Efficient, Effective Government

Initiatives I have taken or supported in this regard include:

• Introduced an opportunity for employees to pursue further training and education, obtaining skills and confidence to move forward in their field within the organization and be awarded for their positive efforts…ensuring that the Town is perceived as a great place to work, where succession planning is emphasized

• Streamlined the Town’s committees, reporting regimes and communication

• Brought in mail-in voting in the interest of part time residents and the convenience of others

• Along with your Deputy Mayor, Duncan McKinlay, communicated effectively with all orders of government, but particularly as a member of county council to get more of our tax dollars back into our town and bring million of dollars of funding to the community

• Ensured that our strategic plans that the community as a whole has invested in are used and not shelved

• Encouraged meetings with Collingwood to start a Joint Services Board to focus on potential cost savings in shared services between the Towns

• Encouraged accessibility and an open door policy to the Mayor’s office

To my mind, successful government requires breaking down barriers, and looking beyond borders.  Dealing with other orders of government in a progressive, professional manner is key to achieving recognition, respect and understanding of our various issues.  We must collectively lobby our upper governing bodies to take back responsibility of the downloading that has occurred throughout Ontario.  When governments transfer their responsibilities to improve their financial profile, we are the ones that suffer while our costs rise.

Over the years, I have initiated meetings with all orders of government (locally through to nationally) to share and voice common interests and concerns, and I have learned firsthand the benefits we stand to gain from working together and learning from one another.