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For the Record
Bill believes that residents in District
23 need to protect their quality of life, while finding ways to enhance the
existing infrastructure in the growing community. Browse this page
for Bill's views, or jump to an issue of interest:
Are you looking for information about
an issue that is not on the list? Please contact
us post a message on the discussion
board, or the enter the live
chat room.
Realistic
Promises
Bill will not make a promise to his constituents
that is not within his ability to keep. He becomes frustrated with those who
make promises in order to get elected, all the while knowing that they will
not have the influence to make such things happen once they are actually in
office.
Bill's campaign is both honest and
frank. If you want to know how Bill feels about an issue, simply give
him a call, drop him an
email or voice your views on the discussion
board. He will not promise to bring you things that he knows cannot
be done through the council seat. Likewise, he will fight very hard for
realistic goals that are important to the people of Hammonds Plain's - St.
Margaret's.
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Trucking
sewage sludge outside of HRM Bill
is opposed to trucking HRM biosolids outside of the Halifax Regional
Municipality. He believes, like many others, that it is inappropriate to
deposit one community's sewage in another community's backyard. Instead,
solutions should be found to deal with HRM biosolids within the municipality
itself. Back
to top Dog
breed ban legislation There
serious concerns about the safety of certain dog breeds in the light of recent
attacks involving Pitbulls and Rottweilers. Rather than debating HRM's current
policy regarding such issues, Bill recommends keeping a close eye on a
proposed new legislation in New Brunswick. The proposed New Brunswick
legislation poses an interesting alternative to banning specific breeds. The
legislation would require owners of certain breeds to carry $1,000,000 in
insurance to cover liability for dog attacks. Bill feels that this solution is
worth watching prior to making any decisions regarding banning dog breeds in
HRM. Back
to top Pedestrian
cycling facilities Many
residents of HRM would like to have the option of safe cycling on city
streets. A question posed to Bill concerned the need for cycling lanes on city
streets. Bill favours such facilities in the city where residents can cycle to
and from work. However, such facilities are not as useful in District 23 where
residents cannot cycle to work. He cautions residents that while cycling
facilities are great for physical fitness, a real solution is needed for the
transportation issues facing District 23. This solution must involve mass
transit. Click here more information about Bill's
transportation solution.
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Pesticide
Ban
Bill is in
favour of the pesticide ban with regards to applying such chemicals for purely
cosmetic purposes. However, he also feels that homeowners have the right to
protect their property from damage due to pests such as cinch bugs. Therefore,
homeowners must be able to access permits quickly in order to save their
properties from potential destruction.
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Peggy's
Cove Road coastal chop
Bill is against a coastal chop along
Peggy's Cove Road. He believes, like many residents, that trees are important
in the coastal environment. Cutting trees along the coast can lead to greater
soil erosion. While leaving the tree trunks will help to alleviate
erosion, it will detract from the beauty of the coastal drive. Trees enhance the aesthetic environment that
is one of the region's greatest pleasures for both residents and tourists. For
more information about the importance of proper management of our coastline
visit the Ecology
Action Centre website link.
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Reasonable
Growth and Development
District 23 has seen explosive growth
and development. This growth has occurred without clear plans for
infrastructure development. The result: excessive traffic, insufficient ground
water resources, overcrowded schools. Bill feels that growth is important, but
he also feels that it is necessary to have a plan for developing
infrastructure to maintain the quality of life and sense of community that is
part of the experience of living in District 23.
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All
Terrain Vehicle (ATV) Trails
ATV riders and property owners are both
seeking some public discussion and legislation to protect their rights. As
much as ATV riders are seeking fair means to enjoy their sport, property
owners and residents are complaining about demolished grounds and noise
levels.
Many promises are being made to
accommodate both parties in a fair and equitable way. The latest round
affecting residents of District 23 is the potential development of an ATV
trail along power lines in Hammonds Plains. This may seem to be a simple and
effective solution, but it is not without problems:
-
the power line cuts through
residential neighbourhoods, crossing private property and commercial
complexes
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surrounding homes and businesses
would be impacted, including world-class Glen Arbour Golf Course
There are other problems with such
proposed solutions, not the least of which is pending legislation that will
impact:
-
location and use of trails, on or
abetting, private property
-
age of driver
-
mandatory use of helmets and other
gear.
Bill feels that while the proposed
trail sounds like a solution, it will raise more problems than we already
have. In addition, any such trail will be impacted by the final ATV
legislation. Therefore, he believes that we must wait until the legislation is
finalized before any decision about an ATV trail can be made. Otherwise,
ATV riders and others may find themselves in violation of the law.
