Milton Rural Residents Association

If you didn’t already know…its election time.

Lawn signs are popping up all over town from the mayoral race, to local councillors in every ward (including mine!).  Some wards have yet to join the “sign wars” but rest assure it will start soon.

In addition to lawn signs comes the questionairres for the candidates.  I do my best to answer as many as possible and let these organizations know as much as possible about me as a candidate and what I will do once elected on the 25th of October.

Here are the questions posed to myself and the other candidates recently for this elections survey.  Once they compile all the answers from the candidates, they will post it on their website.  www.miltonrra.org

Candidate Profile and Questionnaire 2010

As we approach the Municipal Elections, it is apparent that voters are hungry for good candidates dedicated to represent their constituents.

We assume that our candidates bring honesty and integrity and will demand the same from their colleagues on Council. We all want our candidates to be transparent so that what we see is what we will get and that their agenda is open and consistent. As voters, we insist that our representatives will possess good, independent communication skills demonstrated by how they listen and present to Council and the Public. Our candidates must be knowledgeable about the Milton Community and its residents and be willing to research issues before Council, and of concern to residents. As a Milton Councillor, we expect someone who will think independently and locally and not be directed by higher levels of Government. We need candidates who understand complex situations and have related experience to use when dealing with Council issues.

To help us understand candidates, we would ask you to complete the following Issues Questionnaire so that your views can be shared with the voting public and we can all make informed decisions at the ballot box on October 25, 2010.

#1.  Why do you want to be elected?

 I would like to be elected to town council because I feel there has been a “disconnect of communication” between town hall and the residents of Milton.  I want to provide Milton with a new brand of leadership on council and be proactive instead of being reactive regarding a number of issues.      The decisions that are being made do not seem to have a long term focus, and rather try to fix the immediate problem while ignoring the long term impact.

#2.  How will you represent your constituents at Council?

I will represent Milton residents by being proactive instead of reactive.  During the last election campaign, I had pledged to continue to knock on doors in between campaigns and not just during them while updating my website (www.mikecluett.ca) with reports on town council, the actions taken and the impact on the bottom line.  Although I came very close to winning, I have kept this commitment to Milton residents by using my site and blog as a source of information.  I make the same commitment now to Milton residents that I will continue to provide them with this type of proactive leadership on council.

#3.  How will you communicate with your constituents and at what intervals?

I will communicate with Milton residents as I have always communicated with them.  Through my website and blog, coupled with other tools such as Twitter and Facebook I can help promote a dialogue between residents and council to keep them informed of the major issues that we will face over the next several years.

#4.  How will you determine the will of your constituents and if it differs from your personal opinion, how will you reconcile this?

As an elected representative of the Town of Milton chosen by the residents, I will be looking at balancing the best interests of the Town and its future with my own views.  All voices need to be heard in this process and by doing things like establishing regular neighbourhood meetings, knocking on doors in between elections and utilizing new technology, I feel that I can voice the concerns of residents at the council table effectively and balance then with my own personal opinions.

#5.  If the recommendations of Town staff differ from the will of your constituents, how will you reconcile them?

If the recommendations from town staff make sense, I will support it.  If however, I disagree with them, I will question those decisions until we can come to an agreement or compromise.  Back in 2005/6 there was a recommendation from town staff to remove stop signs at an intersection near a community park where children play on a regular basis.  Town staff had mentioned the signs weren’t supposed to be there and were not supported by the traffic count.  I had made a presentation to council to ask that the stop signs remained and council agreed and went against the recommendation of staff.  I am not shy about questioning any reports that come to council and as councillor; I will continue to question items that do not make sense.

#6. What ties do you have to the constituency in which you are running and how have you been involved locally?

I have lived in Milton since 2003 with my wife Pat, son Anthony and our 2 year old daughter Miranda.  Since moving here I have been involved in a number of community activities and town related committees.  In 2005 I was appointed as Chair of the 150^th anniversary master committee in charge of celebrations to take place in 2007.  This was a highly successful year promoting Milton as the world class town it is.  A number of initiatives started by this committee still continue to this date including the Downtown Street Festival and Milton’s Walk of Fame.

#7. Provincial and Federal legislation often influences how Municipalities will operate. How will you represent your constituents in the event of conflict with such legislation?  (i.e. issues dealing with population density and hospital facilities)

Municipalities in Ontario are subject to a number of regulations both provincially and federally.  Most notable are the Places to Grow and Green Energy Act.  The job of council is to balance the requirements of these pieces of legislation with the desires and plans of the town of Milton.  Again, if things make sense, they should be moved ahead as quickly as possible.  If something doesn’t make sense, it has to be questioned.

#8. As a Councillor, how will you deal with the broad range of issues that come before Council?

The issues that face Milton are not simple ones and therefore dealing with them will not be a simple matter.  I will be working closely with the taxpayers of Milton and Ward Six to gather as much input and ideas as I can, weigh all options, and vote accordingly in Milton’s best interests.

