Deputy Mayor candidates square off
The two candidates to be the next deputy mayor of Amherstburg faced off in a debate Oct. 8 with viewpoints and a few barbs exchanged between them.
Linden Crain and Bill Petruniak went back-and-forth in a debate at the McGregor Columbian Club last Thursday evening in an event presented by the Amherstburg Chamber of Commerce (ACOC). The moderator was Michelle Maluske of CTV Windsor.
The first question was how to define success after a four-year term. Petruniak said success is having finances in order and having long-term savings. He said success will be “accomplishing something” and called for every report and construction projects having a deadline and performance bonds.
Petruniak said town staff are talented but claimed staff are “afraid to make a decision” and hand work off to consultants.
“If you are going to work for me, if you are going to work for the town and if you’re going to work for the taxpayers, take responsibility and get the job done,” said Petruniak.
Petruniak added based on what he sees at doorsteps and on Facebook, there are a lot of unhappy people who want to be able to talk to council and administration to get things done.
Crain noted his campaign slogan is “building on progress” and said when someone is elected to office, there are four years. The first year is learning and developing a strategic plan, the latter something the current council has adopted. Then, “you work on projects.”
Problems and projects can’t be done overnight, but town council can “kickstart projects.” Crain said there are “a lot of projects on the go” and he wants to help finish them, citing policing, infrastructure and Belle Vue as examples.
“This council has made great progress on all fronts, but it takes more than four years,” said Crain. “There is a seven-year capital budget that the Town of Amherstburg and council follows. Everything can’t be fixed overnight.”When looking back over the last four years, Crain believed the current council has made strides and are working towards achieving strategic goals. Petruniak said Crain said similar things in 2022 but believed “very few of these things have been accomplished.” He said it takes time to get things done but “time’s up.” Crain added progress has been made and council has taken “every step” to move projects forward with council providing a vision and staff executing.
“I think we’ve made great progress,” said Crain.
If there was a budget shortfall, candidates were asked what services would be protected first and where spending could be trimmed. Crain said the town would have to look at the budget line-by-line but there are services that simply can’t be eliminated. He said people talk about service cuts but might not know the impact to residents, pointing out services as snow removal and road maintenance. He said if the town were ever in a budget shortfall situation, he would want to see where cuts could happen as it would impact lives.
Petruniak said pointed out a budget shortfall in infrastructure adding when items are kicked down the road, they end up costing more and the next council will have to deal with the shortfall. He said “every single building the town owns is in some state of disrepair” and called for a review of every single department in Amherstburg.
“It’s going to be really painful and there are things people aren’t going to like. The next council is going to have to make some really painful decisions,” he said.
Petruniak said the town negotiated for over two years on Belle Vue “and got nothing out of it.” He added he sent three proposals to council and how the issue could be “structured” to make money and divest themselves of it and “they completely ignored me.” There were other cost cutting measures he said he e-mailed to the town with little response.
Crain said there was no deficit as the province requires municipalities maintain a balanced budget.
“From a financial standpoint, Amherstburg is in great shape. There’s more work to do but we’re not where we were in 2014 but we’ve made great strides,” said Crain.
The town has invested $85 million in infrastructure currently and ongoing, Crain maintained, while also increasing cash on hand and reduced debt.
“There’s been great progress,” he said.
Petruniak questioned financial reporting and wanted to see month-end reports, stating the year-end financial can take six to nine months after the year-end.
“That’s not taking care of the budget and that’s not taking care of finances,” said Petruniak.
The two deputy mayor candidates were asked about what policies and objectives need to be updated. Petruniak said there are a lot of plans and policies on paper that are not adhered to, citing a plan to address inquiries to the town within two business days.
“I’ve sent dozens and dozens of e-mails to staff and administration. I have never gotten a reply within two business days other than ‘received,’ which really doesn’t count,” he said.
