Greater Sudbury Ward 2 candidates want fair taxation for residents

NOTE:This is the second installment of CBCSudbury'sward-by-ward series of interviews with GreaterSudburymunicipal election candidates.

Morning North6:55Sudbury's 12 wards - Ward 2

We continue our profiles of the wards in Greater Sudbury. Ward 2 covers Copper Cliff, Lively and points West. The incumbent councillor has some stiff opposition this time. The CBC's Erik White looks at the people and the politics of Sudbury's Ward 2.

Jacques Barbeau

Age:48

Occupation:Construction

Community involvement:

• 20 years as coach for Walden Minor Hockey Association
• Eightyears as as association president
• Eightyears as city councillor

Top 3 issues for whole city:

1. Roads and Infrastructure (both capital expenditures and operational dollars)
2. Taxes.Maintaining the service levels we demand and are accustomed to while keeping the tax increases to a minimum ( this includes lobbying the provincial and federal governments for more support)
3. Environment and lake quality

Top 3 issues for your ward:

Same as above

How would you have voted on the following resolutions from this past term?Please respond with yes or no.

(From Feb. 10, 2011) Should the city scrap its bylaw 2004-204 regulating when retail stores are allowed to open and close?

No

(From Feb. 12/26 2012) Should the city remove the Ontario Ombudsman as it's closed meeting investigator and instead retain a firm calledAmberleyGavel?

Yes

(From Dec. 5, 2012) Should the city continue to give each councillor a $50,000 Healthy Communities Initiative Fund to spend in their ward?

Yes

(From Oct. 9, 2013) Should the city fast-track plans for a new arena replacing theSudburyArena with the aim of having the project underway by the end of 2014?

No

(From Dec. 11, 2013) Should council approve the 2014 budget with a 2.9% property tax increase?

Yes

Chad Odonokon

Age:27

Occupation:Operations manager OCL Trucking

Community involvement:

• Special events committee for Sudbury art gallery
• Golf for a Cure sponsor

Top 3 issues for whole city:

1. Residential and commercial development
2. Support of the arts
3. Green andhealthy, active living

Top 3 issues for your ward:

1. Public transit
2. Road maintenance
3. City services, youth programs

How would you have voted on the following resolutions from this past term?Please respond with yes or no.

(From Feb. 10, 2011) Should the city scrap its bylaw 2004-204 regulating when retail stores are allowed to open and close?

Yes

(From Feb. 12/26 2012) Should the city remove the Ontario Ombudsman as it's closed meeting investigator and instead retain a firm calledAmberleyGavel?

No

(From Dec. 5, 2012) Should the city continue to give each councillor a $50,000 Healthy Communities Initiative Fund to spend in their ward?

No

(From Oct. 9, 2013) Should the city fast-track plans for a new arena replacing theSudburyArena with the aim of having the project underway by the end of 2014?

No

(From Dec. 11, 2013) Should council approve the 2014 budget with a 2.9% property tax increase?

No

Website:www.chadodnokon.com

Joseph Palmateer

Age: 39

Occupation:Reseacher, Writer, Land Scaping, Janitorial.

Community involvement: I do volunteer work, but not always at specific organizations, though I helped out at the Sudbury Food Bank doing one of my favourite things, which is yard work.

Top 3 issues for whole city:

1. Road Repair, everyone complains of it.
2. Installation of more power conserving street lights, when the city can save on utility costs, then everyone saves in the long run and so does the environment.
3. More carefully listen to the public's opinion on all issues and return a full and yet easy to understand explanation to the public as to why or why not the City Council will act on such opinions, because the citizens of Greater Sudbury had enough with being left in the dark.

Top 3 issues for your ward:

1. Getting a different tax bracket system put into place if possible, for the out skirt communities of the Greater City of Sudbury, which pay more in tax and yet do not have equal services.
2. To try to improve upon the services they do have, so as to not feel neglected compared to the rest of the city.
3. To help promote more self-reliant community business growth, to strengthen the community financially and socially.

How would you have voted on the following resolutions from this past term?Please respond with yes or no.

Sorry.But I wish it could be easily explained with a yes or no answer, yet it isn't that clear cut. But I'll keep it short.

