Councillor Brad Nieman’s door is officially open.

The mayoral candidate, one of three, cut the ribbon on his campaign office on Picton Main Street, right beside Shire Hall, on September 9. He was surrounded by friends, family, and a handful of supporters.

The 12-year Bloomfield-Hallowell representative hopes to solve some of the issues facing the County by attracting small industry.

“If we attract small industry, everything is like a well and that’s the hub. You diversify your tax base by having industry, young people will be able to stay here, or move here because of full-time jobs here.

“Right now, if you want a full-time job, you have to go to Belleville, Kingston or maybe even to the city. It’s quite an expense. We want to make it affordable to live here,” he said.

Affordable water and wastewater, housing the County can reasonably attain, curbing overspending, and implementing recreational programs are a few of the ways Mr. Nieman intends to “Unite the County.”

“With recreation, we’re looking at facilities like arenas, ball diamonds, boat launches, tennis courts, and also plans and programs. We don’t offer some of this programming as a municipality; instead, we rely on the private sector. Some people want us to offer this type of programming. Doing it will unify the county and make it healthier.”

Unifying the County cannot happen unless Mr. Nieman first unifies council, which found itself repeatedly deadlocked this term on major infrastructure and development issues.

He believes paying close attention to the issues other councillors campaign on will be key.

“As mayor, you can use negotiating or conflict resolution skills in a broader scope. I want to ensure all of the councillors have a voice, and the vision they have through their campaigns all ties in,” he said.

Mr. Nieman’s team has already distributed over 230 campaign signs across the County.

“The support everyone has given us as a whole team is much appreciated. I hope at the end, it’ll all work out.”