More information about the controversy
and potential legislation issues can be obtained from the following links:
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Transportation
Bus service into Hammonds Plains from
Bedford Highway is non-existent, while service into the HRM core only runs on
a rush hour basis. Bill believes that such a transit system is far too limited
for residents, as well as for future growth and development. He has already
determined how to overcome this problem without adding to the budget crunch of
HRM. For more information about the solution, contact
Bill.
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Effective,
Accountable and Action-Oriented Representation
Bill believes that little has been
accomplished to benefit Hammonds Plains-St. Margaret's since amalgamation and
that residents need a strong voice in Council. He has a track record of successful community involvement
combining compassion with results-oriented thinking and effective service
delivery. He has the ability to bring the
will of residents to Council in an actionable and decisive manner. For more
information on Bill's community involvement and track record to date, visit
the accomplishments
link.
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All
Candidates' Meeting Q&A - October 3rd, 2004 (St. Margaret's Bay Fire
Fighters Hall)
Candidates were provided with four
questions to address at the meeting. Click on the question to jump to Bill's
response, or browse to review all questions.
Questions
1)
When HRM Communities build trails, they get support, but once the trails are
done, suddenly there's no money for maintenance. How, as councillor, would
you defend your position to have maintenance money included in the
budget?
2)
What is your vision for helping small business grow in your district? Tax
relief? Incentives for telecommuting? Reducing commuter traffic by
encouraging self-sufficient communities?
3)
As regards to the development of HRM's Regional Plan, what concrete changes
will you make to the community consultation process to ensure that the
community can begin to play an active and effective part in the planning
process?
4)
The drainage of basin of St. Margaret's Bay unites Districts 22 and 23 with
a precious and endangered resource - clean water. What do you perceive as
the greatest challenge to preserving this resource, and how, as a municipal
councillor would you work to conserve it and remediate damage already
incurred by unwise practices?
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Answers
1)
Regarding money for maintaining community trails?
Tax dollars and
budgets...Budgets and taxes. Budgets set where the tax dollars are spent and
it is those tax dollars that come from each and every taxpayer throughout
the municipality. There is so much and then there is no more. Municipalities
are required, by law, to produce balanced budgets - no more goes out than
comes in - that is the law. Of
the total tax dollars received, based upon property assessment, a good
portion (19.7%) are mandatory expenditures required to be returned to the
province for such services as education and assessment costs. HRM,
like any municipality, sets its priorities and it is those priorities that
will receive the greatest portion of available funding - out entire tax
dollar does not go to serve municipal recreation, such as ATV trails. Of
the total HRM 2004/2005 budget only 5.1% is allocated to "Library and
Recreation". Of that 5.1% you can be assured that libraries hold a
greater priority than recreation, and of the remainder the large recreation
centres (such as the St. Margaret's Arena and other facilities including
sports fields) would "eat up" the lion's share of the
funding. What
is left after all of the large bites have been taken is what flows down to
assist communities with the development of local recreation projects, such
as assisting communities build trails. We are told that there is no money
left for maintenance of those trails that have received assistance in their
construction. Well, probably that is true. There is nothing left!
To make money available as
a Budgetary item would mean that those monies, realistically, would have to
be diverted from some other Budgetary item. Where would you suggest?
-
Debt charges?
(Impossible - 8.5%)
-
Provincial services?
(These are mandated - 19.7%)
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Public works and
transportation? (Wait until any of us need to have snow ploughed and see
if we want monies diverted from here - 10%)
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Community safety?
(Nobody wants this decreased - 22.4%)
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Capital reserves? (Take
it from here and it has to go back - 14.2%)
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Property and fleet? (An
unwise choice, it can only be done so foten and then there is nothing
left - 5.1%)
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Internal services? (You
can look but it is pretty slim - 5.1%)
Realistically, Budgeted
maintenance for trails is doubtful. So what could be an option? Possibly,
when communities within HRM build trails, with assistance from HRM, those
trails should be under the control of the communities. As the communities,
perhaps through a "user pay" system, raise funds, those monies
would be directed to permit for continued maintenance and policing of the
trails.
To include maintenance of
trails in HRM's Budget is probably not a feasible option. As in any
construction project it is not the development which bears the greater cost
but continued upkeep of the facility
Those who use the community
trail facilities may have to bear the responsibility for their upkeep and in
doing so retain full and exclusive local control of it. For example: set the
rules as to when, where and who should be using the facility and at what
cost. For HRM to maintain the trails would mean that HRM maintains control
over them. The choices lies with we, the people.
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to questions
2)
Helping small business grow?
