By Mark
Schadenberg
As
every community prepares to welcome its share of good news in 2015; each also
worries about negative factors possibly on the horizon.
Every
city in Ontario wants to have a net gain in employment and business growth over
the next few months.
As I
have noted in a previous post, Woodstock’s economy will hit the highway in top
gear to start the calendar with the opening of Woodstock Nissan – a car dealership
at 1201 Dundas.
Toyota
also announced that sales of the Woodstock-built RAV4 continue to increase. (http://www.1047.ca/news/local-news/new-sales-record/)
Among
the challenges, is to maintain a modest growth or increase in municipal taxes.
Last fall’s civic election gave The Friendly City a new mayor in Trevor Birtch
(pictured). Among the new names around the council chamber is actually an old
name in Connie Lauder (pictured) as she returns after losing her post in the
previous election. Lauder’s position is important – in my opinion – as she is
retired from the city’s tax department, and will represent guidance and
comprehension. Birtch is now a former finance department member of Oxford
County administration. You factor in the experience of Sandra Talbot and Deb
Tait with this duo and I believe budget deliberations will be fine. New faces
Todd Poetter, Shawn Shapton and Jerry Acchione must be the counter-balance of
opinion in conservative fiscal spending and the genuine need and requirement
for levels of service and infrastructure upgrades.
The
budget game is not really a contest, but better calculated as a five-year rolling
flow chart. The previous council’s 2014 budget would have chiseled in items
for 2015 – 2018 years as well, and now those numbers all advance one year,
unless the new ‘group of seven’ move up, push back or completely eliminate
projects that have been pencilled in before the ink arrives in their actual
year of investment.
As a
member of the recreation advisory committee, for example, I have seen drawings
from the parks department’s Chris Kern for a brand new park in the quickly growing
Havelock Corners subdivision and that is slated for arrival in 2015.
I like
the idea of expanding Woodstock’s transit system in two ways – one more bus
route and longer hours. I rode a city bus just before Christmas – not as an
exercise in monitoring the system, but rather as a necessity as my hip
operation does not permit me to ‘operate heavy machinery’ (car) as of yet.
City
buses will not make a profit – they will always be subsidized, but if the added
revenue is somewhat equal to the added expenses I think it’s a gamble worth
rolling the (wheels) dice on.
The one
major city project which must go forward is the Woodall Farm recreation
complex. I have written about this item many times and will not overly repeat
myself here, but Woodstock has at least 4 ball diamonds currently that adults
utilize for slo-pitch (or fastball) that should be either eliminated due to
their size and for safety, or should be earmarked for a re-focus to minor
baseball. The planned Woodall complex should have 5 new lit diamonds there
immediately with future phases possible for a swimming pool, free expansive
splash pad, outdoor regulation-size basketball court, community gymnasium,
hockey arena (to replace Civic Centre), satellite library and other facilities
over the next 15 years or so.
Woodall is at the east end of Devonshire -- immediately east of the French school Ecole Marguerite Bourgeoys.
In the
January edition of What’s On Woodstock (WOW) magazine, new mayor Birtch
outlined some of his thoughts leading up to budget talks.
“We are
learning firsthand the difference between needs and wants. We have to fund the
City’s needs. If we are fiscally responsible we may be able to fund some of our
wants.”
Woodstock
is financially in a terrific position with a minute overall debt (per capita
and compared to other communities) and a 1996-built community complex which is
just about paid for in the world of debenture and borrowing for major capital
construction.
Public
input is one area that Birtch campaigned on.
My
thought is that firstly, the public must be given an opportunity to properly
comment on an issue (Selling hydro utility, building any type of recreation
complex, deciding on the future use of hospital property, modifying the transit
system, expanding a service such as the library, art gallery or museum, etc,
etc.), but at the same time whatever the resounding sentiment happens to be,
the council of the day should listen to the voters as that is the definition of
a democracy. However, on the flip side, I have also been present at many public
meetings myself which have been poorly attended, so it’s also each citizens
responsibility to be involved and not complain later.
I like
the way Birtch describes in WOW about receiving advice from the public.
“I want
to thank everyone who has approached me since my election. Your advice and
encouragement is greatly and gratefully appreciated, a sentiment that is shared
by all of council. We want to hear from you. We need to hear from you. As for
the criticism, as much as they may, at times, be painful to hear, we need to be
aware of those as well.”
Birtch
can be reached at 519 539-1291 or at mayor@city.woodstock.on.ca
My
contact info is below. Call me when you are seeking info on Oxford County real
estate.
LINKS:
LINKS
LOOKING AT 2015
London
Sarnia
http://www.theobserver.ca/2015/01/06/former-wheel-manufacturing-plant-sold-to-local-investors-sarnias-mayor-says
http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/2014/12/28/brant-faces-difficult-year-says-mayor-ron-eddy
Hamilton
Barrie
Owen
Sound
Mark Schadenberg, sales representative
Royal LePage Triland Realty Brokerage
757 Dundas St, Woodstock
(519) 537-1553
Email: mschadenberg@rogers.com
Twitter: markroyallepage
Facebook: Mark Schadenberg, Royal LePage Triland
Discussion . . . Direction . . . Determination . . .
Destination
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