#9. What experience do you bring to the position that you are running for and how will it help you to better represent your constituents?

Throughout my career I have worked in both sales and finance.  I have the ability to focus on ideas and yet also keep an eye on the bottom line.  Milton’s growth won’t be stopping anytime soon and we as a council have to manage that growth while focusing on keeping taxes to a minimum and protecting what values and ideals that make Milton the great town it is and will become.

#10. Please indicate your position on the following issues and briefly explain why you hold this view.

Should consecutive terms of office be limited? Why or Why not? Should term rules for Council and Council Committees be the same?

This is a difficult situation to gauge at the local level of government.  Change for the sake of change is not always a good thing.  With declining participation from voters in municipal elections, having term limits can hinder progress on long term issues.  If the candidate is willing to stand for election, communicates with the taxpayers on a regular basis, attends meetings and does the job they are elected to do, then by the will of the voters, they should be allowed to continue.

How would you balance the issues of Development and the Environment? Does one take precedence over the other? If a vote came to Council to develop Escarpment Lands, how would you vote?

Taking into consideration the number of levels of government and legislation that we are mandated to follow, its something that we would have to follow.  If the development doesn’t make sense, it should be questioned and fought at every step.  For example, the Green Energy Act supersedes the Municipal Act and could allow the installation of wind turbines on the escarpment, and the Town of Milton would have its hands tied if it wanted to oppose it.  The only way to do that is through the OMB and if it’s what the residents wanted, I would help in any way to stop development that doesn’t make sense.

What do you see as the role of Public Consultation in dealing with Municipal Issues? Do you support direct public interaction on issues, and if so, how can this be achieved?

The town of Milton has public meetings on a broad range of issues throughout the year.  These meetings are mandated by law and must happen.  The problem with current guidelines for announcing and promoting these meetings fall short in the grand scheme of things.  As councillor, I will be proactive and contact residents in the affected area and beyond to let them know about the meetings, encourage their involvement in the meetings and speak out for them.  By using technology like my website, Twitter etc I can gather opinions and concerns from residents and present them at public meetings on their behalf.  The job of councillor is to work for the taxpayers and represent them at the table.

What will you do as a Councillor to support people’s rights of residential property ownership for the use and enjoyment of their property?

There needs to be a balance between the rights of the individual property owner, his or her neighbours and the rest of the community.  I will work to ensure that balance is kept.

If elected, what would you propose in relation to the need for increased hospital facilities in Milton to support the rapidly increasing population? How would you pay for this?

This is another situation where council needs to communicate with the residents and work to come up with a solution.  There are many factors to take into consideration and given the fact we haven’t been approved to move forward on expansion by the provincial government, we are limited as to what we can do at this time.  As councillor I will be proactive and encourage council at every opportunity to pressure other levels of government to get the expansion of the Milton Hospital started and consult with the public as to what they feel can be done to help fund the local portion.  Tax increases shouldn’t be considered if at all possible.

What should be done with the existing Bruce Street Library when the new Main Library opens at the Milton Arts Centre? Is it a problem that public facilities are moving away from the Seniors concentration in downtown Milton?

I think the Town of Milton should do whatever possible to help maintain the lifestyle for our seniors in this area.  Whether these facilities can remain as a satellite library for them remains to be seen.  There are also a number of other factors, most importantly cost to taxpayers that need to be considered as well.

Do you feel that the overall tax burden on Milton Residents is Too High? Too Low? Or just about right?  Why?

There is only one taxpayer … US.  We are being bombarded by increases from all levels of government and the overall burden is too high for the services that we are provided.  As councillor, I will do my best to ensure that tax increases are kept to a minimum, to question any increased expenditures and to help hold the line on local taxes.  In the past, budget meetings have been quiet, with not many of the councillors questioning items.  This will change as I will use every opportunity possible to question items, line by line during this process and throughout the year.  Every homeowner has to do this, why shouldn’t government.

Rural representation on Milton Town Council has been greatly reduced by the ward realignment in place for this election. If elected in your ward(s), how will you support the residents in Rural Milton?

As an elected councillor, my job is to represent those people in my ward AND everyone in the town of Milton.  I recognize that rural Milton has different needs and issues and I will encourage involvement from those residents at the council table, listen to their needs and take action on any of their concerns.

What are 1 or 2 other issues that you think will be important to the constituents in your ward and how would you propose to deal with them?

The face of Milton will change over the next few years.  From intensification of Main Street, mandated by the provincial government, downtown Milton could have an entirely different look in the coming years.  The Derry Green Corporate Business Park will be looked at, possibly bringing hundreds of new jobs to Milton and help increase the work/live balance in town.  The Boyne Survey south of Louis St Laurent will be worked on in this term, adding close to 60,000 new residents to Milton.  Council needs to be proactive with these issues and consider not only the immediate impact, but the long term impact of their decisions.  They need to work with residents, gather input and speak out on their behalf when discussing these items.  As councillor, I will work with the other members to ensure this happens, not only in my ward, but throughout the Town of Milton.