What an incredible community we have here in the Municipality of Meaford, not just the natural beauty of our area, but the beauty of the people who make it such a wonderful place to live.
I have had the privilege of getting to know some of you a lot better from all parts of the Municipality over the last few weeks and have enjoyed each moment. We have an opportunity now, in our hands, as a Municipality to make a difference in what is happening around us.
We must seize this opportunity to make the changes we would like to see and on October 25th, each and everyone of us can make our voices be heard through the Municipal election.
There are many issue facing us, some of them simple housecleaning items, others far more complex and will require a great deal of attention and due diligence to make sure that we are proceeding in the best interest of the community.
Action is required, tough decisions must be made and they must be made with the greater picture in mind to benefit the entire community as a whole. We must take care to avoid any other frivolous lawsuits, public embarrassments and we must promote Meaford for the wonderful qualities it does have to mitigate some of the negative publicity we have received due to issues of the past.
I believe that legal action should be avoided at all costs, there are several other options available in each and every situation and the only winner in any legal matter is the lawyer. After a brief review of the lawsuits that are currently in process it would appear to me that some of them could quite simply have been avoided by efficient and effective By-Law enforcement, appropriate staffing and departments adhering to provincial and municipal policy, pubic participation and plain common sense.
I am not suggesting by any means that the staff on hand are not doing their jobs correctly but rather had we had them in place with clear direction and responsibilities that we would likely not be in the situation we are in now.
To make the Municipality operate more efficiently and harmoniously I believe that we need to establish a By-Law Review Committee composed of you, the citizens, the people affected. The committee would be responsible for the daunting task of reviewing the by-Laws we currently have in place, identifying redundancies, inefficiencies, by-laws that are irrelevant to our society as it stands today and so on. If there are no legal or liability conflicts in regards to having a by-law removed and after public participation has established that there is just cause for the removal of a by-law it would be done.
We also have a need for proactive By-Law enforcement, this half-hearted approach that has been adopted by the Municipality is a source of lost revenue, if we can make the changes we need here it would allow for a full-time By-Law enforcement position that would more than offset the salary required for this position. Had this been completed years ago we would not be in a legal battle that is creating a divisive wedge between neighbours today and for generations to come.
An Operational Review completed by dedicated citizens has indicated that the Municipality is not over-staffed as commonly believed. That being said, we can recognize increased efficiencies and cost benefits by reviewing the current staff, their responsibilities in the Municipality and providing them with a clear and concise sense of direction for their day to day duties.
Many people do not realize that the staff we currently have take on many responsibilities outside of their defined duties and really do multiple jobs on a daily basis. This is an issue that creates an environment ripe for error through no fault of the staff themselves, take a moment to think of a car dealership and the roles that are within that dealership. When you go in to buy your vehicle you talk to the salesperson, when it is time for maintenance you talk to the mechanic, if you took your vehicle in for repair and the salesperson was the person you saw rebuilding your transmission you would have just cause for concern for although the salesperson has an intimate knowledge of the vehicle, they most likely do not have the training or education to take on a matter of that nature.
This is something that can be corrected to make sure that all of our staff are able to provide the best possible service to the community on a daily basis, something they already strive for but are often hindered by doing something outside of their expertise or qualifications.
I believe that we are in for some wonderful changes and opportunities over the next 4 years, they will come as a result of hard work, dedication, public participation and transparent community leadership.
Regardless of where you reside within our community, you will be heard, your concerns are valid and you can make a difference through participation and communicating your concerns to the council you elect. We have the opportunity to rebuild the sense of community and to make the Municipality of Meaford the best place to live in all of Grey County, Ontario or even Canada.
Let's start making those changes and seizing those opportunities by making our voices heard on October 25th and working together to make a difference.
Jason Whaley your candidate for Meaford Council
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