There are plans for roads and Petruniak also pointed out the former Duffy’s property. Regarding the latter, he said there are rocks that would have to be removed if docks that would bee added to accommodate a marina. He also called it “ridiculous” that the town has 18 miles of shoreline with no public access.
Crain said “a lot of the boxes have been checked” regarding the strategic plan. He pointed out the Community Improvement Plan (CIP), Heritage Conservation District (HCD) and a secondary plan for the Howard Industrial Lands were all passed by the current town council. He acknowledged there are ways to improve customer service and communication between the town and its residents.
The town should “micro-analyze” how customers are dealt with. He said what is he’s finding now is when an e-mail is received with inquiries, senior administration can be backlogged and suggested off-loading work to directors and not always funnelling it through the CAO. Petruniak said there were 51 supervisors and 63 staff members and if there is no time, “you have to ask why.” Crain said there are often over $1 million in salaries often times at a meeting and time has to be managed efficiently.
“If there is a single resident that is e-mailing multiple questions every single day to the CAO, we need to off-load that to another department. The CAO needs to be looking at the big picture on how to move things forward,” said Crain.
Policing was the next question, with candidates asked what is the best choice and why. Crain said he has been “a strong advocate” for getting a price from Windsor, stating he wants to get every single option.
“We owe it to the taxpayers,” he said.
Crain said he wants a costing from Windsor, a look at OPP and to consider Amherstburg, though he said the latter was very expensive. If they get a costing from Windsor, he wondered if there were services that Amherstburg needs and could be cut or whether services could be purchase on an “a la carte” basis.
“We really need to look at all options because this is a big decision that is going to have an impact on this community for generations,” said Crain. “We need to make sure it’s safe, reliable and cost-effective.”
Petruniak said he is at a disadvantage not being on council and not having the numbers in front of him but he believed administration doesn’t have all the numbers yet either. He said Windsor might be an option but “they’ve indicated they don’t want to deal with us. If they don’t want to deal with us, I’m not going to beg them. OPP is more than adequate for the rest of the county.”
OPP is much cheaper and spending $3 million less on policing could “buy a lot of things.” Petruniak said the town is safe and has low crime and he believes the OPP could do a good job. He added the town doesn’t have the money to restart its own police force.
Crain said Windsor sent a letter to Amherstburg saying they are not interested in continuing under the current contract, but he added that doesn’t mean they can’t renegotiate. He said Amherstburg didn’t proceed with Windsor because of a lack of a seat on the police services board, but said there isn’t a seat with Transit Windsor but the town still uses them for bus service.
Petruniak said figures and options need to be brought to the public and see how that weighs within the town’s budget.
Whether or not Open Air Weekends and tourism are part of the town’s economic development strategy was a question posed with Petruniak stating tourism is a “seasonal, part-time endeavor.” He said it doesn’t bring in tax dollars or full-time employment. Open Air is beneficial to some businesses but detrimental to others. There is a lack of parking with some businesses adding their customers have trouble reaching them.
Petruniak said the businesses who benefit should contribute to costs and believed lower taxes come through manufacturing and commercial development.
Crain said he believes tourism is an industry and Open Air a part of what makes Amherstburg special. He said festivals and events draw in traffic to businesses, who need the extra money to help their bottom line. He added Amherstburg is competing with other municipalities to drive people into the stores and he added 16 businesses opened up in the past year in Amherstburg with some in the area of the Open Air footprint.
“The town has been pursuing numerous grants to help offset the cost,” he said, adding the cost is about $30,000 after all the grants.
Crain added Open Air can be “tweaked” but said other municipalities are using Amherstburg’s “playbook” to extend their own events. Crain outlined where accessible parking spots are and that a golf cart can help bring people to local businesses.
Petruniak said Open Air is not closed streets and suggested it move into parks, saying some businesses are losing sales because of that.
Regarding Belle Vue, Crain said he does not believe the town should retain ownership as it would cost at least $15-$20 million to renovate. He called it “a non-core asset” with great history and while council has made efforts to push the project forward, the town needs to consider selling Belle Vue or trying again to partner with a developer to restore the site.
