Robert Peace, whose campaign logo features the anti-war ‘peace’ hand gesture, was the first at last night’s mayors’ forum to take off the gloves and lay his bare hands on his fellow candidates.
Peace threw in the first political hay of the evening, accusing frontrunner Matthew Shoemaker of having a plan to ‘reduce’ or ‘eliminate’ one-time fees paid by developers to help defray the cost of city services, including roads, public transit, community centers and fire and police facilities.
In fact, the city of Sault Ste. Marie has no such fees and promotes this fact to attract potential investors.
“I would like to clarify just one thing,” Shoemaker said.
“There are no development charges in the Sault. My friend didn’t do his research well.”
“And if I’m mayor, there will be no development fees for the next four years,” Shoemaker said.
Development charges are based on the belief that growth should help pay the price for growth.
Peace says they are needed.
“Waiving development fees, as Mr. Shoemaker proposes, is a losing streak.”
“We need to increase our tax base, but not lose our tax base,” he said last night.
Shoemaker wants to boost the city’s economic development fund by half a million dollars a year to support things like the recent expansion of Tenaris Algoma Tubes.
But he doesn’t want to collect development charges to do so.
Peace, on the other hand, offers to do just that.
“I’m going to invoke development charges to help pay for roads and things that taxpayers are tired of having to subsidize on behalf of these developers,” he said.
In a clear reference to fellow mayoral candidates Shoemaker and Hilsinger, Peace said, “I’ve heard since coming to Sault that City Hall is not a transparent place. Two of my opponents were part of this system, and as far as I can see haven’t done much to change things.”
“People want more transparency. They want to know more about what’s going on.”
Ozzie Grandinetti, a former city councilman, also joined in the campaign fight.
“A vote for me is a vote for you, the people of Sault Ste. Marie, not the alumni club that controls every aspect of how your money is spent, unlike Councilman Shoemaker,” Grandinetti said.
“All endorsements from mayors, councilors, MLAs and union leaders are nice. But the endorsements I really want are me from you people of Sault Ste. Marie.”
Without naming names, Grandinetti came down hard on polluting companies.
“We always seem to be talking about going green with electric lawn mowers and electric vehicles. Why aren’t we talking about suing our major polluting businesses that are located here in Sault Ste. Marie?”
“We have one of the dirtiest industries in the world and no one, including the federal and provincial governments, seems to be doing anything about it.”
“They contaminated a certain site that the city now owns. I think we should force them to pay, rather than the city taxpayers footing the bill,” Grandinetti said.
Robert Peace addressed the same issue.
“There is local industry polluting here,” he said.
“We need to make them more accountable and just not allow them to pay the fines they pay, when we see them polluting with our own eyes every day. This is no longer acceptable. We need to hold them accountable.”
The other two candidates, Donna Hilsinger and Tobin Kern, refrained from attacking other candidates.
“Our current plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is not ambitious enough,” Hilsinger said.
“I think it can be shortened by 10 years to net zero by 2040.”
Hilsinger said she also wanted to transform Sault Ste. Marie in the city with the most green space per capita in Canada.
Tobin Kern talked about selling municipal parking lots to create more affordable housing.
“We need more affordable housing stock,” Kern said.
“Canada is abysmal when it comes to social housing compared to most OECD countries.”
“The situation is dire. Market housing is too volatile and too expensive, so we need to look at all possible measures, even considering selling the city’s assets,” Kern said.
Despite his attacks on other candidates and harsh criticism from city staff, Robert Peace described himself as possessing an empathetic heart.
“Talking tough is not enough,” he said.
“We have to respect the council and its opinions.”
“We need to respect the City staff and make them feel part of something new and exciting.”
“I believe I’m the candidate who can do it,” said the man called Peace.
