Mayor and deputy mayor hopefuls field public’s questions
Candidates for mayor and deputy mayor in the Oct. 26 municipal election fielded questions from the public last week in the first of two all-candidates nights.
The three candidates for mayor – incumbent Michael Prue, Chris Gibb and Bill Fryer – sat with the two candidates for deputy mayor – Linden Crain and Bill Petruniak – on the first night. The questions were on a variety of topics, from taxes to Open Air Weekends and from growth and traffic to issues faced by the Fort Malden Golden Age Club and much more. Each candidate pulled a question, had time to think about it, answered it before the next candidate got a different question.
Both evenings were presented by the Amherstburg Residents Forum and were held at the Columbus Community Hall.
The evening opened with introductory statements. Petruniak said “the choice is simple for deputy mayor,” saying he has a lifetime of experience to draw upon. He cited his business experience in running a business in Michigan restoring classic cars, running a construction company and then his experience with Goodyear Canada.
“For my entire career, I’ve been a problem solver,” he said.
Petruniak believes if the right people are elected and they can work together, “we can make a difference in this town.”
Prue said he decided to run again for mayor because of what is happening in the world, including what is occurring in the United States with talk of being the 51st state and tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump.
“I, as a Canadian, want to fight back,” he said.
Prue said he has faced questions over when he knew Diageo was closing its Amherstburg plant and he said he received a call from the company 15 minutes after the media told him. He added he worked with economic development agencies and wants to work with the plant’s new owners to bring jobs back to the site.
Gibb, the current deputy mayor, noted he has roots in the area as he grew up in town, married someone from town and had a family.
“I opened a business here because I believe in this community,” said Gibb. “We are great and we can continue to get better.”
Gibb said as mayor, he would want to empower council and do the hard work to negotiate better outcomes than what the town is getting now.
“I think I have the skillset to do that,” he said.
Crain, a current councillor, noted he went to school in Amherstburg before studying business at the University of Windsor and is now in the mortgage business in town.
“Yes, I’m young,” said Crain. “I’m 26-years-old and I wear that proudly.”
Crain added he wants to be “a strong voice at Essex County council” as deputy mayor and that he believes in listening to others although they don’t always have to agree. He added he is proud of the progress Amherstburg has had over the past four years and wants to build on it.
Fryer said he is running for mayor because he hasn’t been a fan of what he has seen from town council the last 14 years.
“I don’t like what I see and I plan on changing it,” he said.
Noting his policing background which stretched from 1969 to when he retired as chief in 1998, Fryer said he was responsible for the safety of the people in the community.
“I made sure I did the job properly,” he said.
Fryer added he had people in that era making sure he was accountable, citing one being Diane Pouget, who is retiring this year from municipal politics. He said it was “nice we had a watchdog.”
“I have a lot of ideas and ambition,” he added.
Questions were then drawn by the candidates.
Regarding a question to do with complaints at town hall, Petruniak believed it is “a corporate culture from the top down.”
“We need to change the corporate culture,” he said. “We need to make it a service organization.”
Petruniak said he sends a lot of e-mails to town hall and challenged a pledge made by the town that e-mails would be returned within two business days.
Healthcare and additional primary care for residents was a question posed to Prue.
“Doctor shortages are nothing new in our country or in Amherstburg,” said Prue.
As a member of the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit board of directors, Prue said he contacted them as well as the provincial Minister of Health Sylvia Jones. He said there is a need to bring facilities to Amherstburg, but believed the town is on “a good trajectory” to bring doctors to town.
Performance bonds on construction projects was a question asked of Gibb. Gibb said the town does get bonds for major construction projects. He said for the town to get any sort of damages in a dispute, they would have to sue the contractor and show damages. He added that would also cause a total shutdown of the project while that occurs.
Crain was asked about expectations as a member of town council, with him responding he is not afraid to ask questions of an MP, MPP or warden. He said the role is there to make relationships with others in government and ensure Amherstburg is not forgotten about.
Crain added the importance of being “a brand ambassador” and he tries to use social media platforms to keep residents informed.
“I’m committed to doing that going forward,” said Crain.
