Be part of the team

The ballots are out. Many have already chosen their candidates and have sent them back into the town to be counted. In today’s edition of the Fort Frances Times, candidates were invited to tell the community about their backgrounds and their reasons they wanted to be part of the municipal council and school board.
It is now up to the electorate to make their determination on who should lead for the next three years in Fort Frances.
For the last two months, the community has been focused on the deficits that were rung up in 2002 and the potential shortfall of funds that appears to be accumulating in 2003. By the time the new council takes office on December 31 the current council should have tackled those deficits and will have implemented stronger controls in to ensuring that the problem does not reoccur.
The new council will immediately be called upon to plan for the next year and must begin the process of strategically planning the use of resources for the next five years. That will require an understanding of the town’s assets . . . land availability, sewer and water services, road infrastructure and financial resources.
Council will be called upon, in developing a strategic plan, to listen to the community. Council will have to ask: What services does the community lack? Are there services required to maintain a healthy aging population? What businesses exist in the community that could expand and create new jobs? Are there businesses the community is lacking?
What types of business can the community attract that could add value to products already manufactured or to resources that are available across the Rainy River district? What can the community do to make itself more attractive?
Council will then have to begin working with the community to prioritize their strategies and focus their resources according to these priorities. The process must be open and accessible to the public. Citizens and businesses have as much at risk as council.
This election calls for the building of a team. The team will be bigger than just council itself. Every citizen of the community must be a member of the team, and this election allows us to choose the captains.
Read what each candidate has to say. Determine who you want to choose to be the captains. If you have additional questions that are unanswered by any candidate, make it your responsibility to contact them personally.
Then cast your ballot to create a council that will look to and plan for the future.