Ostrander has unfinished business in bid for third term as Brighton mayor

Brian Ostrander is seeking another term as Brighton Mayor. Photo courtesy of Brian Ostrander Facebook.

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

A comprehensive taxation review may be coming to Brighton, if Brian Ostrander is re-elected. Ostrander, seeking a third consecutive term as mayor, recognizes that municipal taxes are at a point where people have had enough with increases and relief may be needed.

This review will ask residents what services they are willing to keep and what services could be scaled back or scrapped.

“Really what I’m hearing is that taxation levels are just about at the point where people are kind of done. I get that,” Ostrander explained. “Are we delivering the services that you need? Is there anything we can cut back on? Are we meeting your needs and or if you don’t want to pay as much as you’re paying today, what are you willing to give up?”

Tax fairness is a concept being proposed by Ostrander to review whether rural residents are getting appropriate services for the price paid.

“I’m hearing a lot from our rural friends that they feel they are paying much more in taxation from a service delivery perspective than folks in the urban area,” explained Ostrander.

He remarked that urban residents also get sidewalks plowed in the winter, but could be for certain whether taxes are fair without further studying this.

Yet Brighton, like many other communities has taken on additional services, typically outside the mandate of municipalities such as physician recruitment. Healthcare is a provincial jurisdiction, however, mayor and councils are pitching their communities and incentives to attract doctors to the region.

Ostrander suspects that residents do care about doctor recruitment and other critical services and may want to continue to pay for such initiatives. “What I want to know from the people of Brighton through this review is, are we delivering the services you need and want, are you willing to give anything up.”

Ostrander lives in rural Brighton, but he said he was raised in urban Brighton, stating he understands both sides of the rural/urban divide argument. He is hearing that some rural residents do not believe their concerns are being heard at the council level. Not dismissing these concerns, Ostrander pointed to road enhancements of approximately 130 kilometers of the estimated 150 kilometers of the rural road network in the municipality. He is a supporter of the Coddrington Farmers Market and Coddrington Community Center.

Ostrander in campaigning for a third term, said there are priorities he would like accomplished or started before leaving office, such as a new fire hall downtown, once the southern substation is complete and for the fundraising for a proposed recreational centre to begin. He explained his first term was all about planning for infrastructure needs. Term 2 was about shovels in the ground and implementing the planning phase.

Ostrander is contesting for mayor against Bobbi Wright and Christina Bergmann.