On the matter of utilizing knowledge of committee members such as the audit and finance committee, Fryer said people volunteer to be on committees so it would be best to utilize their services. He said the audit and finance committee had suggestions to cut the budget in 2026 by over $700,000 and that came from people on the committee with financial backgrounds.
On how to keep taxes low, Petruniak said Amherstburg is on the high end of per capita taxes in Essex County.
“The first thing to go after is the low hanging fruit,” he said.
Petruniak suggested going to a zero-based budgeting system and go to town departments and ask for cuts. He believes that method of budgeting is tough but the right way to go.
“There are things we can cut in every single department,” he said, adding council members have to “have the backbone to stand up to administration.”
Having public spaces such as parks be accessible to people of all ages was asked of Prue, who said Amherstburg has “a wonderful parks system” with 17 parks. He said they rely on the accessibility committee to tell town council what is needed and what should go into local parks.
Parks have to meet provincial standards, he added, and cited H. Murray Smith Centennial Park as an example of a park being upgraded with trails and tennis courts.
Bringing business and investment to Amherstburg was a question for Gibb, with the answer focusing on the Howard Industrial Lands. The tax burden falls mainly on residential taxpayers in Amherstburg, something which he said the rate of is “unsustainable,” and Gibb wanted to see good paying jobs come to town. The development of the Howard Industrial Park would help provide that and that would allow more young families to stay and raise their families in town.
Gibb believed the Howard Industrial Lands could turn into “Oldcastle Part 2” when it is developed.
Items such as a boat ramp, tennis courts and a swimming pool were raised in a question for Crain. He said it takes time to create these items, noting the town works off of a seven-year capital budget and a parks master plan. Pre-planning projects and not “kicking them down the road” continues to be a priority, he indicated.
“I would love to have a pool but it would be very expensive,” said Crain. “Everything can be looked at. I’m always looking for ideas from residents.”
Fryer was asked if the town’s chief financial officer (CFO) should have an accounting background. He claimed some people were hired by the town and town council was not aware.
“I could be wrong but that came from a council member,” said Fryer.
Council has to ensure people are qualified to do the job council directs, he indicated.
Prioritizing the needs of the community was another question posed, with Petruniak stating the biggest need is infrastructure. He said projects have been “kicked down the road for decades” and that some items are getting worse.
The town needs to look at all of its assets, he added, get rid of what is not needed and use the money from them on infrastructure needs.
“Roads are falling apart and buildings are leaking,” said Petruniak. “If I get elected, it’s going to change really quick.”
A question of building “the foundation of Amherstburg” was posed to Prue. He interpreted the question to be about infrastructure.
“What we need to do is find the money,” said Prue.
Prue said there could be a savings of about $3 million if the town goes from Windsor police to the OPP.
“If you take that money, there are many things that can be improved,” said Prue.
Policing, specifically whether to go with the OPP or re-start Amherstburg police, was asked of Gibb. He believed “the cost would be insurmountable” to go back to Amherstburg and that the town couldn’t afford it.
“I don’t see any other option,” he said of the OPP.
Gibb believed the Town of Amherstburg still should have asked for a price from Windsor to see what staying with the Windsor Police Service would have cost. He believed that was a broken promise to ratepayers.
“We didn’t have to go with it but we should have asked for it,” said Gibb.
The first Golden Age Club question of the night went to Crain and it was about the facility on Victoria St. S. Crain said the town fully renovated the space but is open to hearing the needs and wants of the seniors community.
“I’m always open to having conversations with the Golden Age Club. Our seniors are the foundation of the community,” he said.
The condition of town-owned buildings like the Carnegie Library, Belle Vue, and town hall and whether anything would be different if Fryer was elected was asked. Fryer said this has been an issue “for quite some time” and that repairs need to be done.
“When you make a list, you take care of it. You don’t talk about it, you do it,” said Fryer. “You make your list and deal with the priorities.”
Fryer added “under my watch, it’s going to get done” and that a council led by him would make the decisions to find a solution.
