ELECTION 2006
 

PREPARING FOR THE 2006 MUNICIPAL ELECTION
by Robert Kirwan, Publisher of Valley East Today
The next municipal election for the City of Greater Sudbury will take place on Tuesday, November 13, 2006. 

A lot of things happen during a four-year term. Some are good and some are bad. However, every decision that is made by our municipal council has a direct impact on the lives of people living in Valley East and Capreol.

IDENTIFYING MAIN ELECTION ISSUES

This special section of Valley East Today is going to be devoted to bringing forward some of the major issues which are of concern to local residents. 

As we get closer to election day, I expect that some of the issues will take on more importance as they are debated by candidates for the council positions as well as for the position of Mayor.

Please note that Candidates have until 5:00 p.m. on September 29, 2006 to file their completed nomination form. 

It hoped that anyone who is serious about standing for election will declare his/her intention as soon as possible so that we have enough time to fully understand their individual platforms.
  

DECLARED CANDIDATES FOR WARD 5
Serving Val Caron & Blezard Valley
  
Ron Dupuis
  

DECLARED CANDIDATES FOR WARD 6
Serving Hanmer & Val Therese
    
Robert Kirwan

WEB SITE
Andre Rivest
  

DECLARED CANDIDATES FOR WARD 7
Serving Capreol and Nickel Centre
    
Dave Kilgour
Russ Thompson
  

DECLARED CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR
   
Lynne Reynolds

WEB SITE
David Chevrier
   

2003 ELECTION RESULTS

  
CITY OF GREATER SUDBURY OFFICIAL ELECTION SITE

     

It is extremely important that we have an opportunity to verbalize and discuss the main issues and challenges facing the community of Valley East in the upcoming Municipal Election.

The 2006 Municipal Election will be a critical turning point in the history of the entire Greater Sudbury Area and it is therefore one of the most important elections ever held in the history of our community.

The election campaign will not be about "mud-slinging" and "name-calling", nor will it be about criticizing candidates. It will be about leadership. It will be about the residents of Valley East getting out and voting for the person they feel has the necessary skills to lead this community during the next four years. It will be about electing a person who will be able to truly speak for the constituents and reflect their true feelings and concerns. Above all, it will be about finding a representative who will not only stand up for the rights of the people of Valley East, but who will also have the knowledge and experience needed to effectively fight for those rights and win the battles that will undoubtedly be fought at the Council table.

My own Election Web Site which can be found at www.kirwan.ca contains a detailed overview of my positions on all of the issues outlined below. Other candidates may submit their positional statements to this site as well. It is my personal opinion that when candidates put their thoughts and ideas into writing, they can be held accountable for their actions once elected to office. This is a safeguard that should be demanded by all constituents.
   

MAJOR PHILOSOPHICAL ISSUES
  • We must clearly define our "big goals" in order to guide our every day decisions. 
  • We must return to the spirit of regional government and become a community of strong, distinct communities. 
  • It is time that the Corporation of the City of Greater Sudbury was run like a business with a focus on providing the investors (ratepayers) with a good return on their investment (taxes). 
  • Councillors Must Focus On Major Policy Development and Let Staff Do Their Job Without Micromanaging Each Department
  • Councillors Must Remember That They Represent & Speak On Behalf Of The Constituents of their Individual Ward. 

 

  

SPECIFIC ISSUES FACING VALLEY EAST
  • We Must Use City Staff More Efficiently And Avoid Spending Money On Consultants When We Have Staff That Are Capable Of Doing The Same Job
  • We Must Be Prepared To Amend The official city plan As Needed to facilitate development of Valley East and other outlying areas. 

  • We must move to establish a snow removal budget that is based on providing service, not remaining within an arbitrary budget. We Can't Predict The Climate So We Must Be Prepared To Spend Whatever It Costs To Keep Our Roads Clear

  • A local public transit network of sub-routes must be established within the community of Valley East in order to connect the various neighbourhoods.
  • Neighbourhood playgrounds should be funded, maintained, and fully-staffed by the City in order for them to play a more important role in the image and character of our community. 
  • Seniors Are Being Forced Out of The Valley Due To Lack of Apartment Construction Projects. We Must Facilitate Construction of Senior Focused Apartment Complexes Immediately.
  • Community Service Organizations That Exist To Improve The Quality of Life Of A Large Group Of Local Residents Should Receive More Financial Assistance And Support From The City. 
  • We Must Establish As A Top Priority The Provision of Support And Assistance To People From Valley East and Capreol Find Meaningful Full- and Part-time jobs. 
  • We Must Promote The Development of the Downtown Section of Each Ward. Why Should Downtown Sudbury Be Any More Important Than Downtown Valley East? 
  • There is No Way Local Citizens Should Be Charged Extra For The Provision of Legitimate Emergency Services By Fire Fighters and Ambulance Attendants
  • We Must Pay More Attention To The Future of Child Care In Valley East If We Expect To Attract Young Families To This Community.
  • Councillors Must Pay More Attention To The Labour Trends And Economic Indicators For the Greater Sudbury Area. City Council Must Facilitate the Development of A Strong Local Economy.
  • The City of Greater Sudbury Is Not The Same As The City of Toronto. We Have Different Needs And Should Govern Accordingly.
  • The Barrydowne Extension Will Become A Reality If We Lay The Groundwork, But First Of All We Need Senior Apartments and More Day Care Spaces In Order To Increase Our Population.
  • The De-Amalgamation Movement Is Not Going To Go Away. The Sooner The Question Is Put On A Referendum Ballot, The Better!
  • We Must Get Rid Of Hidden Taxes Called User Fees. The People Cannot Be Fooled By This Attempt To Generate More Revenue By The City.
  • We Must Return To Manual Voting For The 2010 Election. There Is No Valid Justification To Spending Money On Electronic Voting Machines.
  • There Is Nothing Wrong With Leaving Some By-Laws In Place As They Were Before Amalgamation

READERS MAY SUBMIT THEIR OWN COMMENTS ON THE UPCOMING MUNICIPAL ELECTION BY CLICKING ON THE EMAIL BUTTON BELOW
  
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For The full Valley East Community Web Site go to www.valleyeasttoday.ca
 

Published by
INFOCOM CANADA BUSINESS CONSULTANTS INC.
Robert Kirwan, President & C.E.O.
4456 Noel Crescent, Val Therese ON P3P 1S8
Phone: (705) 969-7215    
EMAIL   rkirwan@infocomcanada.com