Candidate Name: Tony Bell
Position Sought: Councillor
Email: bluewatermachine@gmail.com
Phone: W: 519-538-4442 H: 519-376-5538
Bio:
I have deep roots here and I care deeply about the municipality. I live on my ancestral home farm with my Wife in Silcote. I am a local business owner of a machine shop in Meaford. I am the immediate past president of the local Br. 32 Legion Meaford, I also volunteer my time with the Owen Sound Army Cadets.
Explain your primary reasons for your decision to seek election to Meaford council:
My reason to seek re-election is to continue to make positive changes in our service levels and policy making. For instance, raising the snow removal policy up from the ON Provincial minimum standards and during the COVID pandemic I forwarded a motion to change the policy from 1 member of Council to 3 members of Council to have voice on the emergency control group. Another reason I have is to promote independent business including the Agri sector all throughout our great municipality. I wish to continue advocating for keeping our bridges open and improving our roads to keep our people moving and connected.
In your view, what should be the top priorities for the council that is elected on October 24?
Some top priorities of mine are:
- Re-opening the twin bridges between Bognor and Chatsworth, as the county has recognised ownership of the long span. So, let’s get it done.
- Keep taxes to the 4-5% range when planning this coming budget.
- Try to utilize the reserve funds where appropriate, rather than incurring more long-term debt. Seeking and targeting upper-level source funding.
- To be more creative with developers and our zoning when planning growth in the community. There are many ways to bring good homes to our Municipality which can fill the needs and gaps in home buying and living.
Explain the role of councillor (or Mayor/Deputy Mayor) as you understand it.
There’s a fine line between council’s overall stewardship and the administrations day to day management. Council directs and guides the municipality. We represent the people and the general well being by listening to folks who take the time to talk with us. We engage with them and spend time with them, their views matter. We set service levels, primarily during the two-day budget process (which I motioned for), looking at the operational and capital expenditures. Setting policy is exactly what council does by doing notices of motion to make changes too or adding something new.
