SCOTT KRIENKE-TURVEY (2014 election)

Being born, raised, and educated in southern Ontario, I come with different perspective than many of the candidates.
I have been a resident of the northwest for 11 years, eight of which I resided in Fort Frances.
Six years ago, I met lifelong resident Darlyss Krienke—a woman with a passion for the community and who has been an active volunteer throughout her adult life—and married her.
Together, Darlyss and I continue to be active supporting the community. I serve as a Kiwanis director, served on the Fun in the Sun committee, and was a Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship director.
After six years of post-secondary education, I have owned, operated, and managed three businesses in the last 20 years. Currently, I own EnviroClean Housekeeping Services and together with my wife, Darlyss, own Ink Spotz Apparel+.
I also worked for the Town of Fort Frances for four years and served as union steward for two. I was a representative for the union during the last rounds of contract negotiations.
I bring a unique perspective to the table. I am from a community (Port Colborne) that has not only suffered the loss of its tax base, but thrives because of its willingness to change.
As your councillor, I will work tirelessly to represent you and make Fort Frances a place of economic growth through community spirit.
I will support fresh, executable ideas, fiscal responsibility, and council transparency.
According to the town’s asset management plan, council should be contributing more dollars each budget year to replace aging infrastructure. Right now, contributions reportedly are one-fifth of what they should be.
I have to ask where the numbers are coming from? I personally do not believe their validity and that the asset plan need to be revised.
If the town were facing a $1.8-million shortfall in its 2015 budget, this is what council could do to address it.
I believe that after nearly a decade of three-percent property tax increases, property taxes must be frozen for the next two years and then minimal increases (in the one-two percent range) thereafter if required.
I believe we need to trim unnecessary management and broaden the reduced management pool to cover all responsibilities. I also think all management wages and benefits ought to be frozen for the council term.
Currently there is half-a-million dollars in unnecessary management wages and benefits that could be trimmed.
I believe that non-recreational user fees need to be revisited. Things such as the first free bag of refuge may have to become a thing of the past, however, should you drop off bagged garbage to the landfill, then residential garbage would be accepted free.
Our airport fees also need to be revisited. For example, fuel and parking subsidies need to be a thing of the past.
It is things like these small wastes that add up to create the budget shortages.