Petruniak said municipalities are “terrible at being landlords. They don’t know how to run a business. They don’t know how to make a profit. They don’t even know how to save money.” He said there are over eight acres at the site and he said he suggested to the town that land be sold off with it being “prime real estate.” He said he would love to see the inside of Belle Vue but if the town can sell it or get a public-private partnership, it would be ideal.
Belle Vue is one of the buildings that needs to be reviewed, Crain added, noting there is a space needs study underway. Petruniak said figures that Crain quoted for library windows and Open Air are “inaccurate,” but Crain said there are public reports containing the information.
Increasing transparency and public engagement in decisions was asked, with Petruniak stating he wants to amend the current procedural bylaw. He said council passed the motion to not allow speakers or question without unanimous support, stating Crain has voted against allowing people to speak. He added the “tail is walking the dog” and believed administration is “pushing council around,” using a report on the southeast quadrant coming to a meeting two days before a deadline as an example.
Crain said there is transparency and noted the town has several open houses to gather public input. Regarding the southeast quadrant, the agenda was put out ten days in advance giving council a chance to get information and ask questions. He added the procedural bylaw was passed unanimously and he said he and Deputy Mayor Chris Gibb have followed the rules consistently. He said people can still register as delegates, adding questions from the crowd doesn’t allow the town to give notice or give all residents equal access.
“I’ve never taken away rights for people who want to speak at a meeting,” said Crain.
Petruniak said Amherstburg has an onerous bylaw that has to be amended, believing democratic rights are being taken away. Crain added he communicates regularly with residents and said councils generally don’t allow people to walk in and speak without permission and suggested amendments could be made to the town’s bylaw.
Direct access and communication with residents was another topic, with Crain stating he will keep doing what he is doing in being a “strong voice” for residents, communicating via social media, being out in the community and he stated he can be accessed at any time. Petruniak said in four years, Crain responded to one of his e-mails. He said he has been going to council for three years, meeting with people and delegating to council. He said he gets calls from people who want the work he accused Crain of not doing.
Petruniak reiterated he gets few replies from council members and said “that’s not how council should run.” He said Diane Pouget is the only council member who does the job the way it should be done.
Crain said it boils down to respect.
“I have not answered Mr. Petruniak’s e-mails because they are abusive,” he claimed. “They have attacked my character.”
According to Crain, Petruniak screenshotted an online photo of Crain in an elf costume and sent it to media outlets and every member of town council.
“When you are attacking my character and being abusive in an e-mail, I’m not answering it and nor should any member of council because that’s not how you build that’s not how you conduct business or build relationships.”
Petruniak denied sending out the photo but agreed “his pictures are everywhere” but Crain originally posted them.
“Do I have copies of them? Yeah. Have I ever posted one? Not a chance,” he said.
Petruniak said the photos were to promote Crain’s mortgage business but didn’t feel it was the way a council member should act. He said he respects Crain and that “he has done a tremendous job marketing himself. He just hasn’t done anything for the town.”
The question of one goal or positive impact to bring to the constituents was asked. Petruniak said the town has to heal the division, believing the town isn’t working together.
“Am I a hardass? Yeah. Do I push? Yeah. Do I have a strong will? You damn betcha,” he said. “But I can work with people. I’ve solved problems all my life. I made stores profitable. I know how to get things done. I know how to get people together and get things done. I’m a hard taskmaster. If I tell you I’m going to do something, I’ll do it. I don’t lie. I don’t cheat.”
Petruniak added there is a lot of talent in town and didn’t think council and administration tap into that. Petruniak said they have to help businesses and make them want to be here.
Crain said diversifying the tax base needs to be looked at, with 90 per cent of the tax base now falling on residential homes. Additional commercial and industrial businesses are needed and believed council has made a great start with the CIP and secondary plan at the Howard Industrial Park and building on that will lessen the stress on the residential tax base.
