Q & A - Councillor candidate - Armand Anderson
(1) How would you advocate for affordable taxes while maintaining an adequate level of service for residents?
I was born and raised in Amherstburg. Amherstburg has always been ambitious as long as I can remember. Amherstburg does not lack ambition.
Our problem has always been a lack of financial discipline at town council.
We can be ambitious without committing taxpayers to projects which have not been properly budgeted or planned for.
Town council must prioritize core municipal services ahead of expensive new projects. We must pay for what we need instead of buying what we want.
(2) What does “responsible growth” mean to you and how does growth in the commercial/industrial sectors factor into that?
Growth for the sake of growth isn’t the goal. Growth that makes Amherstburg more prosperous and financially sustainable is the goal.
Growth that allows Amherstburg residents to retire in dignity is the goal.
Growth that allows young Amherstburg people to live and work in Amherstburg is the goal.
I want Amherstburg to be a place where businesses want to invest and where our children can eventually find good careers close to home.
That means making sure Amherstburg has the infrastructure necessary to compete for investment: serviced employment lands, roads, and above all, adequate ENERGY.
(3) How would you balance protecting heritage attributes of Amherstburg against the growth of the town?
Amherstburg’s heritage is one of the things that makes our town special. Protecting it can be both practical and financially responsible.
For example, we can protect important heritage attributes through good planning.
That can mean preserving a historic building’s façade or defining architectural features while allowing the property to be renovated and adapted for new commercial, residential or community uses. Heritage preservation works best when we give old buildings a productive future, rather than freezing them in time.
What we shouldn’t do is purchase properties without a realistic, funded plan for what comes next. Belle Vue is the clearest example. 10 years ago, town council paid over $1 million for the Belle Vue without a plan for it, and now a decade later there is still no plan for it.
I believe we should sell the Belle Vue property.
We can respect our history without standing still, and preserve what makes Amherstburg unique without writing a blank cheque to do it.
(4) What police service is best for Amherstburg at this time and how would you advocate for it?
Selling Amherstburg’s police service for $1 was a bad decision. Re-establishing a standalone service today would cost millions of dollars that the Town simply doesn’t have.
That leaves us with two realistic options. Either renegotiating our agreement with Windsor, or considering the OPP. Right now, we don’t have an OPP proposal in front of us to compare against the cost and level of service Windsor can provide. So we need to have the numbers before we can make a proper decision.
(5) What is the best way to present Open Air Weekends (if at all)?
Open Air is clearly a very controversial topic. 99% of Amherstburg residents do not live downtown. Most do not attend downtown festivals.
There is too much focus on downtown. It is my intention to address issues that affect the 99% of Amherstburg residents who do not live downtown.
(6) What goals do you have to move the town forward over the next four years?
My goal is to get the fundamentals right: focus on core municipal services, fix the infrastructure we already own, and encourage financial discipline at Town Hall. Get the basics right, and build from there.
At the same time, we need to prepare Amherstburg for real investment by ensuring we have the infrastructure, servicing and planning in place to prepare Amherstburg to compete for meaningful commercial and industrial investment. We don’t have that right now.
Town Council should declare that Amherstburg would be willing to host new POWER GENERATION at an appropriate industrial site, such as the former General Chemical lands or the Howard Industrial Park. Landing a power generation project would solve our energy issues and simultaneously create high-paying, long-lasting jobs in Amherstburg.
Q & A - Councillor candidate - Armand Anderson
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