Small business is the
backbone of the economy, whether it encompasses rural, suburban, or urban
service providers. Small business creates and provides employment
opportunities and keeps the economy healthy and productive through
diversification of services. Growing
"small" business has always been a difficult proposition, even at
the best of times. Once a "small" business grows to a certain
size, it no longer has the benefits of being considered "small",
but it becomes a "small/medium" sized enterprise (SME) where it
faces entirely new sets of problems. As
to how to help small business grow through avenues that currently exist (Metropolitan
Halifax Chamber of Commerce, Canadian
Federation of Independent Business, Halifax
Regional Development Agency, Hubbards Cove Business Association) I would
encourage those local, regional and national organizations to continue their
efforts in lobbying, not only the provincial and federal governments, but
the municipal government as well, so that real, tangible objectives will be
achieved. For instance, the Metropolitan Halifax Chamber of Commerce is
working with its member agencies and the government to redesignate the
Business Occupancy Tax. Once achieved that will be a real, tangible
result. The tax
rate on small business in this province is the highest in Canada. It is only
through the organized and coordinated efforts of associations and business
councils that the voice of small business will be heard. For
my part, when small business speaks, I will listen. The downtown business
core is not the engine that drives the municipality. The engine of business
is the people, whether or not they are in downtown Halifax, Dartmouth,
Bedford, Sackville, St. Margaret's Bay, Hammonds Plains, Hubbards or
anyplace else in HRM. I
will be the voice of the people of District 23 to the Council...not the
voice of the Council to the people. There
are numerous opportunities available for small business in District 23 but
what is needed is continued and concerted focus upon obtainable objectives
so that realistic goals will be achieved. It
is much easier to "sell" a bag of empty promises than it is to
work for results. I will listen to and work with the people of District 23
so that, together, we will achieve realistic goals. I
applaud business initiatives such as those that are occurring at the Kennedy
Business Centre in St. Margaret's Bay. Through the efforts there at the
networking business communities and creating virtual office space,
small business has access to
technology that would be unavailable on an individual basis. They are
reshaping the future of cooperative small business enterprises. What
I offer is not a bag full of "pie in the sky" promises...it is
simply good, hard work - the backbone of small business. Back
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to questions
3)
Changes to the community consultancy process?
In an article written by
William Clarke for the September 22nd Bedford-Sackville Weekly News
regarding the appeal of a 2003 Supreme Court verdict in favour of residents
of Upper Hammonds Plains regarding the "community's decision making
capacity in a 1999 deal that would bring water into the region," the
water utility's lawyer, Douglas Tupper, is quoted as saying: "HRM
doesn't have to let anyone consult." The
article continues and reports that "Tupper argued the community had no
control and nor right of being heard by HRM Council. He said Council had the
right to make decisions without consulting anyone..." What
concerns me is the attitude contained in these statements. It concerns me
that the residents of HRM will be considered as mere by-products of policy
and not full and equal partners in the process. After all, it is reported
that HRM's lawyer, in this one case said: "HRM
doesn't have to let anyone consult." If
that attitude is true in one case, it is undoubtedly true in all cases,
including the creation of the Regional Development Plan. In
fact, HRM is responsible, and fully accountable, to the people of HRM! HRM
must let the communities (not only those in District 23 but all communities)
within its boundaries decide their futures. It is all of our futures that
are being planned and not simply the futures of a select few. Each and every
Councillor, and each and every staff member of HRM, work for the people that
they represent. The Councillor of District 23, whoever the residents of
District 23 elect on October 16th, is responsible and fully accountable to
the residents. I
propose that the voice of the residents will be heard. I will hold open
forums in the District, in the communities, so that HRM's Regional Plan is
not one carved out by bureaucrats and politicians, but is one carved out by
the people. The
time has come to put aside old "experienced" ways and begin to
face a new future wherein the needs of the residents of District 23 and of
all of the Districts of HRM, rural, suburban and urban, come before the
issues. Development
has played, and will continue to play, a vital role in our lives. What we do
not will affect the lives of our children and of our children's children. We
must do it right the first time. The time for "passing the buck"
and trying to fix what should have been done right in the first place is
over. Your
voice...our voice counts. It is the voice...the voice of the residents of
District 23 that will be heard. The choice is yours. HRM must let the people
consult. The communities that comprise HRM have a right to be heard by
Council and HRM has no right to make decisions that will change the quality
of life that we enjoy in this municipality without consulting anyone. The
people will speak and it begins on October 16th. Back
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to questions
4)
Conserving and remediating St. Margaret's Bay?
