For the NB 2012 Municipal Election, there are four candidates running in Saint John for the position of Councillor Ward 4:

My Endorsements for Councillor Ward 4:

Ray Strowbridge

Ray has been exceptionally focused since deciding to run for council a year ago.  By radically adjusting his work schedule so that he could spend enough time campaigning (and planning to keep that schedule once elected) , he has shown his dedication and drive to the citizens of Ward 4.

One of my main reasons for supporting him has been his willingness to listen – and I don’t mean the typical “election time listening” that you might expect.

I really do believe he is willing to listen to various viewpoints, and make a well informed decision – and this is exactly what makes him a great candidate for council.

As with many of the candidates I support, he is also in favour of pension plan changes:

“I believe that the current pension fund must be taken out of the hands of the province. Our current pension has to go through 2 levels of government, the province and the city. The city must make concessions and the employees must also make concessions. Changes must be offered and accepted by both and a new plan must be developed to ensure that both our employees are treated fair and that the city is as well without sacrificing the services of the city.”

David Merrithew

David is one of the Ward 4 candidates that really stood out throughout this campaign.  Professional, well spoken, and pitching a team approach to dealing with issues – he has the traits needed to help us succeed.

While we may disagree on some PlanSJ items, he brings a great deal of financial experience to the table – which would be a great asset for the new council.

In addition to his experience, much of his platform is music to my ears:

• Balanced Budgets: It is critical to move toward a balanced budget without the need to borrow money, there should be no more borrowing money in an environment of rising interest rates.
• Pension Reform: If the pension fund was a privately owned enterprise it would be bankrupt.  However it’s not and we can tweak it as to indexing, disability payment, more employee contribution and a few others.  The province legislates the pension so they will let us know whether we can pay the deficit over a longer period of time. It is critical the next city council address the unfunded liability with the pension plan and I am committed to take the necessary steps to ensure this is brought under control.
• Regional Cooperation: When there is increased regional cooperation, the City of Saint John and surrounding municipalities benefit, Dave will continue to look at ways to maintain and increase regional cooperation.

Endorsement disclaimer: The beautify of democracy is that you can vote for anyone you wish.  If you agree with me, great.  If you disagree with me, no problem – go vote for who you support.  Whatever your thoughts – just vote!

Additional information is available here: NB 2012 Municipal Election Information.

For the NB 2012 Municipal Election, there are seven candidates running in Saint John for the position of Councillor Ward 3:

My Endorsements for Councillor Ward 3:

Graeme Stewart-Robertson

I have met Graeme on a number of occasions over the years, and I have always been blown away by his dedication to this city.

He is someone who truly loves Saint John – and I can’t stress that enough.  He goes out of his way to participate in initiatives that continue making it better for all of us.

Beyond a love of this city, he is a smart team-builder, and looks at issues with a unique perspective – something that would be a great benefit to council.

Patrick McCaffery

Patrick has been impressing people all over this city since putting his name into the ring, and there are good reasons why people are talking about him.

He is strong in the areas of fiscal management and accountability.  He also has the knowledge and experience to help put realistic plans into place.

With an enormous wealth of experience working on large-scale projects and with big budgets, Pat is someone this city needs to address the pressing issues at hand!

After meeting him in person last night, I would also add that he is a big believer in the great things this city has to offer – and he has an amazing worldly perspective on it.

Endorsement disclaimer: The beautify of democracy is that you can vote for anyone you wish.  If you agree with me, great.  If you disagree with me, no problem – go vote for who you support.  Whatever your thoughts – just vote!

Additional information is available here: NB 2012 Municipal Election Information.

For the NB 2012 Municipal Election, there are five candidates running in Saint John for the position of Councillor Ward 2:

My Endorsements for Councillor Ward 2:

Morgan Lanigan

I simply can’t say enough positive things about Morgan.

He is a strong candidate who has been actively involved in the city for a number of years, including serving on the PAC (Planning Advisory Committee).

He is focused, understands planning, and really looks for solutions that make sense – helping to save us dollars and cents.

One of his quotes, below, really sums it up for me:

“We can’t be afraid of experimenting with fresh ideas to get where we want to be. We need to hear our citizens, not just listen, and we need to combine what we hear with a team of critical thinkers around the decision-making table to make it happen. We need people who can offer fresh ideas and fresh perspectives because the “same-old” just won’t do. Meaningful citizen input and good infrastructure combined with open, honest, and transparent government is the key to a fresh Saint John.”

Susan Fullerton

The competition in Ward 2 is fierce; but, after reviewing the candidates, their positions, and voting records (for the incumbents) one final time, I’ve landed back on Susan as my second pick.

