It didn’t take long for a Guelph-Eramosa all candidates’ debate on Tuesday night to get personal.
After brief introductions, a resident wondered what candidates thought of proposals to cut staff, lower councillor wages, and cut other costs.
Incumbent councillor candidate Doug Breen said he disagrees with his ward 3 opponent, Teressa Gibson Smye, who suggested removing the position of the Chief Administration Officer (CAO).
“If you cut the head off a chicken, it tends to run around like a chicken with its head cut off,” Breen said. “To suggest eliminating the chief of staff … shows an incredible lack of understanding of what the job actually entails.”
But Gibson Smye said she sticks by the proposal, noting the CAO makes over $100,000 per year.
“I do not believe we have the wherewithal to support that kind of salary,” she said.
As for expenses, she said the current system is being “horrifically abused” by certain councillors, who often charge the township for expenses related to their attendance at events organized by volunteers.
Incumbent mayoral candidate Chris White said being on council is not a volunteer position and the remuneration system is laid out in township bylaws.
“I’ve been an extremely active mayor,” White said, acknowledging his expenses have increased in recent years.
He noted previous councillors “may not have billed for anything, but the results speak for themselves.” He explained $9-million in capital grants have allowed the township to reinvest in the community, in the form of road and bridge projects.
As for eliminating staff, White said that should be discussed at any council at any time. However, he finds it “a little disturbing” that a specific individual has been singled out. He said the CAO has been a municipal employee for 30 years and is paid accordingly.
As for other staff, the township has added night patrols as well as three positions to help with the municipality’s takeover of water services, added White.
Mayoral candidate Clint Martin said White “has a great habit of taking credit for what somebody else does.” He added some of the infrastructure projects White mentioned were initiated when he was mayor, as were the night patrols.
“You didn’t do a damn thing when you were elected as a councillor,” Martin said.
That caused moderator Tim Laing to caution candidates about sticking to the issues, a sentiment that was supported by the audience. Most clapped and several loudly voiced their disapproval of the personal comments.
Like Breen, Ward 2 candidate Nicholas Dalton said he did not have a problem with the current remuneration paid to council.
“It shouldn’t be a volunteer position, because so much responsibility goes with it,” said Dalton.
However, Ward 2 candidate John Gough said he believes in a “pay for performance” model, which means some salaries would be lowered while others could rise from current levels.
Another major issue brought up at the meeting was if the two school board candidates would commit to keeping local children in local schools, instead of shipping them to Guelph.
Incumbent Ralph Edwards said a previous boundary review made it very clear residents don’t want their kids going to Guelph. He said if the township’s population does explode there are several possible solutions, including a partnership with the Catholic board on a new school, but residents should keep in mind most of the say rests with the province.
Kathryn Cooper agreed “rural kids should go to rural schools,” and said the board needs to be open and transparent throughout the process of trying to find short and long-term solutions.
Several residents wondered what the township can do to calm traffic through Eden Mills, where they said speeding is a chronic problem.
White said the township is in the middle of examining the problem and should address the issue in the first quarter of next year. He added he is not willing to commit to a specific item, and any solutions need to be applicable throughout the municipality and have buy-in from the whole community.
Martin said he is committed to installing speed humps, and mentioned the possibility of using ones that are removable in the winter.
Breen and Ward 4 candidate Steven Liebig agreed something should be done as soon as possible to address the issue.
Ward 4 incumbent John Scott said the township takes speed complaints seriously and will review every request, although enforcement is also important.
