1. The community that we live in will only be as good as the honest efforts made by the elected representatives and carried out by their staff. The last 4 years have been marked by numerous costly scandals and a growing acceptance of an outside agenda. The current Council do not appear to be very responsive or open to public opinion, particularly when it comes to anything that challenges the status quo. Indeed, they appear content to accept whatever recommendations are made by staff, Renfrew County or the Province without honestly considering the best interests of the residents and taxpayers of Whitewater Region. I believe that fundamental changes must be made for this area to survive and prosper. I have the desire and the interest to help be a part of positive change in Whitewater Region.
2. The Township of Whitewater Region is a corporation and the residents and taxpayers in the area are the collective shareholders or owners of this Corporation. In any Corporation there are a group of Directors who are responsible for determining and implementing the policies of the Corporation. The elected Council are the Directors for the corporation of the Township of Whitewater Region. Directors of a Corporation are required to exercise the following duties:
Avoid any conflict of interest in discharging their duties;
Exercise caution and competence in all situations;
Maintain confidentiality of privileged information and not use it for personal gain;
Deal with other Directors and stakeholders without bias or favour;
Not engage in any conduct that will embarrass the company;
Exercise independent judgement and strive towards collective decisions that will benefit the company; and
Act in good faith in the best interests of the company
3. Four years ago, I decided to return to the town I was born and raised in. When I learned that the local newspaper was being closed forever, I led the effort to have it continue operation. For almost two years I invested my time, my finances and my heart and soul in trying continue this community resource. Ultimately, the challenges that face all print based operations became too great to overcome and it was closed. Like many people I miss this community resource and although it was not successful, I am glad I at least made the effort to rescue it.
Upon my return to the area, I became the Treasurer of the Beachburg Agricultural Society. In the past three years the Beachburg fair was been recognized as one of the best fairs in the Ottawa Valley and has become known for their innovation and progressive spirit. In 2013 the President of the Beachburg Agricultural Society was selected for a national award as the Canadian Fair Champion after I nominated and submitted his narrative. I think anyone on this Board would tell you that I have been a positive force in the past three years.
As a retired military member, I have been an active in the Royal Canadian Legion since my return to the area. In 2013 and to date, I have been elected to the Executive of this Branch as the Treasurer. I have implemented the Legion’s new desired reporting formats and have supported the continued growth of this community resource.
Since my return to the area I have been an active member and supporter of the Cobden Curling Club. I have become a shareholder of the club and actively support any of the activities and events that are held there.
In 2014 I was the organizer and Chairman of the Whitewater RAM Rodeo that brought thousands of visitors to Whitewater for an exciting new event.
4. I can work with others to achieve goals beneficial to the Region;
I am respectful in my dealings with all people;
I have no affiliations or ties and will always act in the best interests of Whitewater Region;
As a Certified General Accountant I understand business and financial concepts such as operating and capital budgets, balance sheets, reserves and capitalization which are required to effectively run the corporation;
As the past owner of multiple businesses I have the marketing and other business skills to effectively guide a Township corporation;
I embrace continuous learning and growth and am open to new ideas and concepts; and
I am computer and internet literate and actively learn and research using these tools.
5. The new council should determine and articulate a Vision for this Region and the values that are most important for the residents and taxpayers. From this exercise there will be a number of areas that require much attention. However, in a general sense the new Council should look at ways to enhance the way they interact with the people who just elected them. They should find new ways of doing business that enhances their accountability to the electorate during their term rather than just at election time. They should become more accessible and transparent to the electorate and proactively find ways to engage with them. Finally, they should adopt the principle of stewardship in all of their decisions and actions and recognize that they have a fiduciary responsibility to the residents and taxpayers of this region.
6. I was the founder and Chairman of the first RAM Rodeo in Whitewater Region. I felt it was important to create a new event that would bring people from other areas to Whitewater. The Whitewater Council must be open to promoting new and existing events that bring tourist dollars to this Region.
