsay. Lindsay is our Hub, we cannot move away from that, we can have Planned Growth across all parts of the City! We have to continue building out Lindsay because that is in the Cities Official Plan! We need to repair all Roads in Lindsay & throughout the City, every Road has to be finished before real planned Growth can happen! Remember under the Agreement we are locked by that agreement signed with the Province in 2000.   The Province has to honor its commitment to Build a new 4 lane highway East & West from Peterborough to Hwy 404 & a new 4 lane Hwy south, north from Hwy 115 to Fenelon Falls to handle the increase in Population & Vehicles on our roads moving goods & services in & out of our City! We must Plan so our Farmers can continue to Farm & work within the City. I envision over 200,000 population in the City of Kawartha Lakes over the next 10, 20 Years, then the next 30, 40, 50 years we grow even more! With all the Growth that is happening in the GTA, people will be looking to move to our City!  There will be big challenges for both for the Mayor & Council over this Period , but if we are going to achieve all these goals, Voter have to pick the right people that have owned Business’s in the City! We need Candidates that will see this through to Completion, 2 terms! We cannot afford to Fail, or everyone fails, the voters must pick the Councilors that they Believe can lay the Foundation over the next 8 years ! The Mayor plays the largest part in Building the City, they have to have a vision of what Lindsay & the rest of Kawartha Lakes will look like in 20 or 30 years! The demand for Services, Hospitals, EMS, Everything we rely on now for 70,000 population, we are looking down the road for the needs of planned growthto a Population to over 200,000 people in just a short Time! The Mayor has to have the Experience to lead the Council through the Planning process! We will all fail at the first Task, laying the Foundation for planned Growth across the City! I am the only Mayoral Candidate that Dreams Large for what we can do together to build our City! I have the Experience dealing with both Levels of Governments, I know where to find the money! I have owned Businesses since I was old enough to borrow Money, I have built some good-sized businesses over my short life time! The City of Kawartha Lakes is A Billion Dollar business, no different from the ones I own, only on a large scale! I have done things in my life that none of the other Mayoral Candidates could even try to complete. My wife & I decided it was time to give back to all the people in our Great City that have supported our Businesses over the last 45 years. I am up for the Challenge of making this a real , live working ,Breathing City of Kawartha Lakes, Together we can make it Happen! I have always Dream large when I started my Businesses, People will Come! I have never Failed in any of my Business Venture!  The Mayor plays the biggest role at Council to guide the Councilors to Completion of the first Phase of my Plan! I have Printed my Plan & my Bio that is in my Election Flyer in the Kawartha This Week, Port Perry Standard News Paper, The Promoter, & the Lindsay Advocate for everyone to read! I am the only Mayor Candidate that is spending 100% of my own money, in this Election! If Elected, I am donating 50 % ($ 240,000.00)of my salary to Community Care, Food Banks & our Humane Society over my 4-year term. The balance of my salary $ 240,000.00 I will enter into an agreement with the Voters, That if I do Not deliver on all 13 points in my plan over my 4-year Term ,I will pay back the $ 240,000.00 Because I failed to earn the Money paid to me by the Tax Payers in the City! Remember I am a Business Man , Not a Politian, In the 4 years if elected I never want to be Called a Politian! Please place your trust in William J Denby for The Peoples Mayor! Thank you for the Question!

Faye McGee

My husband and I have been volunteers in the community for 50 years and continue to do so.
During that time I was also a councillor in Fenelon Township and eventually Deputy Reeve, then Reeve.  As Deputy Reeve and Reeve I was a member of Victoria County Council.  A member of many committees and chair of several such as OPP & Social Services.  Presently I am a member of the Fenelon Falls Cemetery Board and also a Director/Secretary of the Fenelon Agricultural Society.
There are many issues that need to be addressed and reviewed.
Certainly recruitment of Doctors.
We need to fix the roads so there must be a plan in place and that information needs to be shared with the taxpayers so they are aware of what will be happening in their areas.
I feel since amalgamation some communities have moved forward and others have been left behind.  It is time to ensure everyone is receiving the services they need in their community.
Each Department needs to be reviewed for efficiency and stop wasting tax dollars.
Make services to available to people in their own communities.
The whole budget process needs to be corrected.
I believe the best resource we have is the taxpayer and we need to have them more involved and we need to listen to them. They know their communities better than I do.
We need to stop taxes going up and services going down.

My commitment to you is that I will work hard, listen to taxpayers and remind taxpayers we are there to help them not create bigger problems for them.

We did not receive a response from Pat Dunn or Doug Elmslie. Faye McGee and Bill Denby did not send a photo.

Voting by telephone or the internet is now open in the City Of Kawartha Lakes. Election day is October 24th. Click here for more:https://www.kawarthalakes.ca/en/municipal-services/voter-information.aspx

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Pamela Vanmeer
Pamela Vanmeerhttps://www.kawartha411.ca/
Pamela VanMeer is a two time winner of the prestigious Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) Award. Her investigative reports on abuse in Long Term Care Homes garnered international attention for the issue and won the Ron Laidlaw Award. She is a former reporter and anchor at CHEX News, now Global Peterborough and helped launch the New CHEX Daily, a daily half hour talk show. While at CHCH News in Hamilton she covered some of the biggest news stories of the day.

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