MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS 2014
editionap.ca
Meet your candidates With the upcoming mayoral elections in the Township of Russell, which will be held from December 12 to 15, the Re!et-News asked the four candidates Donald St-Pierre Originaire de / Native of: Marionville
for their thoughts on various topics. Here is what they had to say. As you will notice, some answers are in English, others are in French. The full version of the answers, in both French and English, can be viewed on our website: www. editionap.ca/en/content/voici-les-candidats-meet-candidats
Ronald Thériault Originaire de / Native of : Nord de l’Ontario / Northern Ontario Contribuable de Russell depuis/ Russell taxpayer since 1997 Expérience professionnelle / Professional experience Homme d’a#aires, promoteur immobilier.
Contribuable de Russell depuis / Russell taxpayer since 1970 Expérience professionnelle / Professional experience Entrepreneur-propriétaire
d’une compagnie d’ingénierie en fondation de béton et de bâtiments; conducteur de grues certi"é. Maintenant à la retraite. / Contractor-owner of a cement foundation engineering company buildings; certi"ed hoisting engineer. Now retired.
À ce titre, président de la Chambre de commerce d’Embrun et de la Chambre de commerce de
Prescott-Russell (anciennement Estic) Présentement à la retraite. / Businessman. Developer. As a businessman, chaired the Embrun Chamber of Commerce and the Prescott-Russell Chamber of Commerce (formerly Estic). Currently retired. Expérience municipale / Municipal experience Ancien maire d’une municipalité du nord de l’Ontario./ Former mayor of a Northern Ontario municipality.
Expérience municipale/ Municipal experience Conseiller municipal de la Municipalité de Russell de 2006 à 2010; en tant que conseiller, représentant du conseil à divers comités / Councillor for the Township of Russell from 2006 to 2010; as councillor, council representative on several committees. What candidates have to say on... ...the current debt...
“In order to reduce taxes, we need to have a higher tax base. While the industrial park will bring in more jobs and municipal taxes, we need to plan to attract and assist new businesses to locate in our community. As such, the planning department process needs to be streamlined, and our economic development process needs to be strength- ened. We must be ready to seize the oppor- tunity when investors knock at our doors. On another topic, commercial develop- ment has been designated in the most re- cent Township of Russell O"cial Plan, to be situated at the same location as the future recreational complex between Embrun and Russell. This location is unsuitable and will result in the establishment of commercial operations in other neighbourhood villa- ges. ” - Ronald Thériault
...industrial and commercial development “We have made some advancement in this area over the last few years with the sale of approximately 68 acres in the industrial park. We need to change our approach with poten- tial businesses by making our community a welcoming and enriching place for them to do business instead of putting up road blocks and red tape.” - Jamie Laurin “In the past four years, the township has sold 68.5 out of 150 acres of industrial/com- mercial land in the 417 industrial park. Over $20 million of new buildings have gone up and over $188,000 of additional annual municipal taxes have been generated. We must continue in this direction. We also must continue toworkwith private partners who will be paying their fair share in bring- ing water and sewer services to this area so they can develop their lands into large com- mercial areas.” - Pierre Leroux “We must ask the following questions. Do we want a community with an industrial function or a bedroom community where a majority of citizens work in Ottawa? Do we want big-box stores or do we want to encour- age local businesses that we always solicit to support and sponsor local projects and com- munity teams? Do we need to raise additional taxes or simply spend current taxes wisely?” - Donald St-Pierre
baseball !elds, football !eld etc… We also need to invest in our commercial and indus- trial development by bringing water and sew- er to the 417 industrial park. - Jamie Laurin “ Recreational and cultural complex lo- cated between Russell and Embrun. Bring- ing water and sewers services to the 417 in- dustrial park to help attract more industries and therefore increase the commercial/in- dustrial tax base. . -Pierre Leroux “Access routes to 417 and safe intersections. Infrastructures aimed at facilitating safe and e"cient security for cars and pedestrians. A realistic recreational complex, which cor- responds to our !nancial capability to pay.” - Donald St-Pierre “We must continue to maintain and im- prove our roads and bridges. In order to reduce costs, a new recreational complex is important. However, we must also main- tain and improve our existing facilities such as the Embrun community centre as well as the arenas in order to be able to support our growing population and increased demand for ice time. We also need to provide or im- prove other recreational facilities such as swimming facilities, soccer #elds and walk- ing/bike trails. - Ron Thériault
“About 94% of our municipality’s total debt is a result of the Ottawa water project. We reduce this debt by approximately $1 million annually and are on target to repay the debt within 25 years. Our current taxation debt, debt that is repaid by taxpayers, is approxi- mately $1.7 million or 5% of our total debt load. Council has already allocated funds to repay the taxation debt over the next 5-10 years. Rather than continually putting surplus money into well-funded reserves, we should use these funds to accelerate the repayment of the taxation debt load rather than increas- ing our taxes.” - Jamie Laurin “The current debt is not as serious as some people suggest. Currently, four loans are being paid by taxation equalling approxi- mately $1.7 million. Two loans will be paid o! at the end of 2015, resulting in an ap- proximate savings of $220,000 in yearly re- payments. Seven infrastructure investment loans, equalling approximately $27 million, are being paid back either by growth, de- velopment charges, user fees or a combina- tion of the three. This was mostly due to the Ottawa water project. In the last four years, we have been decreasing our debts by ap- proximately $1 million per year while still maintaining and upgrading our infrastruc- tures.” - Pierre Leroux “Sound management, like any successful business, must be applied to the township. What can a business do with a debt of over $30 million?” - Donald St-Pierre “The Township’s current debt of over $30 million is excessive. In addition, $6.5 mil- lion in contracts were awarded without tenderSpending without using the proper tendering process is also a situation that needs to be addressed immediately in order to be able tomanage our expenses in a cost- e"cient fashion.” - Ron Thériault ...priorities for new infrastructure Due to the increasing residential growth, we will need to have new recreation facilities that could include a combination of the following: multiple ice pads, indoor pool, Embrun library branch, walking track, !tness centre, sports dome etc… In the area surrounding the re- creation facility you could see soccer !elds,
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Les 19 adolescent(e)s, les 16 adultes et les 48 enfants du camp catholique Casselman vous souhaite un Joyeux Noël et en profite pour remercier tous ses commanditaires de l’année 2014 : Club Richelieu, Club Optimiste, Comptoir Populaire Deguires, R.D. Legault Seeds Ltd., Métro, No Frills, Tigre Géant, Le Havre, Résidence St-François, Chevaliers de Colomb, École élémentaire catholique Casselman pavillon St-Paul, U.C.F.O., Comité Pastorale Jeunesse Casselman.
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