Congratulations to our new councillors in Oakland-Wawanesa! Here’s the final count in Thursday’s by-election, as provided by municipal staff: Ward 2 Craig Hatch 145 Glen Kirby 91 Neil Bok 17 Ward 3 Shaun Cory 91 Delbert Winters 40 I want to thank everyone who supported me, including my family, friends and new […]
Election day is Thursday and I am encouraging everyone to vote, if you haven’t already. History’s great thinkers say we get the government we deserve, so use your ‘x’ wisely. You want a fair tax solution. You want council to work collaboratively, respectfully and transparently. You want good roads and infrastructure to serve existing residents […]
Our current wards do not allow for ratepayers to be fairly represented and may even contravene the Municipal Act. Win or lose on Thursday, I challenge council to correct the imbalance between population and council seats. Provincial regulations specify that wards within a municipality should contain roughly the same number of voters. This gives equal […]
Top Concerns Among Ward Two Voters POSTED JUNE 13,2019 GLEN KIRBY At campaign stops across our municipality, I ask farmers and acreage owners, “What does council need to work on?” Everyone has an opinion and it’s surprising how often those opinions hit the same themes. From my discussions with residents in Ward Two, here’s the list […]
I submitted my council nomination papers on Friday, which means the good folks in Ward Two of Oakland-Wawanesa will have to make a choice on June 20. Neil Bok and I are seeking the vacant seat in Ward Two. More could still join the race because nominations are open until May 15. To all candidates […]
Beyond the money…beyond the need for a fair tax solution…Oakland-Wawanesa council has to start showing respect for rural residents. I’m hoping it happens Friday May 2, when I appeal again for council to correct a tax imbalance in place since amalgamation and shift $139,872 in rural taxes onto Wawanesa ratepayers. You can read more about […]
What is the price for taxation fairness in Oakland-Wawanesa? It’s $139,872. That’s how much Oakland taxes will subsidize Wawanesa in 2019, unless this council ends a taxation imbalance that started with the 2015 amalgamation. Chart 1a shows Oakland paying 86% of At Large taxes compared to Wawanesa, despite rural residents making up only 65% of […]
Since 2015, Oakland-Wawanesa council has repeatedly dismissed calls to fix the budget imbalance in which Oakland pays disproportionately more than Wawanesa for shared services. With another municipal budget expected to be approved on May 2, I want to recap council’s unwillingness to find a fair tax solution: August 2015. Council muzzles rural councillor Dennis Rome […]
During the April 15 public meeting in Nesbitt, I formally asked council to delay passage of the 2019 budget until new councillors are elected to replace Dennis Rome and Barry Fowell, who resigned in March. The unexpected departures give Wawanesa council members a 3-2 voting edge over the remaining rural councillors and seriously undercut Oakland’s […]
I am campaigning for election in Ward Two – Rural North and ask for your vote on June 20. Although we just elected a new council last October, two rural councillors unexpectedly resigned in March. That’s forced by-elections in Ward Two and Ward Three – Rural South. I encourage you to read the resignation letters […]