Here's who's running in Leamington and why they say you should vote for them

Voting by mail is underway in Leamington.

CBC News reached out to all the candidates in Leamington, asking the same questions so voters can learn a bit more about who may be on their next council.

The following candidates were invited to complete the questionnaire via email but did not respond by deadline:

• Mayoral candidateJimmySimoni.
• Deputy mayoral candidatesShelly JQuick and JohnTofflemire.
• Councillor candidates GeraldBarros, BillDunn, HeatherLatam, ChristineLehn, DaveMetcalfe, ChristineMontgomery, OscarRamirez and PaulTiessen.

Mayor

CrisBiron

Age:70

Occupation:Legal department manager,Ordonez Group.

Where doyoulive?:Leamington.

Experience:Over 35years of experience representing people in courts and tribunals has given me the education, skills, and abilities necessary to make Leamington a dynamic city. One governed by a municipality that keeps in touch with our community, while being transparent and dedicated to serve both our people and our business sector.

What are the top issues facing your municipality?

• Red tape.
• Property taxes.
• Crime prevention.
• Education and culture.
• Affordable housing.

Why areyouthe right person for the job?I relate to people of all backgrounds and social strata. I understand the needs, dreams, and goals of our community, and providing service for others has always been a priority of mine.

When dealing with the needs of our community, I will make sure that everybody is treated with respect and fairness.We need to keep in touch with all members of our residents, and place all of our resources, skills, and capabilities to fully realize the objectives of all members of our community.

I don't owe any favours or have any preferences for any particular sector of our community.I will serve everybody with a high sense of respect, honesty and without any bias or preferential treatment.

Somethingyou'd like voters to know aboutyou:I was born in Santiago, Chile, and lived there until 1982 when I came to Canadaas a political refugee. I am recognized by the Chilean Government as a victim of torture.I am a community advocate and paralegal licensed by the Law Society of Ontario, and my strong sense of social justice has led me to always providing a significant portion of my services for free to community members who cannot afford legal fees.

I have been gifted withmy wonderful spouse and three beautiful daughters, and for over a decade, I've been in lovewith our beautiful City of Leamington.

HildaMacDonald(incumbent)

Age: 69

Occupation: Current mayor

Where do you live?:Municipality of Leamington.

Experience:16 years as member of council,four of those years as mayor.

What are the top issues facing your municipality? Housing and homelessness, community safety.

Why are you the right person for the job? Experience matters.

Something you'd like voters to know about you:In my four years as mayor, I was able to make valuable connections around the region, the province and with the federal government. Also I was elected to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario for the second time.

Our area suffered during the pandemic with high infection rates and with our large influx of guest workers, yet despite it all, we managed to keep doing business and continue with growth of the municipality.

We look forward to an influx of housing opportunities in the coming year as new residential subdivisions come on board as well as moving forward with our development of the former high school property for affordable and attainable housing units.

Community safety is paramount in these days of increased crime levels, homelessness, addiction and mental health issues. We will continue to work with all partners to deal with these social conditions that are prevalent across the province and the country. We want to find a Leamington solution to the problems in our own community rather than sending them to the city.

We have made gains in these areas to a degree, but we are not finished yet.

Deputy mayor

Larry JosephVerbeke(incumbent)

Age:64

Occupation:Retired businessman by nature, with over 45 years in the agricultural sector.

Experience: Currently with fouryears' experience as deputy mayor and eightyears as councillor. I take pride in my community as I currently sit on ninedifferent committees throughout the county. Always putting my community first and always bringing Leamingtonto the forefront of these committees including, but not limited to: Essex County Council, Essex Region Source Water Protection, Windsor-Essex Food Policy Committee, and Union Water just to name a few. With my experience, I feel that I will do my best to serve Leamington again as deputy mayor.

What are the top issues facing your municipality?One issue I would like to work on would be to look for money from upper levels of government for north sewer trunk lines, which would create a domino effect. Having these sewer lines would benefit not only clean water but the environment as well. Our greenhouse industry need a place for their workers to live. As of now the Ministry of Environment will not allow new bunkhouses on these farms, forcing farmers to buy up houses in town. If the project goes through, it will free up housing within our community.

Why are you the right person for the job?I believe my experience sets me apart from any other candidate. I have 12 years of experience in municipal politics under my belt now which makes me fluent in, not only municipal policies and procedures, but even those on a provincial and federal level as well.My track record proves that I can find solutions to problems brought forward by constituents in our community, not only in a timely manner but in a way that satisfies all parties involved.