Our natural resources are
precious - once they are squandered they are either gone forever or they are
far more difficult and costly to return to their original state. Every
day, 365 days a year, 180 million litres of raw sewage flows into Halifax
Harbour. The Harbour Solutions project seeks to address the future so that
this will not longer be. However, all any of us can hope to do is to pray
that nature will redress the past - the millions of tons of sludge that
rests upon the bottom of the harbour. Through
the tremendous past, current and ongoing efforts of concerned citizens
affiliated with the Sackville
Rivers Association what was once a flowing
cesspool now contains life. Much has been accomplished to redress the
decades of mismanagement of that vital resource, and yet, they must remain
vigilant because
if they did not, we, the people of this municipality would destroy it all
over again. Also,
through the current efforts of the Springfield
Lake Watch Association there
is a current effort to attract nesting loons back to the area - to bring
life back to an area that we, the people, continue to mismanage. There
are, likewise, numerous associations, groups and individuals across this
municipality, such as the Woodens
River Watershed Environment Organization
and the St.
Margaret's Bay Stewardship Association, that
seek to not only maintain what are vital resources, but to redress what we,
the people, have mismanaged. All
of them have one thing in common - PEOPLE! People who are willing to commit
themselves to the betterment of the environment and the improvement of the
quality of life that we enjoy, especially in District 23. The
greatest challenge to these efforts, however, in District 23 is continued,
explosive growth and development with little consideration for
infrastructure. The growth which this District has, and will continue, to
experience, has literally been unchecked and has occurred without clear
plans for infrastructure development. The
results we see every day: excessive traffic, insufficient groundwater
resources, and groundwater that is being contaminated being used in homes
and overcrowded schools. Don't get me wrong - growth and development are important
in District 23, but that growth needs to be planed so that there is sufficient
infrastructure to support it, and maintain or improve the quality of life that
we enjoy. Remediating
the damage that has already
been done, sad to say, takes time. It is not
something that will occur overnight, or that will
last if it is not watched with diligence. It takes people driven to care - driven
to conserve what we have here in District 23 and people who are driven to preserve
what we have for future generations. Some
of this, hopefully, will be addressed in the Regional Plan. It will be addressed
if the people are given the opportunity to speak. Once again, it comes to the
voice of the people...not only their voice being lifted up but their voice being
heard and counted. Only
when we work together, as a people, as a District, and as a municipality will
we achieve results that are sustainable for now and in the future. Our
is the choice. Choose wisely. Back
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Frequently
Asked Questions About the Tax Rate During
his campaign Bill has been asked a number of questions about the tax rate.
Below are his answers to some common questions. Click on the question to jump to Bill's
response, or browse to review all questions. Questions
1) Can HRM maintain or
decrease the tax rate through publicly tendering all major contracts? 2)
Can HRM maintain or decrease the tax rate through dealing with public
business in "open meetings" and not "behind closed
doors?" 3) Can
HRM maintain or decrease the tax rate through eliminating payments to the
province for responsibilities that are deemed to be theirs? 4)
Can HRM maintain or decrease the tax rate by not making contributions to
other municipal units? 5)
Can HRM maintain or lower the tax rate by reviewing the BOT (Business
Occupancy Tax) so as to eliminate unfairness?
Back
to top Answers 1)
Can HRM maintain or decrease the tax rate through publicly tendering all major
contracts?
According to Standard
Operating Procedures (SOP) as mandated by the Province under the Municipal
Government Act (MGA) all major contracts must be publicly
tendered. If HRM is not tendering all major contracts then they are not
following SOP. Back
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Back
to questions
2) Can HRM
maintain or decrease the tax rate through dealing with public business in
"open meetings" and not "behind closed doors?"
Once again, it is mandated
through Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) that the only business that
occurs behind closed doors are matters dealing with staff or legal
issues. Back
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3) Can HRM maintain or
decrease the tax rate through eliminating payments to the province for
responsibilities that are deemed to be theirs?
Payments made to the
province are mandated under the Municipal Government Act (MGA) and can only
be decreased by the province and not HRM Council. Back
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Back
to questions
4) Can HRM maintain or
decrease the tax rate by not making contributions to other municipal units?
Authority for all
expenditures falls under the Municipal Government Act (MGA) and all
transfers to other municipal units included under inter-municipal agreements
must be honoured. Back
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to questions
5) Can HRM maintain or lower the tax rate by
reviewing the BOT (Business Occupancy Tax) so as to eliminate unfairness?
The Union of Nova Scotia
Municipalities (UNSM) was informed during the week of September 20th, 2004
that legislation for a three year phase out of the Business Occupany Tax (BOT)
would be introduced during the Spring, 2005 sitting of the Nova Scotia
Legislature. The question of the BOT has already been resolved. Back
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