Housing and township finances if elected mayor in Alnwick/Haldimand

Sherry Gibson. Mayoral candidate for Alnwick/Haldimand Township. Courtesy of Facebook.

By: Dan Jones, Northumberland 89.7 FM News, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

“I’m not making promises, because I have no idea sitting at the table in November, what I’m going to see. I don’t want to break promises,” said Sherry Gibson.

If she is elected mayor of Alnwick/Haldimand Township next month, she will commit to a complete review of the budget. This will include a line-by-line examination, including the financial statement. “To see what needs to be done, what can be put on hold, and what can be scheduled for a future date,” she said. “We don’t ask the taxpayers to fund more than they can afford to do.”

Part of understanding the Township’s financial situation for Gibson will be working with senior staff to prioritize department projects. This may mean that departments are delaying initiatives, in favour of others. The Township is facing the daunting task of replacing the aging arena, with what might be more of a recreational complex and rearranged baseball diamonds in Grafton. This project could cost tens-of-millions of dollars, if it is approved. In the meantime, the ice surface at the arena is being replaced and fundraising is ongoing.

Gibson explained she wants to resurrect volunteer boards and committees in the Township. This follows more than one dozen volunteer committee members resigning over the past four years, many frustrated with the current council’s approach to their contributions.

“I have heard that as I have been campaigning, that people feel that they aren’t being listened to. That their volunteer time is not being respected,” Gibson explained.

She wants to restore trust, set clear mandates for committees, ensure that the volunteer committees know how to report back to council, that their work is valued, and they have the ability to make change. Re-engaging with the citizenry could see council meetings held in various communities within the Township, also at times which work with people’s schedules. Gibson is hoping this may bridge the north/south divide.

Housing, she said, is a top priority for her, committing to working with developers to create a mix of housing options, but that housing growth is measured and that municipal infrastructure supports that growth. “We need to look at growth in a measured way. So, let’s look at the appropriate areas for growth. Let’s determine if the infrastructure in those areas can support that growth. Then, let’s look at putting the housing on that land.”