Her business background, her thoughts on the pension issue (including plans to address it), and her calls for focusing on “needs” opposed to “wants” are exactly what this city needs.

Some of her quotes below are great examples of this:

“In the City, the tax payers are the customers, and the service and value we are receiving for what we are paying is sadly lacking” says Fullerton.

A fiscal conservative, she believes that “We can only spend a dollar once.”

“In addition to the Pension deficit and the cost of the lawsuit, consider the City’s long term debt and the interest costs. Here we are, borrowing more and more to pay for facilities that some want, but things that we can (and should) do without until we are able to get our fiscal house in order.

Endorsement disclaimer: The beautify of democracy is that you can vote for anyone you wish.  If you agree with me, great.  If you disagree with me, no problem – go vote for who you support.  Whatever your thoughts – just vote!

Additional information is available here: NB 2012 Municipal Election Information.

For the NB 2012 Municipal Election, there are six candidates running in Saint John for the position of Councillor Ward 1:

My Endorsements for Councillor Ward 1:

Greg J. Norton

I’ve been watching Greg for some time now.

I’ve been impressed with his views on providing good value for our already high taxes and his promotion of a “co-operative approach” for both city and regional issues.

He is exactly what Ward 1 needs – a young, smart, and progressive candidate.  We can do better when we work together – and I believe he is a great choice to represent the Ward 4!

Bill Farren

An experienced member of council already, Bill Farren is quite different then many of the current council members.  I would call him “one of the good guys”.

Level-headed and following common sense, he won my endorsement some time ago after standing up and voting against Peel Plaza.

He has continued to fight for Pension reform, and I believe we can count on him to make sure changes will happen.

Endorsement disclaimer: The beautify of democracy is that you can vote for anyone you wish.  If you agree with me, great.  If you disagree with me, no problem – go vote for who you support.  Whatever your thoughts – just vote!

Additional information is available here: NB 2012 Municipal Election Information.

For the NB 2012 Municipal Election, there are six candidates running in Saint John for the position of Councillor At Large:

Councillor At Large:

My Endorsements for Councillor At Large:

Shelley M. Rinehart

Shelley is one of the best candidates that the citizens of Saint John will have an opportunity to vote for.

She is well educated, smart, and looks at the big picture when dealing with issues –  the type of candidate that we need more of.

She is running on three key priorities:

• Work toward fiscal sustainability for the City with a focused effort to reduce our debt, grow our revenue base and design a budget where we “live within our means”.
• Work toward a community of choice where people want to come to work, live and play with strategic investment in infrastructure including clean drinking water, transportation and recreational facilities.
• Work to establish a solutions focused approach to City Hall affairs with identified priorities and accountability by Council and staff.

Be sure to vote for Shelley when casting your vote!

John Campbell

John is incredibly passionate when it comes to Saint John, and it really shows when you get a chance to hear him speak in person.

While I feel we may not see eye-to-eye on every topic, he is someone that I believe is needed right now in city hall to ensure the pension issue is addressed once and for all.

I believe he can help tackle the tough issues and get us back on track.

Endorsement disclaimer: The beautify of democracy is that you can vote for anyone you wish.  If you agree with me, great.  If you disagree with me, no problem – go vote for who you support.  Whatever your thoughts – just vote!

Additional information is available here: NB 2012 Municipal Election Information.

For the NB 2012 Municipal Election, there are four candidates running in Saint John for the position of Mayor:

The last four years have been rough for Saint John:

• The city has been on a spending spree – frequently on non-essential projects. Even worse, the city doesn’t have money on hand to pay for these projects.  The result is a great deal of debt that we, as taxpayers, will be paying for years to come.
• The pension plan is causing a great deal of concern, especially as it seems to be resulting in cuts to nearly every service that  the citizens of Saint John rely on. This must be fixed.
• Regional co-operation and co-operation with other levels of government couldn’t be worse.  We need people who can both work together on council AND work with our neighbours to make things better for all of us.

Given these pressing issues, it’s clear to me that there is only one candidate who can help turn the tide, as well as present a positive, professional, and forward looking image for Saint John.

My Endorsement for Mayor of Saint John:

Mel Norton

Don’t just take my word for it, my daughter is also supporting Mel:

Endorsement disclaimer: The beautify of democracy is that you can vote for anyone you wish.  If you agree with me, great.  If you disagree with me, no problem – go vote for who you support.  Whatever your thoughts – just vote!

Additional information is available here: NB 2012 Municipal Election Information.