Duane Hicks
Fort Frances has been hit hard in the past couple years but it is not down for the count.
And at such a crucial point in the town’s history, incumbent mayoral candidate Roy Avis would like another four years to help “build a future for this great community.”
Avis, who been mayor since 2006 and a councillor for three three-year terms before that, said he still has much to offer.
“I understand the needs of the community. I have been tested and it proves that I have the education, business background, and experience to again be the leader of this great community,” he noted.
“I am considerate and realize the diversity within the town,” he added. “I know the decisions I make affect every individual and business.”
Avis said he is dependable, approachable, and has a 24/7, 365 days a year philosophy.
“All decisions are made in an unbiased manner that reflect the thoughts of the majority of the citizens,” he remarked.
Avis, who was born and raised in Fort Frances and, along with his wife, Barb, helped raise their family here, believes in honesty and transparency, and his decisions at the council table always are affordable, fall within the Municipal Act, and satisfy the majority of citizens.
“I have always used the slogan ‘more for less,’ and as your leader, we have achieved a good balance over the last eight years,” said Avis, who has been involved in the family business, West End Motors, for the past 45 years.
Avis has taken an active role in the town’s economic development moreso than ever in recent years, and wants to continue to help steer the town in a positive direction.
“The path to success is good infrastructure, being investment ready, and offering a full-service community,” he said.
Not only does this apply to attracting new businesses, but it also makes Fort Frances “an attractive place to live and raise a family.”
Avis stressed that “people are our biggest asset.”
“It is very apparent that as our population ages, we must support an assisted living project,” he remarked. “This should not be seen as a burden on taxpayers but as an economic stimulant.”
Avis also said Fort Frances must continue to develop business partnerships with surrounding communities and First Nations.
At present, the town gets rid of Mine Centre’s waste at the landfill here, and supplies sewer and water to Couchiching First Nation. The town presently is exploring a solar farm project with the First Nations Relations Advisory Committee.
“We have a great opportunity to try and reposition our mill, and myself and our EDAC [Economic Development Advisory Committee] see this as a top priority,” noted Avis.
The town also has developed programs for small business support, in-fill incentives for residential housing, and developed residential building lots to get ready for the future.
“We have invested in our tourist industry with the help of the provincial government,” Avis said. “We have opened the tourist information centre and are developing a downtown market square.”
Fort Frances was gifted Sunny Cove Camp by the local Kiwanis Club, and now the town works with the club to improve it and keep it running.
“The camp is used for the positive development of district youth today and in the future,” Avis said.
Mining also is at the forefront, said Avis, noting council has supported it whenever possible and will continue to do so.
The town is investment-ready and has been promoting its low-cost industrial lots and electricity, which is 45 percent less expensive than all other areas in Ontario, he pointed out.
Infrastructure repairs are a top priority for Avis, too.
“Knowing the hardships a family can experience with poor infrastructure, I have adopted the policy that every citizen deserves clean, potable water and a dependable sewer system at the most reasonable cost,” he remarked.
“After many years of neglect, this has been made a priority,” he stressed. “We commissioned an asset management plan and found 17 percent of our roads are in poor condition, [and] 64 percent of our water lines and 70 percent of our sewer lines are in poor condition.
The town has developed a business plan that deals with improvements in an affordable manner. Over eight years, the town has spent $26.1 million on road, sewer, and water repairs.
At the same time, council has accumulated a water and sewer reserve to deal with possibly catastrophic failures.
“Knowing the key to our future success is developing our community, infrastructure replacement must be a top priority,” Avis stressed.
“Going forward, we must find the balance between taxes, sewer and water increases, and the amount of infrastructure we repair yearly,” he added.
“It took 100 years to get where we are today, and we cannot expect our citizens to carry the full load,” Avis reasoned. “We must continue asking senior government for assistance.”
A dwindling industrial tax base due to loss of assessment has made budget time tougher than ever for council in recent years.
If hypothetically the town were to face a $1.8-million shortfall during its 2015 budget process, Avis said council should be both prudent and innovative.
First, council would have to determine whether the shortfall is caused by a decrease in revenue or an increase in operating costs. Once that is determined, council and administration could put an action plan into place.
“Is the increase from a controllable or non-controllable expense?” he asked. “Is it in the capital budget or the operating budget? Have the grants from the government changed or is it a combination of all?
“I must look at the revenue part of the budget and determine the assessment from each class.
“I then consider if there were any capital items that could be deferred to next year,” Avis said. “Can we use reserves to offset some of the capital cost?
“After extensive scrutiny, I would determine exactly why the problem occurred and this would help me make a decision on how we would mitigate the impact.”
During this process, the management team always is available for a resource and offers information to council when needed.
“Consideration must be given to acceptable levels of increase in taxes, user fees, and service delivery fees,” Avis said.
“At a $1.8-million shortfall, that would be approximately a 12 percent increase—totally unacceptable,” he remarked.
“Taxes must be affordable, user fees acceptable, and service delivery fees reasonable in order to have a healthy community.”
At a time like this, other alternatives should be considered, such as two years ago when council asked non-union employees if a wage freeze for one year was acceptable and they agreed.
“I have always been of the opinion that through this process, a balance between services and cost increases must be found in order to have a community that is vibrant and will attract families and businesses,” said Avis.
“We must be innovative, keeping in mind that prudent business decisions will make for a strong community in the future,” he added.
For more information on Mayor Avis and his re-election campaign, visit royavis.ca
