Q & A - Candidate for Deputy Mayor - Linden Crain
(1) How would you advocate for affordable taxes while maintaining an adequate level of service for residents?
Keeping taxes affordable starts with responsible budgeting and ensuring residents receive value for every tax dollar. I support reviewing spending, finding efficiencies and prioritizing core services and infrastructure before adding new expenses.
At the same time, we cannot simply cut services residents rely on. We need to maintain strong roads, emergency services, parks, recreation and other essential municipal services.
Long term, one of the most important ways to reduce pressure on residential taxpayers is to grow our commercial and industrial tax base. Amherstburg remains heavily dependent on residential assessment.
Attracting new businesses and investment will help diversify municipal revenues, create jobs and share the cost of providing services across a broader tax base.
(2) What does “responsible growth” mean to you and how does growth in the commercial/industrial sectors factor into that?
Responsible growth means growing Amherstburg at a pace our infrastructure and services can support. New development must be accompanied by investments in roads, water, wastewater, drainage, emergency services and community amenities.
Growth should also be balanced. Residential development alone cannot build a financially sustainable community. We need to continue attracting commercial and industrial investment that creates local jobs and strengthens our tax base.
Expanding commercial and industrial assessment can reduce the pressure placed on residential taxpayers while roviding more opportunities for residents to work and shop locally.
My focus is not growth for the sake of growth. It is making sure development strengthens Amherstburg financially, protects our quality of life and provides the infrastructure needed to support both current and future residents.
(3) How would you balance protecting heritage attributes of Amherstburg against the growth of the town?
Amherstburg’s history is one of the things that makes our community unique, and protecting important heritage attributes must remain part of our planning decisions.
At the same time, heritage protection and growth do not have to be competing priorities. We can encourage investment, redevelopment and new housing while establishing clear expectations for historically significant areas and properties.
I supported the creation of Amherstburg’s Heritage Conservation District because it provides greater clarity about what should be preserved while allowing appropriate development to move forward.
The goal should be thoughtful growth: preserving the buildings, streetscapes and characteristics that tell Amherstburg’s story while recognizing that communities must continue to evolve. Good planning can allow us to honour our past while still building for the future.
(4) What police service is best for Amherstburg at this time and how would you advocate for it?
My priority is ensuring Amherstburg receives reliable, responsive and financially sustainable policing.
With the current Windsor Police agreement approaching its end in 2028, I believe the Town must carefully evaluate the available options based on service levels, response times, local presence, accountability and long-term cost to taxpayers.
I support continuing discussions with Windsor Police while also completing the work necessary to properly evaluate an OPP proposal and the cost to establish our own police force. Council should have complete and comparable information before making a long-term decision.
This should not be about choosing a police service based on politics or assumptions. It should be about determining which option provides Amherstburg residents with the strongest combination of community safety, service and value.
(5) What is the best way to present Open Air Weekends (if at all)?
I support continuing Open Air Weekends. It has become an important part of Amherstburg’s downtown experience, bringing residents and visitors into the core and supporting local businesses and tourism.
That does not mean the event cannot evolve. I am open to reviewing its layout, scheduling, traffic impacts, accessibility and feedback from residents and businesses to determine where improvements can be made.
I believe the best approach is to retain what has made Open Air successful while remaining flexible enough to make changes when they improve the experience.
The goal should be an event that creates activity downtown, supports businesses and gives residents and visitors another reason to spend time in Amherstburg.
(6) What goals do you have to move the town forward over the next four years?
Over the next four years, I want Amherstburg to build on the progress already underway while maintaining a strong focus on affordability.
My priorities include completing critical infrastructure projects, supporting responsible residential growth, attracting more commercial and industrial investment, improving roads and transportation, and continuing to strengthen our parks and community spaces.
I also want to ensure major municipal assets and facilities are addressed responsibly, with long-term solutions rather than postponing difficult decisions.
Economic development will be especially important. Expanding our commercial and industrial tax base can create jobs and help reduce the burden placed on residential taxpayers.
Above all, I want residents to see a municipality that plans ahead, communicates openly, spends responsibly and delivers the infrastructure and services needed for Amherstburg’s future.
Q & A - Candidate for Deputy Mayor - Linden Crain
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