TimminsToday asked all candidates questions ahead of the Oct. 24 municipal election. Below are the responses from Ward 5 (Timmins) candidate James McMahon.
Timmins' population is declining, with another drop reported in the most recent census. What can be done within the municipality's scope to attract and retain new residents?
For starters we must restore Timmins' character for our city's prosperity to have any hope of succeeding, it is imperative that we enhance the overall quality of life for the citizens who already live here in Timmins, then we could attract people to our community who would want to live here and prosper. We must remember that population growth requires both retention and attraction efforts. Therefore, the obstacles that people face and what the expectations are of people already living here as well as those possibly considering moving here should be explored. Housing remains a significant barrier to early settlement and attraction. Access to affordable housing and to housing generally is problematic in our community and needs to be addressed.
There is a connection to the attraction and retention of people in a community. We should be a more welcoming community as this would help to retain our residents and in attracting new ones. The Timmins Diversity Awareness Project, which promotes a welcoming and inclusive community for people from all cultural backgrounds, is a good start in addressing some of the issues. We need to find out from the people who have come to or left our region, why? We should also have a better understanding of the wants and needs of the people we are targeting. There should be a working group/committee that brings together members from all the organizations pursuing population growth together, and they should have a co-ordinated plan on where and who to target and why. There should be a single point of contact for anyone considering moving to our community with access to information from all the groups that's up to date. Timmins has reasonable amenities but tourism promoters focus almost exclusively on the outdoor experience, a better balance is needed.
Communication and transparency have been identified as a concern by the public and by The Chamber. What does municipal transparency mean to you?
Timmins residents deserve to have their voices heard and be represented by councillors who are attentive to their issues. The residents were not heard from prior to the decisions that were made by council in matters that affect their quality of life and cause societal problems and social disorder. There should have been consultation with the public and their feedback used in the decision-making process. The city is not going directly to the people proactively in its communications with its citizens, to engage with the community and inform them of the proposals they want to advance, and then ensure that the voice of the community members have been heard and their concerns addressed prior to making a decision. The importance of transparency in local decision-making processes may be seen as part of the foundation of good municipal government.
Many of the municipality's affairs are handled at council, local board or committee meetings and are an important factor in strengthening municipal accountability and transparency, and encouraging public participation in local government decision-making. Open meeting rules recognize the importance of transparency in local decision-making processes and may be seen as part of the foundation of good municipal governance. Ontario municipalities and members of council operate under a legislated accountability and transparency framework that includes rules for the municipality, and rules for members of council.
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SEE: Advance voting opens Oct. 11
Everyone is feeling the financial impacts of inflation and the cost of living is rising faster than most residents' salary increases. How can the municipality help residents, especially those with a low income or seniors, through this period?
Inflation measures the increase in the price of goods and services. Or, the decrease in the buying power of the dollar. Cost of living measures the change, up or down, of the basic necessities of life, like food, housing, and health care. Housing prices are affected by many factors but one of the biggest of them is the cost of borrowing. The cost of living is frequently used to compare minimum income needs in various locations. It's especially difficult to keep up with the rising costs of living when your paycheck isn't growing at a similar rate. The city is limited in what it can do, but it can freeze the property tax rate and the levy on waste and water treatment, it could lower or eliminate the costs for transportation on the city's buses and we could have our MP and MPP advocating for lower taxes for low wage earners and seniors on a fixed income.
What do you want voters to know about you?
My decision was not just to vote but to get involved in the hopes of making Timmins a better place to live, to have our quality of life back and raise our families.
Residents complained that they were not involved in the processes, and felt "less safe" than before the announcements were made in the local media, there was no inclusion of the general public involved in the discussion or the decisions that were made by council or in their role as a member of the board of directors for the Cochrane DSSAB in the relocation of Living Space or in the location of the overdose prevention site which became known as Safe Health Site Timmins.
If elected as a councillor for Ward 5, I would revisit the decisions that were made by our previous council and their decisions as members of the board of directors for the Cochrane DSSAB about the procedures used in the formation, funding, and placement of these types of facilities (overdose prevention site, low barrier shelter), and would also be seeking answers and clarification from the CAOs of both the City of Timmins and the Cochrane DSSAB, as they are appointed to their positions by and accountable to the council or board of directors. Their communications conveyed through the media to the citizens should be factual.
Again if elected, with the support of other like-minded members of council, the city would ask the citizens of Timmins if they agreed with the decisions that were made by the previous council and board members for the Cochrane DSSAB and do they want to continue to fund and have these types of facilities in the city?
People have been telling me that we need a better policing model. The safety and quality of life of the community's citizens should be a top priority for those at the helm of the City of Timmins. The broader population is either afraid of what they're seeing or they are frankly quite fed up with the situation. I want my neighbourhood and downtown back. Timmins residents deserve to have their voices heard and be represented by councillors who are truly invested in the well-being of our community. This election is about responsible local government that serves the people and to support changes that improve the city for its residents. The work will be challenging given the state of affairs in our city today.
Read McMahon's candidate profile here.
The other Ward 5 candidates are Steve Black, Rick Dubeau, Veronica Farrell, Andrew Marks, Caroline Martel, Kristin Murray, Cory Robin, Neil Siblall and Ed Stecewicz.
The municipal election is Oct. 24. Advance voting is being done online and runs Oct. 11-24. In-person polls are open on election day.