Using reserves to reduce the tax rate was asked, with Crain stating he does not favour that. Reserves are meant for a “rainy day” or expenses that are urgent that take place outside of the budget. He said using reserves to lower tax rates would create “false hope” and lessen Amherstburg’s financial position and lower the safety net.
Petruniak added he agrees with Crain, stating it would be shuffling money around without accomplishing anything. He said to save money, the town should look at all of its departments. He suggested zero-based budgeting as “we’re not going to get any help from the province, we’re not going to get any help from the feds and our economy is in the dumper.” He said the town has to find a way to cut costs “and it won’t be pretty and it won’t be nice” and services could be lost.
Crain said he’s open to a zero-based budget but questioned how much staff time and resources would be needed. He said what the town is doing now is working as debt is down and reserves and surplus are up.
“Why fix something that is not broken?” he said.
Petruniak said Crain has never worked in the private sector as “his mortgage business doesn’t count” and said he is talking about the automotive and construction industry where zero-based budgeting is done annually. He said it will take staff time but “staff is there to do those things.”
Responding to medical needs in the town was addressed, with Petruniak said physician shortage is real but nurse practitioners are helping to fill the gap. He said doctors have to have a business case and “we need to change the way we operate.” When trying to open a business, he said he went to set up a business in Windsor, it took over a year so he went to Michigan where it took four hours to set up.
“The attitude in the U.S. is what can we do for you. The attitude here is what can you do for us?” said Petruniak. “That needs to change.”
Petruniak said municipalties have to help businesses at every step and throw up roadblocks.
Crain said healthcare is a provincial matter but council has helped in trying to help in physician recruitment but the town should try and make sure the town has land ready to be developed for clinics. He said he has delegated to provincial ministers at the AMO and ROMA conferences. He added the role of deputy mayor is also on county council and noted the county has contributed $100 million to the new mega-hospital. Progress is being made but it can be hard to attract medical professionals.
Parking in the downtown core was asked, with Crain believing it shows the town is vibrant and that a parking problem is a good sign that Amherstburg is prosperous. Creating more parking is a difficult issue as taking away space a business could use doesn’t necessarily mean there would be a good return on investment. He credited current mayor Michael Prue for coming up with an idea for angle parking on Dalhousie St.
Petruniak said Amherstburg is an old community, designed for when the town had horses and buggies. He said he didn’t think paid parking is a bad idea if it’s monitored as it would create more turnover, but said parking is an issue all over town. He indicated there could be other solutions, including modifying minimum number of spaces per unit when residential units are being developed.
Accountability was another topic with Petruniak said he will push very hard to get things done. He said he will talk to people who disagree with him but if people vote against him, he’ll go with the consensus. He wants to maintain and repair infrastructure, wants people to talk at council meetings and comfortable approaching council and staff.
“This town does not get along and we have to fix it,” he said.
Crain said clear expectations in the budget and strategic plan have to be followed. He said reports on the council agenda show what plan values are met and that is an opportunity to see if priorities are in line to what is set out. He said council has to “own” its decisions and share their decisions. Staff and council have to be accountable to each other as well and that it should be a “bottom up” method of decision-making.
Regarding the current town hall, Crain said there are space and accessibility issues at the current building. He said there are needs for staff or council members to meet privately with residents. He said it is inefficient and would cost millions to renovate and said selling town hall and using the money to build a new one is preferable. The current town hall is on a prime piece of real estate, he added, and would have limited space even if renovated.
According to Petruniak, the town has no long-term savings. He said the current town hall is in the HCD and a new owner would be constrained as to what they could do. He believed once the fire department moves out, that could be renovated and the current town hall could be upgraded after that.
Crain said the current town hall isn’t designated, but said the HCD isn’t as stringent as it seems. He said numerous landowners have been able to make changes to their homes and there is still a chance for a developer to alter the property if they wanted.
The entire debate is on the ACOC’s YouTube channel.
Deputy Mayor candidates square off
By Ron Giofu
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