MOUNTAIN VIEW COUNTY - Division 4 byelection candidates Tiffany Nixon and Sean LaBrie outlined their respective positions on some of the issues facing the county and answered submitted questions during an online forum on Monday, Oct. 7.
Nixon and LaBrie are seeking election in the division, formerly held by councillor Gord Kreb, who resigned in August.
The forum was hosted by Mountain View County as part of the byelection campaign, with former reeve and Division 4 councillor Bruce Beattie serving as moderator.
The byelection in the division happens Oct. 16, with advance voting on Oct. 9 and Oct. 10.
The forum, which was not a debate, opened with candidates given five minutes to introduce themselves and outline some of their positions.
LaBrie said he is seeking office “because I want to make our community a sustainable and safe place for my family and yours” and said he “believes in common-sense government, community safety, property rights, and sustainable development.”
Nixon said, “I believe that the future of Mountain View County and Division 4 is great and I am deeply committed as a fellow community member to working with all of you to make it the best that it can be.
“I believe in the value of listening, resilience, strong communication, balance and hard work. I believe that leadership should be rooted deeply in transparency, accountability and most importantly a genuine connection with the people that it serves.”
Residents submitted questions prior to the forum.
One question stated: “The ability for a municipality to provide high quality services is directly tied to the taxation received from businesses and residents. Councillors have the flexibility to maintain services with small incremental tax increases, increasing services resulting in higher taxation, or decreasing services resulting decreased taxation. What is your position on that?”
LaBrie answered, in part, “I believe a discussion with ratepayers as to what service levels they expect or what tax rate they expect to pay is where to start. We need to lobby the provincial government in being able to allow the county to keep the taxes here instead of filtering them through the provincial government.”
Nixon answered, in part, “I believe that maintaining a balance between taxes and services is essential. Incremental tax increases, if needed, should reflect the county’s goals of delivering high quality services efficiently without placing an undue burden on residents or businesses. It is crucial to understand the level of service we want provided and the cost associated with it.”
Another question stated: “Aggregate extraction is one of the more contentious industries located in the county due to the impact on adjacent land and the intensive operations. Quite often these locations are in proximity to residential uses thereby enhancing the challenges that council faces when approving the appropriate land uses. What is your position on aggregate extraction?”
Nixon answered, in part, “I believe that aggregate extraction is crucial to our economy and growth, but it must be carefully managed and we must mitigate the impacts on nearby residents. I support working with industry, residents and experts to develop policies that ensure these operations are responsible, minimize disruptions and comply with standards.”
LaBrie answered, in part, “I believe that the benefits (of aggregate extraction) definitely outweigh the negatives for the successful continuation of a viable county. It’s necessary that we have gravel pits. It’s the lifeblood of our county. They need to be done in a respectful manner. Hours of operation, size are also necessary to be maintained so that they do not infringe on people’s lives. And reclamation needs to be considered.”
Another question stated: “What is the biggest issue that you feel is currently facing the county or an issue that will face the county in the next five years, and if elected as a councillor, how would you deal with that issue?”
Nixon said, in part, “I think some of the big issues facing the county’s residents would be things like roads and infrastructure, sustainable development and property taxes. We have to look at responsible spending and responsible development to make sure that we are ready for an influx of people, new acreages or subdivisions that do happen, and ensuring that we have those things in place so that people can come to our beautiful county.”
LaBrie said, in part, “I think the biggest issue in Mountain View County going forward is the renewable energy infrastructure on ag land. I am not generally in favour of big renewable infrastructure being built in Mountain View County. It takes up large tracts of agriculture land, it is generally unsightly. We need to learn from our experiences with regard to not cleaned up and abandoned (oil and gas) wells and we need to apply that to other energy infrastructure.”
LaBrie and Nixon answered questions on a number of other things, including the county’s relationships with neighbouring municipal partners, future development in the county, rural health care, and land use conservation.
The complete online forum is available on the county’s website.
