[ad_1]Six of the seven candidates aiming to be the mayor of Norfolk County have responded to a set of questions from the Ontario Chronicle. Candidate Ken Gilpin chose not to take part in the Q& A. SUBMITTED PHOTOSQuestion: Norfolk has one of the highest water rates in the province and more upgrades are needed to the system. What’s the solution?Name: Doug BruntonAge: Not providedOccupation: Retired director of public works for the Town of SimcoePolitical experience: Two-term councillor for Norfolk CountyResidence: SimcoeAnswer: Water rates in Norfolk are high. For the last three years they have been averaging about a 10-per-cent increase. This is not acceptable. Much of the problem lies with a proposal to interconnect all urban areas in Norfolk with Lake Erie water from Nanticoke, which is expected to cost $550 million.Norfolk County sits on a sand plain and has plenty of groundwater available.Neither the province nor the federal government has provided funding for this project, and I think they both disagree with our proposal. Honestly, I believe it’s a bad idea.The Norfolk sand plain regenerates over 400,000,000 m3 of water every year, while overall use from urban and rural areas is estimated at around 31,000,000 m3 annually-that's about eight to ten percent.Port Dover and Port Rowan continue to draw their water from Lake Erie.Name: David FinchAge: 69Occupation: Registered psychotherapist (qualifying)Political experience: Alderman for three terms on Grimsby Town Council from 2000-2006 and again from 2010-2014; served as an appointed member on Grimsby Planning and Development Committee from 2014-2018Answer: We have five water treatment plants, five wastewater treatment plants, and 303.9 km of watermains. Our urban water system operates on a user-pay basis but has fewer users compared to most municipalities.We’ve managed to grow our system over time without updating how we treat our water and wastewater.With five urban centers and multiple plants reaching their age limit, it’s time we start consolidating older well-supplied plants into upgraded ones that pull water directly from Lake Erie.I believe we should apply this same strategy with wastewater treatment facilities as well-Simcoe’s aging plant needs rebuilding.Instead of spending huge amounts on a new facility in Simcoe, why not invest in force mains and pumping stations that send Simcoe’s wastewater to the newly upgraded Port Dover plant? This would lower operational costs long-term.Name: Noel HaydtAge: 58Occupation: Real estate investor/property managerPolitical Experience: Former Norfolk County councillor; former chair of Long Point Region Conservation AuthorityResidence: WalsinghamAnswer: We need a change in direction. The proposed Inter-Urban Water Supply system has ballooned into an estimated half-billion-dollar project that I don’t think taxpayers can afford.Instead, I’d focus on upgrading our existing five systems while exploring additional groundwater sources where possible-investing based on actual growth rather than speculative projections that may never happen.It’s also essential to assess our wastewater capacity concurrently; growth should help cover infrastructure costs associated with it.Our aim should be reliable services at affordable prices.Name: Ken HewittAge: 59Occupation: Benefits consultantPolitical experience: Mayor of Haldimand County for twelve yearsResidence: Turkey PointAnswer: Safe drinking water is essential but must come at an affordable price alongside every infrastructure decision made.Norfolk's budget for 2026 saw residential bills rise by an average of 10.1 percent-these hikes put extra strain on households and businesses alike.I’d call for a thorough review of our capital plan including project timing, financing options, reserve funds, senior government funding opportunities as well as alternative supply solutions before committing taxpayer money toward major investments.We should also look into expanding our customer base through responsible commercial development so more users share those system costs equally across sectors like residential.Name: Keith MilnerAge: 71Occupation : Retired RCMP/CSIS officer currently owning Bronte Shore Yacht SalesPolitical experience : Five years within Canada’s intelligence community working against counter-subversion , terrorism , espionage.Residence : Port DoverAnswer : Figuring out our water issues isn’t easy. Upgrading infrastructure is crucial ; delaying necessary work will just inflate expenses further down line.Finding tax savings wherever possible helps minimize cost impact since budgets are tight , especially when looked at through family expense lens.It seems important that we find efficiencies too so value obtained during repairs or replacements remains high.NAME : ADAM VERİ AGE :45 OCCUPATION WARD SIX COUNCILLOR POLITICAL EXPERIENCE FOUR YEARS AS WARD SIX COUNCILLOR INCLUDING SIX MONTHS AS DEPUTY MAYOR OPP DETACHMENT BOARD MEMBER NORFOLK COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD CHAIR SIMCOE BIA BOARD MEMBER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBER COMMITTEE OF ADJUSTMENT MEMBER RESIDENCE PORT DOVER ANSWER WATER AND WASTEWATER COSTS WON’T COME DOWN WITHOUT NEW FUNDING SOURCES PROPERTIES CONNECTED TO MUNICIPAL WATER SERVICES SHARE THE COSTS OF PROVIDING THOSE SERVICES INCLUDING INFRASTRUCTURE RENEWAL EXPENSES ADDING MORE WATER BILLS TO SYSTEM DIVIDES FIXED INFRASTRUCTURE COST AMONG MORE USERS ADDING MORE USERS THROUGH HOUSING GROWTH CREATES OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROVINCIAL AND FEDERAL INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING MOST GRANTS NOW DIRECTLY TIED TO HOUSING GROWTH PLANS COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL GROWTH ALSO HELPS LOWER WATER COSTS SINCE THEIR SHARE OF CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING TENDS TO BE HIGHER THAN RESIDENTIAL SHARES ALL MUNICIPALITIES LEGALLY REQUIRED PROVIDE POTABLE WATER FOR RESIDENTS CONNECTED TO MUNICIPAL SERVICES ENSURING SAFE DISPOSAL OF WASTEWATER THERE ARE NO OPTIONS HERE FOR CUTTING CORNERS OR DEFERRED PROJECTSCOMING MONDAY HOW WOULD YOU AS MAYOR GO ABOUT ATTRACTING MORE INDUSTRIAL COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS TO NORFOLK COUNTY ?EDITOR’S NOTE CANDIDATE KEN GILPIN OPTED NOT TO PARTICIPATE SOME RESPONSES EDITED FOR LENGTH CLARITY[ad_2]Source link