Councillor

AnthonyAbraham

Age: 29

Occupation: I have been a nurse for 10 years and currently own and operate New Beginnings Rest Home in Leamington.

Experience: I am a hard working and task-oriented individual who would like to see a change in our municipality for the better. I come from a Lebanese immigrant family and was raised with traditional values essential to who I am today.

What are the top issues facing your municipality?One thing I would like to see a newly elected council dois encourage a healthy and sustainable investment into our emergency services.

I want to advocate for a better funded, around-the-clock fire service in Leamington, allowing our department to engage in both fire rescue and tiered medical responses.

I would also be a strong advocate to increase funding to our municipal police forceto ensure we have the resources needed to maintain crime prevention. I also want to see our business community grow and prosperby streamlining permit approvals with dedicated timelines and building more family homes to attract working class families to our area.

Why are you the right person for the job?I believe passionately that a thriving community can only be achieved by a municipality that openly and willingly engages in its residents in every step of the decision-making process. Having open and transparent conversations is a fundamental to brighter future. My name is Anthony Abraham and I am curious to know how your vote will make a difference.

TaraAdams

Age:49

Occupation: Nurse and addictions counsellor.

Where do you live?:Leamington.

What are the top issues facing your municipality?As with many communities, we continue to face homelessness and addictions but Leamington specifically is also facing a higher than provincial average crime rate. Social service programming needs to be a big focus in Leamington.

We need to let our community members know that they are supported. Our community needs proactive intervention. We need investments to create social conditions that prevent crime and violence today if we want a stronger and safer community tomorrow. Social services are crime prevention.

Why are you the right person for the job? As a solo mother who has tirelessly single handedly advocated for a son living with autism, I have learned how to navigate, advocate and cooperate with school board administration, government agencies and community peer groups to ensure my son was provided the best available resources for him to succeed. Now that both my children are adults, I am prepared to advocate for Leamington to ensure we have the same results.

Something you'd like voters to know about you: I am a great listener and can appreciate all views whether they align with my personal beliefs or not. We have just been through a very trying time where relationships were challenged, health was compromised and finances were stretched to their limits. It is now time to collectively heal and this is where a strong social service programming will benefit our municipality.

DerekFriesen

Age: 32

Occupation: Security guard.

Where do you live: Leamington.

Experience:

• Leamington Arts Centre Board of Directors (2014-2022)
• Vice chair of the Leamington Committee of Adjustment (2015-2018)
• Provincial appointee to the Leamington Police Services Board (2017-2020)
• Red Shoe Society Windsor-Essex Board of Directors (2017-2019)
• Municipal appointee to the Leamington Community Policing Advisory Committee (2020-2022)

What are the top issues facing your municipality?Affordable housing, economic development, enhancing our fire department for 24/7 service, promoting tourism by building the Leamingtonbrand, and working with the province to expand the power supply so it meets Leamington's needs.

Why are you the right person for the job?I am committed to using common sense when spending our common dollars, as well as cutting red tape for small businesses. I will bring experience and fresh ideas to the council table, where I will be a strong voice for the residents of Leamington. Most importantly, I am committed to our community.

Something you'd like voters to know about you: I have a three-year-old dog named Toby who I adopted from the Windsor/Essex County Humane Society. He rescued me as much as I rescued him.

CoreyRobertson

Age: 53

Occupation: Sales manager

Where do you live?: Leamington.

Experience: 20 years in broadcasting and media all in Windsor and Essex County and Leamington. Sevenyears on Leamington Distict Chamber of Commerce board of directors including twoconsecutive years as president. Fiveyears on Bank Theatreboard of directors including two consecutive years as president. Sixyears on marketing committee at Erie Shores Health Foundation. Twenty years volunteering and community leadership. Recipient of Leamington Chamber Positive Professional Award. Recipient of Mayor's Recognition Award - Community Inspiration. Recipient of HM Queen Elizabeth II's 70th Jubilee Award - Dedication to Community.

What are the top issues facing your municipality?The pillars of Corey's campaign include a safe, clean and vibrant uptown with increased police presence in areas of crime. Attracting doctors to live and practice in Leamington is a must to reduce wait times and overcapacities at the hospital. Inducing developers to build affordable housing and easing the permit process is key. With the waterfront development plan already in place, development must be done responsibly considering input from the public. Continued funding for arts and culture along with marketing Leamington to young families, tourists and investors, is a priority as well as supporting social program

Why are you the right person for the job? Corey has demonstrated experience in finding balance to arrive at solutions in the best interest of all parties. Travelling to Queen's Park to advocate for county-wide broadband, public transportation and the creation of an Agricultural Centre of Excellence in Leamington, he has a proven record of working with stakeholders to find optimal outcomes for the municipality.