(From Feb. 10, 2011) Should the city scrap its bylaw 2004-204 regulating when retail stores are allowed to open and close?

Yes. Only as long as it can be assured that the employee's have the right to still choose to work or not, and will not be reprimanded for it, due to it legally being still a statutory holiday.

(From Feb. 12/26 2012) Should the city remove the Ontario Ombudsman as it's closed meeting investigator and instead retain a firm called Amberley Gavel?

NO.

(From Dec. 5, 2012) Should the city continue to give each councillor a $50,000 Healthy Communities Initiative Fund to spend in their ward?

Yes. Some legitcommunity organizations or community issues which may need funding, sometimes fall through the cracks of the system and end up in a financial short fall, which such funding can determine their continuation or closing. Money should be given directly by the city and not the councillor, due to the great potential that it has to become misused through acts of special favoritism.

(From Oct. 9, 2013) Should the city fast-track plans for a new arena replacing the Sudbury Arena with the aim of having the project underway by the end of 2014?

Yes. But the arena complex should contain upper floor office rental space to offset some of the future cost of the complex.

(From Dec. 11, 2013) Should council approve the 2014 budget with a 2.9% property tax increase?

No

Michael Vagnini

Did not answers CBC's Questionnaire, but did send this response:

In his thirty years of work in the financial services industry, Michael has risen to leadership positions such as President of the local Financial Advisors Association of Sudbury and sat on the National Leadership Council for the Financial Advisors Association of Canada. Hes a Certified Financial planner, Chartered Financial Consultant and Chartered Life Underwriter. Recently, Michael advocated for the passing of Bill 157 (Standards for Financial Advisors), a piece of provincial legislation aimed atprotecting consumers. He understands the importance of government in people's lives and what a difference good leadership and financial skills canmake.

Thank you for the invitation to participate in your coverage of the current election campaign. If elected, my elected responsibilities will be to represent the voters at large. Your organization and the coverage is valued but my time and effort is being devoted to determining the aspirations, concerns and consequently the directions that the voters at large will be expecting me to represent. I therefore must respectfully decline your request and ask that you encourage everyone in Ward 2 to ensure that their aspirations and concerns are a part of those directions by attending my open meetings with the voters.

Dan Xilon

Age: 57

Occupation:Executive director ofSudbury Food Bank

Community involvement:I have sat on many community & provincial boards over the years and have always been amazed by the far-reaching ideas and opportunities that are put forward at the grass roots level in our communities.

Top 3 issues for whole city:

1. Our ability to present ourselves as a business friendly community.
2. Having a city council that is accessible and responsive to its constituents.
3. Building a stronger sense of community across all of the city of Greater Sudbury. I feel it is a shame that the outlying communities often feel they are not fully considered when programs and services are developed.

Top 3 issues for your ward:

1. Taxes paid versus services received.
2. The worrying deterioration of the current infrastructure.
3. The disappearance of businesses and job opportunities from our ward.

How would you have voted on the following resolutions from this past term?Please respond with yes or no.

(From Feb. 10, 2011) Should the city scrap its bylaw 2004-204 regulating when retail stores are allowed to open and close?

I would have cast my vote on this issue in accordance with the feeling of the majority of the constituents of Ward 2 at the time and I am glad there is an upcoming referendum to decide this issue.

(From Feb. 12/26 2012) Should the city remove the Ontario Ombudsman as it's closed meeting investigator and instead retain a firm called Amberley Gavel?

Based on my present understanding, no.

(From Dec. 5, 2012) Should the city continue to give each councillor a $50,000 Healthy Communities Initiative Fund to spend in their ward?

I would have cast the vote for Ward 2 according to opinion of the majority of my constituents.

(From Oct. 9, 2013) Should the city fast-track plans for a new arena replacing the Sudbury Arena with the aim of having the project underway by the end of 2014?

A new arena would be beneficial to our community but my vote for the people of Ward 2 would have to depend upon the funding mechanisms involved.

(From Dec. 11, 2013) Should council approve the 2014 budget with a 2.9% property tax increase?

I believe taxes should always be the lowest figure possible. I look forward to being involved in the formation of the next term's budgets to achieve the best figure possible.

Website: www.danxilon.ca