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Hunter says financial issues key to future By BRAD REAUME The Champion Councillor Wally Hunter is looking for a second term to further his goal of financial accountability for town services. In Ward 2 he is running against Art Melanson, who bas 21 years on council and Frank Wilson, who failed in a bid to gain a council seat in 1994. The three men are looking for two council seats. Mr. Hunter is a longtime Milton resident. A banker, be brings his financial background into his work for the town. He said he will continue to hammer away at financial issues if he is re-elect- ed. "The fundamental issue with the fire truck problem is the need to replenish the reserves we used to pay for the new trucks," he said. "My motion to do that failed. That's the same as an individual saying they will continue to spend all their income each year and bor- row money when something big is required." Mr. Hunter said it makes much more sense to put money into reserves instead of using it to pay for interest costs on debt. He said Milton owns $38 million in assets but bas only $3 million in reserves, a ratio that be says is not good. Mr. Hunter said this term of coun- cil is critical. If financial issues are Wally Hunter not resolved the Town will have no other option but to amalga- mate with a nearby centre. He said his preference is to continue trying to contract out vari- ous services so that in the end decision making power remains at the local level, even if much of the work is done by outside sources. "Milton can be maintained if we are financially capable of doing it. A reserve policy is also a good one for growth times," he said. "Otherwise taxes could go up to help pay for growth." A second prong of his financial concem is user fees. It is neces- sary to tie them to services rather than putting proceeds into gen- eral revenues, he said. He pointed to fees the gravel quarrying companies pay per tonne of stone they extract and said that money should be earmarked for repairs to the roads that heavy trucks use. Currently that is not the case, he said. "I'm trying to bring a financial perspective to council. Nobody else is really looking at these things," Mr. Hunter said. He is in support of a services board which functions like a utili- ty, explaining that without some higher authority big projects like Highway 401 would never have been built. Other pressing issues Mr. Hunter pointed to include; the lack of housing being a hindrance to business growth, provincial down- loading of services and funding, creating a long-term plan for downtown, understandable tax bills and maintaining local control of municipal planning. HONDA irM/rs MWT N/ ro E OR EK7SF 0fIN. Melanson says he's committed to Milton's future By BRAD REAUME The Champion Art Melanson came to Milton 50 years ago from Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia to play hockey. He never left. Half a century later Mr. Melanson is fighting to be retumed to his position on Milton council. In Ward 2, Mr. Melanson is running against Wally Hunter, who was first elected in 1994 and Frank Wilson, who ran unsuccess- fully for town council three years ago. Mr. Melanson has sat on town council for a total of 21 years, in more than one stint. The three men are looking for two council seats. While each candidate has his pet issues, all agree managing coming growth is paramount. Mr. Melanson spent 42 years as a merchant on Main Street. He remains a passionate defender of local business. "I was a right winger," said Mr. Melanson, with a twinkle in his eye. "I suppose I'm still on the right wing, though I will occasionally move towards the center." Mr. Melanson said the only issue for Milton is getting water services, everything flows from that. He said an addition in population will bring another arena and per- Art Melanson haps a branch library. As well, hav- ing more people in town could allow for an arts center to be built. "Once we get water we can manage our own affairs pretty well," he said, calling for slower growth than the official plan. He said an additional 20,000 people in the next 15 years is a robust enough pace and should help the town avoid growing pains. When Milton went through its last wave of expansion many of the issues revolved around getting leisure services in place, Mr. Melanson said. Those matters are the ones he has con- tinued to pursue. More people would bring growth and expansion in business, and revitalization of older areas, he said. He pointed to the leisure center as the major accomplishment of recent councils, adding that debt is sometimes the most timely way to get a much-needed service in place. "Local council is in my blood. "When you live in a community you have to put something back in." Meeting cancelled A Canadian Champion sponsored Meet the Candidates nighthas been cancelled. The meeting had been slated for Tuesday, November 4 at 7 p.m. at Biship Reding High School but was cancelled when candidates were unable to commit to the event. MILN ' 693-9595 Wilson says he would strike better deals By BRAD REAUME The Champion Relative newcomer Frank Wilson will take on two incumbents in a second bid for a council seat in urban Ward 2. Mr. Wilson ran unsuccessfully for town council in 1994. This time he will face off against Wally Hunter and Art Melanson. The three men are looking for two council seats. Mr. Wilson brings an international background to the election fight. He bas lived in Scotland, England, Alberta, Singapore and Malaysia. After 14 years in Ontario, he says bis company asked him to make another move but he elected to take early retirement and stay. Mr. Wilson manages the Optimist Center, and says he tumed it around when the club was having some financial difficulties with the facility. Mr. Wilson says Milton's prob- lems can be solved through growth. He said he is convinced there will be a government reorganization with urban Milton joining the south of Halton, the northwest going to Wellington County and some parts amalgamating with Halton Hills. Mr. Wilson said the current coun- cil is incapable and indecisive. The only councillor who has impressed him is Wally Hunter, one of bis opponents. Frank Wilson "Every piece of negotiation they've undertaken is either still pending or the decision went against us," he said, thinking back over several years. "The dump is a perfect example. Not only did we not get what we wanted, but we didn't get anything." Mr. Wilson said council should have cut its losses on the land- fMlI and negotiated for some concessions to make the deal more palatable to Milton residents. "The same thing is happening with growth," he said. "We've talked and talked and we still don't even have a deal." Mr. Wilson said growth can improve the lot of Milton's youth by providing jobs. Growth will stop the town from losing good people due to a lack of housing, he added. He said growth issues should be dealt with before the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) or a regional services board is put in place. Convinced such a body will exist before the next municipal election, Mr. Wilson said if growth bas been initiated then the GTA will likely go along with existing plans. Without those plans, growth will be controlled by people from outside the region. He said the process of getting a GTA body is what bas to be managed during the next three years. Mr. Wilson said it is necessary to explore the feelings of Milton residents and sec what they believe should happen in a rational- ization of services and municipal boundaries. serVI/PW?' HONDAS c. HONDA Experiened Mchanics