Increasing residents’ participation in town council meetings was asked of Petruniak. He said there is not a lot of space in council chambers but it would cost “virtually nothing to put a table in the chambers in case a delegate required one.
Prue drew a question about the Boblo ferry, with him stating “I live on the island, everyone knows this.” He told the crowd the existing ferries are 80 and 90-years-old with one of the ferries currently in dry dock. He said he has spoken with Essex MP Chris Lewis on the matter, adding his belief the federal government should “put pressure” on the island and ferry owners to ensure there are two ferries operational at all times.
What types of development to pursue was a question for Gibb with him stating having a lot of housing options is a good way to start making housing more affordable. Getting a variety of housing options is key and having a lot of choose from would help lower costs, he suggested. Gibb added if seniors are moving into an apartment or condominium, that opens up housing choices for younger families.
At the county level, Gibb added there is a goal to partner with the province and there is an active plan to work on the issue.
Town hall and whether to rent or sell was posed to Crain. He pointed out the former General Amherst High School is privately owned and a heritage easement agreement was signed with the Valente Development Corporation to develop it, but that will be for residential and commercial units. That leaves the current town hall, he said, which sits on prime real estate and the building has accessibility issues, is “very outdated” and a leaky roof.
How council measures its priorities and achievements was asked of Fryer, with him stating there are priorities each council should have. He said he wants to set a plan, set goals and priorities, and where the town wants to go.
Fryer added before anything new is built, the town has to fix the roads, with drainage being another key issue.
Having a sign along the street in front of the Golden Age Club was an issue that was asked of Petruniak with the candidate stating there are a number of concerns with the club. A sign should be “an easy solution” as it wouldn’t cost a lot of money. Other issues include paving the parking lot near the Victoria St. S. building.
“Take care of the small things and the big things take care of themselves,” he said.
Recognizing and appreciating service organizations and their volunteers was brought up to Prue. Prue said he was “very proud” that Amherstburg spends upwards of $60,000 per year giving grants to non-profit groups. He added that while county council voted itself a 137 per cent pay increase, he voted against that and used that money he received to give to non-profit organizations in the community.
“Without these organizations, we’d be a much poorer town,” said Prue.
Homelessness was a question for Gibb, who said “we live in a society where different levels of government have different responsibilities.” He said homelessness is a provincial responsibility, but the County of Essex does do work on the subject including a hub in Leamington and outreach workers. The issue does hit Amherstburg, he added, noting that volunteers with service organizations in town know people who are impacted.
Crain received a similar question about helping those less fortunate and he pointed out he grew up living in co-operative housing and has been involved with Habitat for Humanity. He believed there has to be shovel-ready projects that will be priced affordably for residents and that it is an issue that needs multiple levels of government to fix.
“We need to work with others,” said Crain.
Fryer was asked what skills he would bring to council. He listed leadership, accountability, integrity, honesty and the ability to build high-performance teams.
“When I took over as (police) chief, I was the guy to get the job done,” said Fryer.
Fryer said he created a community-based police service, stating park patrols from officers and auxiliary officers was an initiative he was proud of.
Another town hall question, this one about moving it into the Valente property in the former high school, was posed to Petruniak. He believed that would have been a good move for the developer but not for the taxpayers.
Petruniak added he believes the current town hall can be renovated and called cost estimates from administration “ridiculous.” He said he has experience in the construction industry to help out with that issue and the town has to be smart on what it spends on.
“We need to do things we can afford,” he said.
Keeping streets from being “clogged with vehicles” was a question posed to Prue. Prue said it comes down to planning and that the town regulation in the past was 1.25 parking spaces per unit and is now 1.5 spaces per unit. He believed that should be increased further and “we can’t keep clogging up places where people live.”
Specifically regarding Brunner Ave., Prue said permit parking could be a solution with residents allowed to get permits while others would not, and the latter being subject to tickets if they were there too long.
Regarding prioritization of the population or businesses, Gibb said it is a balance town council has to weigh. He said being a member of council means being one of seven people and it is the priority of the team that should go forward.
Working together and achieving common goals is important, Gibb added and the town needs to collaborate with each other. He said the town has been around for 230 years and the next council will be around for four, so the new council has to leave the town better than they found it.
