My family has cottaged on Lake Temagami for 67 years. After completing university in 1977, I returned to live on the Lake planning to stay for one year. I remained and married Carol Glenn in 1982 and together we raised our three children here. Sixteen years ago we built a house in the village to eliminate the daily commute for Carol and the kids so now we spend 10 months in town and two months down the lake.

Thirteen years ago, I was elected to Council chairing the process to develop and implement the new Official Plan. Lately I have been the Councillor responsible for the Public Works department focusing on specific operational issues and developing an approach to a long term asset management plan.

This planned approach enables council to hire consultants to ensure we are positioned with pre-engineered projects for our highest priority needs when federal and provincial infrastructure funding programs become available.

The rationale for Amalgamation is under stress. In 1998, Township support for the Tenets to assure certainty in land use planning were matched with financial contributions from the lake through property tax.

However,the Province blindsided this project with a long and unfunded list of downloaded provincial services. We are now faced with dramatically increasing taxes in the rural areas, water and sewer costs poised to dramatically increase in the urban area; and general declining economic activity.

The solution to these problems begins with the acknowledgement that fundamental change has been imposed by the Province that compels our Municipal government to adapt; and the understanding that we will be stronger when we stand together on these issues.

Mayor and Council must lead a Municipal Service Review to build a consensus around: defining our priority services; acceptable service levels; and how much we’re willing to pay through user fees, levies and property taxes. Residents must be engaged in this process to make sure the proper balance is struck. The final result will lower our costs and have little impact on our day to day lives if individual residents are prepared to contribute and make some sacrifices. Sustainable economic growth requires well maintained and financed infrastructure.

Non-residents and residents of the unorganized townships, who use municipally underwritten services at little to no cost, should pay the true cost for these services.

Discussions with neighbouring municipalities and municipal associations should be pursued to identify shared opportunities for cost savings and to lobby senior levels of government to stop Downloading and to give northern municipalities the same financial relief from Uploading as southern municipalities.

The Municipality doesn’t know its true costs and does not have a long term asset management plan. Council’s financial oversight is minimal as our agendas clearly show. The result over time is operational and financial drift which has incrementally produced an unfair and ineffective tax regime.

As Mayor I will, with your and Council’s help, correct these problems. I’m on your side.

For more information visit my website

www.wix.com/biffloweryformayor/temagami

or let’s talk on my Facebook Fanpage.