Oakville Newspapers

Oakville Beaver, 11 Nov 1994, p. 31

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By KATHY YANCHUS Oakville Beaver Staff ["~ ard 3 public school trustee / candidate Neil Reid wants ‘ Â¥ _ to begin where ‘retiring‘ incumbent John Scheel left off. The business executive says he has plans to foster a board more receptive to public input as well as initiatives that do not simply rubber stamp adminâ€" strative actions. His opponent, teacher Barbara Cole, is interested in communication, not just paying attention to one interâ€" est group, and interpreting and sharâ€" ing accurate information. "An effective trustee needs to be able to recognize and cut through the specialized language educators too often use, to ask tough questions and to recognize the difference between substance and appearance in answers," said Cole, an Oakville resiâ€" dent for 20 years with two daughters who have gone through the Halton school system. One of Reid‘s main concerns is what he considers excess administraâ€" tive baggage. Teacher and business executive campaign to fill Scheel‘s vacancy Over the last 10 years, staffing levels in administration have increased 10% while the number of students has actually fallen," said Reid, founding viceâ€"chair of the Residents Against Cement Company Pollution and founding president of Clearview Oakville Community Association. "If we could reduce adminstrative staff to 1985 levels, we could save $2 (million) to $3 million or use that money to put into the OAKVILLE AFFORDABL classroom where it is needed continued. Reid has been a regular contribuâ€" tor to the board‘s financial process as a representative of the Federation of Oakville Residents Groups of which he is former viceâ€"president and curâ€" rent secretary. Reid is also in favor of "aggresâ€" sively" pursuing the sharing of serâ€" vices with the Halton Separate School Board and streamlining the budget process. Cole feels the Separate School Board is just one of the partners the public school board should seek out to use its resources in a more economical and productive way. Cole said she is well versed in educational issues on a local, regional and provincial level and feels her teacher status is an asset not a liability. "The perception is that these teachers are trying to run the system," said Cole. "I like to think that the board is a cross section of citizens with a lot of talents. I‘m not running as a teacher. I‘m running as a parent and ratepayer in Oakville." Reid said its ime trustees work together as a team to get administraâ€" tion to respond to trustees rather than the other way around. "Right now, the administration leads the board," said Reid, adding that the board didn‘t need another teacher or teacher‘s spouse. "We need people who don‘t have a selfâ€"interest in 75 to 80% of the budget (salaries)," he said. Four candidates battle for council position By HOWARD MOZEL Oakville Beaver Staff ature abhors a vacuum and w1th Jim Smith‘s bid for the | Ward 6 regional seat there has been no shortage of takers to fill his local spot. Although four candidates â€" Murray Walker, Kurt Franklin, Mark Farrow and Tom Pope â€" have stepped forward, their concerns are markedly similar. All agree that Iroquois Ridge needs its own recreation facility, that no strip malls be built in residential areas and that any homes constructed on the Grand Boulevard Plaza site be in keeping with the surrounding neighborâ€" hood. The candidates‘ approaches and experience, however, differ widely. Twoâ€"way regional race focuses on issues Farrow‘s platform revolves around the need for a "healthy community," a framework which includes public particâ€" ipation in municipal decisionâ€"making and the development of policies with people in mind. By HOWARD MOZEL Oakville Beaver Staff ~hat had been shaping up k/ as a highlyâ€"charged race 4 for the regional spot in Ward 6 has turned out to be a camâ€" paign focusing on issues, not perâ€" sonalities. With the withdrawal of current regional councillor Bill Logan, the election reverted to a twoâ€"way match between incumbent Ward 6 local councillor Jim Smith and forâ€" mer school board trustee Anne Fairfield. Both are very active in the community and bring to the table a clear commitment to the town. Taxpayers Coalition Halton Candidate Endorsements Authorized for public distribution by Taxpayers Coalition Burlington Inc., (905) 634â€"9538 New candidates for the Halton Public School Board were interviewed by Committees of Taxpayers Coalition Members if they responded to our invitation. Incumbents performance was reviewed over the past threeâ€"year term. Our criteria have been: interest in the public good, freedom from conflicts of interest, active beliel in the possibility of maintaining or raising service quality while reducing taxes and debt, and personal suitability. 4, Oakville 2, Oakville 3 4, Halton Hills 3, Oakville 2, Milton 5, Oakville 6, Oakville 1, Oakville 1 3, Milton Take this list to the polls with you November 14th! VOTE! WE GET THE GOVERNMENT WE DESERVE Farrow, 34, Director of Information Systems at Credit Valley Hospital, equates Council to a Board of Directors whose members first need to agree on a vision then work on their differences. From this foundation of strength, Farrow continues, leaders can address the future of the town. A stay at home father, Franklin says he is no longer the slave to a long comâ€" mute into Toronto and has had the time to appreciate the nuances of his commuâ€" nity. If elected, he plans to tackle two important issues: taxation and developâ€" ment. Though he‘ll push for zero growth in the millrate, Franklin doubts whether property taxes can be trimmed. Pope‘s platform is one of business smarts balanced by family values as well as a battle against complacency. A married father of two and the Ontario sales manager for a large Canadian company, Pope is adamant about infusing government with the Smith, a married father of two who runs two private companies, was first elected in 1988 and was acclaimed three years later. A champion of financial responsibiliâ€" ty, he was the only councillor to vote against the 1991 Budget. As Budget Committee chairman a year later, he introduced a new format to the process which encouraged more public involvement and handed down a millrate increase which, at that time, was the lowest in recent memory. Fairfield, the current executive director of Halton Helping Hands â€" Smith, Ken Caster, Janice Kingsbury, Tim No One No One Reid, Neil Docherty, Anise Lane, Linda Endorsed Reinsborough, Arleen Close Second entrepreneurial spirit of the private secâ€" tor. Equally important to Pope are the families, friends and neighbors who form the core of the town. To combat drugs, violent crime and sexual assault, Pope believes the community must invest as much as possible into educaâ€" tion, the arts, athletics and family time. For Walker, less is better whether it‘s less tax, less bureaucracy or less red tape. With 30 years municipal experiâ€" ence under his belt (Walker was Superintendent of Programs with the Parks and Recreation Department) he believes he can use his knowledge to hit issues headâ€"on. The married father of one says he has the "necessary body of knowledge" to make an educated deciâ€" sion. Walker, who feels Town Hall is "terâ€" ribly overâ€"administered," says the public would be better served by transferring the salaries of "unneeded" senior manâ€" agement to frontâ€"line services. He also supports better bus service in north Oakville. served three terms on the Halton Board of Education before retiring in 1985. She returned to school and finished a gerintology multiâ€"disciâ€" pline certificate at Sheridan College. She says she was lured back into the fray by what‘s become known as the Grand Boulevard Plaza issue â€" a volatile debate over the fate of the derelict commercial site which has split the Iroquois Ridge community in two. Smith will not accept outside campaign contributions since he feels it is irresponsible to collect money â€" especially donations from developers â€" to get a publicly fundâ€" ed job.

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