Two political veterans from here are contenders for the Ward 9 seat at Wellington County council.
They faced off in front of about 75 ratepayers at Main Place here on Oct. 7.
Challenger Ken Chapman, a 13-year veteran of Erin council, has been a resident of Erin for 38 years.
He described himself as a dedicated volunteer in various sporting organizations, as a founding member of the Erin Optimists and as a driving force behind McMillan Park. He said that he has ample time to devote to county issues since he retired from his job as a construction site supervisor.
George Root has served in public office for 24 years as a councillor and as deputy-reeve on Erin council. A life long resident, he farmed for 30 years, and later worked for the Upper Grand District School Board. He said he has shown his ability to work well with others, and he always displayed sound fiscal management.
Both candidates addressed the ambulance issue. They agreed an ambulance based in Erin is a necessity. Chapman said he would press the issue at county council. Root stated that an Erin-based ambulance would actually help the services based at Guelph.
Several of the questions concerned the deteriorating relations between Erin and the county, and between the county and the City of Guelph. Root said the best strategy is to present Erin’s position strongly, and to work on a united front with the Erin mayor.
Chapman did not see relations between Erin and the county as particularly bad. He thought the north part of Wellington is over-represented at the county council table, and that Erin’s county councillor and its mayor need to work closely to address issues.
Erin’s ambulance service was on the minds of many ratepayers.
Chapman noted the provider of the service, Guelph, had been uncooperative. He advocated a county ambulance service, independent of that in Guelph.
Root thought the issue could be resolved with more goodwill on all sides. He also said a public-private partnership might be a way to resolve the problem in Erin.
Another question raised the issue of the county tax rate. Root said he would use his influence to keep costs down. He noted the county has special problems, such as the costs of social services, which rise during poor economic times. He said the public expects services, but at the same time there is a need to hold the line.
Chapman said the county has a serious spending problem, with annual budget increases well above the level of inflation.
He said the county should be prepared to tackle major projects when provincial and federal grants are available. He also wants to see the county’s share of gasoline tax revenue go directly into the operating budget, not into reserves, to keep the tax rate down.
One questioner, on a lighter note, asked why Wellington has no signs posted for turtle crossings.
Chapman was not sure that is a county-wide issue, though he admitted Erin seemed to have a large turtle population. Root asked if anyone knew the places where numbers of turtles cross the roads. He also wondered how many signs would be needed.
A voter asked how technology could be better employed to keep the public informed.
Root said he had experienced some problems in securing high-speed internet at his residence. He wondered if that was even a county issue, but could see a role for the county in working with suppliers to ensure that all residents had access to high-speed service.
Chapman said the county had negotiated an agreement with a supplier to provide county-wide service, but that firm had gone into bankruptcy. The county has a new arrangement to provide service to 75% of the county.
He stated such coverage was insufficient at a time when many people work at home at least part of the time. His view is that high-speed service is a necessity and an environmentally sound policy because it can reduce the amount of commuting by residents.
In their concluding remarks, Root promised to be a fair and thoughtful representative, and an effective voice for Erin. Chapman returned to finances in his conclusion, noting he had a track record for voting against tax increases.