7. The issue is not that there aren’t funds available. The issue is the age old conflict between urban and rural areas and the fight for a fair share of the funding. There is obviously lots of money available for urban transit systems. Fortunately for us, we have a strong and supportive MPP in John Yakabuskie and we need to engage with him to fight for our share of the provincial funds. Council must be proactive in taking this message and fight forward to the provincial level.
8. I’m not sure what role the municipal Council plays in road design. However, to the extent that it has any influence in this process, I would be supportive of lobbying for the agricultural priorities that are important to our way of life in Whitewater Region.
9. Similar to question 8, I’m not aware of the role that municipal council plays in new road design. However, to the extent that we have any influence, I am already on record stating that Council must be more accountable, accessible and transparent in all of their actions. With our agricultural focus, it would be paramount to incorporate agricultural input into any new road or bridge design for this region.
10. Agriculture is the cornerstone for this community and local Council should be open and receptive to any economic opportunities related to it. However, Council should be ready to proactively promote any economic development that will enhance this Region.
11. Residents of communities that had natural rivalries were forced into amalgamation. It may take years and even generations for these tendencies to be erased. However, I feel that the elimination of the ward system is a step in the right direction. Residents must now look at all council candidates and select those that have the best interests of the Region at heart. Council meetings for the past four years have often featured pleas and arguments that were obviously catered towards the ward or community that a councillor represented. Future council meetings should have a focus on the policies and actions that are beneficial for Whitewater rather than any particular community within it. When I organized the RAM Rodeo, I was insistent that it be called the Whitewater RAM Rodeo because this event was designed for the benefit of the entire region. This same focus and thinking must be applied to ongoing municipal operations.
12. We must work with our MPP to ensure we obtain adequate funding for road maintenance.
13. Fire protection is an essential service and Whitewater Region residents are entitled to have adequate protection. Council should be willing to examining the best ways to deliver this essential service in the most affordable manner.
14. Yes. The historical events that have led to the current state of Muskrat Lake are well known and well documented. Previous Councils have failed in their stewardship responsibilities by remaining largely silent on this issue until backed into a corner. Even now they are relying on a Water Quality task force to do the heavy lifting that is required to start making meaningful changes to the water quality in Muskrat Lake.
15. Council must ensure they object to and fight any actions taken by MNR or other agencies that are not in the best interests of the assets of Whitewater Region.
16. Whitewater Region is blessed with an abundance of recreational assets. We should promote all of these and our area as a destination.
17. Municipalities are required to have a balanced budget. If policing costs escalate as predicted, Council will have to make hard choices that involve reducing services or increasing taxes. Voters should elect a candidate that has financial experience and who is willing to think outside the box when searching for the best solutions. Voters should also elect the candidates that will incorporate their voices in the process so they end up with the optimal result.
18. In the spring of 2013 a decision was being considered by the current council to contract with the Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA). Along with another concerned citizen, I published and widely circulated a warning that adopting this proposal would cause financial hardship and not be in the best interests of Whitewater taxpayers. I encouraged council to hold open sessions to review this proposal and take input from concerned citizens. Council proceeded with this contract without any public debate and refused the input of a 30 year veteran employee who knew more about water regulations than the entire council combined. One councillor was even quoted in the newspaper saying that this decision would save taxpayers money. Yet less than a year later, there are no water reserves, limited sewer reserves and skyrocketing costs. To have any chance of controlling the future costs, the new council must first find a way to regain local control of this vital community service.
19. I filed to run for council in January because I knew I could make a positive difference if elected. I’m willing to do the work to be a trusted representative for all Whitewater residents. Early in my candidacy I made it clear that the principles that I feel are important for any elected official to embrace and practice are accountability, accessibility, stewardship and transparency. For a more detailed description of what these mean to me, my experience and my historical ties to the local area please visit my website at www.howardwinters.com.