Something you'd like voters to know about you: Corey Robertson, a proud father of two, is known by many as the program director and afternoon on-air personality at 96.7 CHEER FM.

Currently he holds the position of Sales Manager at Security ONE Alarms. As part of the leadership team, he has created successful community safety awareness events and has led industry seminars on business and marketing across North America.

IsaacSchmitt

Age: 34

Occupation: Fresh producedistribution and logistics.

Where do you live?Leamington.

Experience: I have had the opportunity to work with governments across the U.S.A.and in Canada and this has given me a well-travelled and unique perspective on different approaches and what works well and what does not. Ihave been in a leadership role in both my personal and professional life all of my adult life. My skill set is in listening and understanding the people around me, understanding processes,challenges with those processes and strategic planning to avoid problems in the future.

What are the top issues facing your municipality? There are 1,001 moving parts in a municipality like ours and each one has a unique importance, depending on each individual resident's unique situation and life stage they are at. There are twoissues that are extremelychallenging issues that affect almost every part of the community.

One of these is the housing crisis and the lack of infrastructure to address the issue quickly. The other one is the mental health and the opioidcrisis. There are many issues that are spin offs of these twoissues such as homeless and crime rates.

Why are you the right person for the job?First off, I am a resident and have a compassionate and understanding approach to everything I do. My ability to take input from those around me and support them in solving problems is absolutely imperative in a situation like we find ourselves in today. I work hard, I have an incredible energy level and work tirelessly to accomplish and get projects and initiatives over the finish line so the results are tangible. We need some immediate solutions to these challenges we face today. We need to give hope to future generations and get them involved.

Something you'd like voters to know about you:I believe we can unite and work together for a brighter future tomorrow and beyond.

KyleSousa

Age: 33

Occupation: Sales.

Where do you live?:I have been a resident of Leamington my whole life, the only time spent away was when I was studying politics at the University of Windsor, and returning soon after I had achieved my master's degree.

Experience:Extensive knowledge and background in politics through active involvement in provincial and federal campaigns and years of study at the post-graduate level.

What are the top issues facing your municipality?Primarily we have a serious infrastructure crunch that causes many painful symptoms for our community, namely growth in housing and industry. Unless we are able to build new infrastructure, properly maintain our existing infrastructure and replace our aging infrastructure, we will not be able to grow sustainably in coming years. We need to lobby the upper levels of government for funding these projects, and I know I can do that effectively.

Why are you the right person for the job?My knowledge and background in politics gives me a lens with which I can examine the various affairs of the municipality and lend my voice.

Something you'd like voters to know about you: For many of my generation, we were told that one day we would need to make our own decisions, and take responsibility for our own future.

Currently, of the seven official elected positions, none represent my age demographic. The young families looking for a start. The people looking to grow their own roots in the community. I think it is time we have a seat at the table.I am Kyle Sousa, and I ask for your support!

MarkStevenson

Occupation:Production Agriculture. Also have at times did some income tax, worked as a security guard. Seasonally inspected and hauled tomatoes, seed inspection. Worked for Freedom 55 selling insurance for a couple of years, but I do not do this any more.

Where do you live?:Ilive in Leamington in the Blytheswood area.

Experience:As for as town matters, I have sat for the past eightyears on the Leamington Heritage Advisory Committee. Have attended a couple of other committee's meetings occasionally but have not been on these committees.

What are the top issues facing your municipality?I see among other things the infrastructure. Also I hear from residentswhoare concerned about the crime and such and would like to see this issue addressed. Tourism as well as other issues always need attention.

Why are you the right person for the job?I am willing to listen to anyone who reaches out to me to see how I can help them. 519-329-1436 home office line.

TimWilkinson (incumbent)

Age: 47

Occupation: Partner, The Speedprint Group Ltd.

Where do you live?:Leamington

Experience: Eightyears as a municipal councillor

What are the top issues facing your municipality? North Trunk Sewer Project, Waterfront Development, Shoreline Protection, Supports for Arts and Culture in Leamington area.

Why are you the right person for the job? Experience and knowledge about the issues of Leamington. I would like to continue working on projects the current council has started.

Something you'd like voters to know about you: My family matters most. I love coaching minor baseball teams.