The question of Open Air Weekends was posed to Crain, who said it needs to be looked at to see if there are things needing to be changed.
“I am a big supporter of Open Air,” he said. “I will not kid you.”
Crain said it comes with a lower cost than other events the town puts on and has good features to it such as Latin Fest, Carousel of Nations and more. He said he wanted it decided for two years so administration had certainty when planning.
“I’m open to seeing it revised,” he said. “I’m ready to look at all options.”
On the issue of campaign donations, Fryer said he accepted two donations from family and friends.
“I’ve had no campaign donations because I’m doing it myself,” he said.
How to make recreational programming affordable for struggling families was a question for Petruniak.
“It’s a problem all of us need to look at,” he said.
Petruniak said he didn’t have the answers and “I’m asking for your input.” Asking family and friends to assist was a suggestion he put forth.
Green space and its protection was covered in a question to Prue. Prue pointed out Amherstburg resident and environmental advocate Greg Nemeth in the audience and thanked him for his work.
Prue added the town has the best natural coverage of Essex County municipalities at 16 per cent, a percentage that is higher than the United Nations standard of 15 per cent. He suggested developers look at various environmentally-friendly options such as “green” roofs and other initiatives.
The reporting of committee findings to council and how they are brought up was a question for Gibb, who stated he was on the audit and finance committee this term and council decided not to hear from them but rather just look at the minutes. Members of council need to be involved and ensure others are up-to-date, adding no one member is above anyone else.
Committees were also part of a question for Crain, who said committees are there to help provide knowledge to council. He said when the new council takes over in a couple of months, the town will be seeking applications for new members of the committees and he encouraged people to apply.
Regarding the prioritization of fixing local infrastructure, Fryer pointed out roads need repairing and it's his belief nothing more should be done without fixing local roadways. Some roadways may need to be widened as well, noting there is going to be more traffic in the area of Lowes Side Road when 1,100 new homes come to that area.
Petruniak identified the town’s procedural bylaw as being important to him, and called it one of the most restrictive of its kind in Ontario. He wanted improved communication between council and the residents and for elected officials to listen more.
Funding needs and wants was a question posed to Prue, who said “we live in difficult times” and the municipality is not getting as much money as it used to from the provincial or federal governments. He didn’t foresee too many wants being fulfilled over the next four years as the resources the town does have will have to be focused on needs. He said they live in an “elbows up” environment and the town will have to be frugal.
A question of benches in the area of the Golden Age Club was raised to Gibb. Gibb said council has to make a lot of decisions and while such things as more amenities at the Victoria St. S. club are possible, the town has to balance the needs of everyone in town. Other things such as paving the parking lot there have to be considered in conjunction with paving a road and while the town has a $65 million budget, council has to look long-term.
“It’s long-term planning that will make us successful,” he said.
A voice on the police services board was a question for Crain. Crain said he is more focused on what kind of service is provided. Regarding Windsor police, he said the town contracted a service much like the Transit Windsor bus that comes through Amherstburg as the town doesn’t have a voting member with Transit Windsor either.
“For me, it’s about a level of service and not about a seat on the board,” he said.
The issue of medical care for residents resurfaced with Fryer getting that question. Fryer recalled then-Mayor Bill Gibb trying to get a medical centre on Simcoe St. in the area where the ambulance base is now but that didn’t pan out. He added that funding and support should be sought from the provincial and federal levels of government to try and bring doctors here.
“Do we have enough doctors? I don’t think so,” he said.
The next round of all-candidates nights comes this Wednesday (Oct. 7) and Thursday (Oct. 8), this time presented by the Amherstburg Chamber of Commerce (ACOC). The ACOC events will see councillor candidates face off Oct. 7 from 5:30-9:30 p.m. while the mayor and deputy mayor candidates will square off separately Oct 8, also from 5:30-9:30 p.m. Doors open at the McGregor Columbian Club at 4 p.m. both nights and it will be live streamed on YouTube.
Mayor and deputy mayor hopefuls field public’s questions
By Ron Giofu
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