Doug Villeneuve

I have been a resident of Ameliasburgh for 31 years and have seen that we need change. As a resident of Ward 4, I am tired of only hearing from councillors at election time and nothing the rest of the term. Why keep voting the same people in to get the same results. I have been a municipal worker for 23 years now and I see the waste every day. We need fresh eyes and a loud voice. I am the only person who is running who has never held a position on any council. I know I am the underdog, however I know I can represent and fight for the ratepayers of Ward 4.

    The most pressing issues facing the county are rising taxes, cost of living, deterioration of many roads, and infrastructure. Our taxes have increased 44 percent in the last 10 years, but our services have not. The County has 92 staff on the Sunshine List making over $100,000. We need to cut the waste and level out the rising costs to taxpayers. The roads the tourists use are in good condition, while more residential roads are horrible and full of potholes and craters. We are lucky if we get cold patch to fill some of the bigger holes —a temporary fix. We need a permanent fix, not just a band aid.

Some of the proposed housing is extravagant. Too much, too fast. We have homes in some subdivisions still sitting unoccupied. Growing too fast means issues with some services. Our hospital cannot handle a mass population growth. Residents cannot find employment or even family doctors. Bringing in too many new families makes things harder for those already here. We need to make sure that we have provisions in place to handle the growth before we build. We do not have the infrastructure or the industry to support a rapid growth.

We have a hierarchy of management up to the CAO with the knowledge and experience to handle these issues. I understand we have to bring in some consultants at times, but we are paying exorbitant salaries for very little. There are other options that can be explored that are not going to leave the ratepayers footing the cost, such as having developers pay for the required infrastructure and then go to a user-based system. The ratepayers who are not utilizing these services should not have to pay for the debt going forward. I would make sure the residents of Ward 4 do not assume the debt for new development in other areas of the County.

The County has a lot to offer year- round. We have great trails for snowmobiling and ATVs. Ice fishing has mostly been just a local activity. Fishing huts could be rented to tourists with locally employed guides. We have an Economic Development Department that is paid to come up with ideas and resources to attract visitors year-round, yet we have nothing in the off-season to attract visitors. 

If I could do anything with the $2 million the MAT brought in last year, I would put it toward roads and infrastructure. That is where it is needed the most.

Three things are most important to me: Protecting Farmland, Building out the Economy, and Creating More Childcare. Farming is in itself one of our biggest employers. It provides products to the residents of not only our County, but the rest of Canada and the world. It builds out our local economy and in the spring and summer, visitors come to our farm markets, local meat markets, roadside stands, and wineries and breweries to purchase local produce, eggs, maple syrup, wines and spirits, etc. To enable more local workers our residents have to rely on an ever challenging daycare system that does not always fit into a 9- to-5 lifestyle. This results in employee absenteeism due to these challenges. Flexible daycare is required to meet the challenges of shift work.

Dianne O’Brien

I have spoken to several taxpayers on the campaign trail and I heard loud and clear their concern regarding the condition of the roads across the area and the immediate need for repairs. I would look at a larger portion of the almost $2 million collected in MAT in 2025 to go towards road repairs.

There is opposition and concern regarding the proposed project to source water from Lake Ontario for Picton, Wellington and Bloomfield. Many well water users are very concerned about affordability. We need confirmation and certainty of the proposed development as we are living in very tumultuous times. Be relentless and determined with all levels of government to lobby for increased grants. We simply do not have the money at this time to move forward.

Protect our farmland by supporting the Community Land Trust. Also provide protection by using every tool at our disposal, including the Official Plan, and work closely with the Agriculture Advisory Committee.

Paul Boyd

I am running to represent the County because the county is facing a financial crisis, and continuing down the current path is unsustainable. Our long-term debt is projected to be over $100 million by the end of 2026. Our  annual debt payments have ballooned, costing millions every year just in interest. 

Many residents in rural wards feel that consecutive councils have failed to exercise financial restraint. They watch their property taxes and water bills go up while struggling to make ends meet. 

The most pressing issue is the heavy debt load and overall financial position which requires a fundamental shift in how Shire Hall operates. The current financial strain forces difficult choices and leaves us vulnerable to economic downturns. To address this, we cannot rely on the same spending  habits that brought us to this point. 

Line by line, we must scrutinize municipal spending and put an end to discretionary and non-essential projects. We need strict debt caps. I will advocate for hard limits on borrowing. We need to stop adding to the balance sheet.

While stopping all development is unrealistic and hurts the economy, the current free-for-all development boom risks destroying the rural character we love. The middle way requires strict, plan-led growth where developers pay their share rather than local taxpayers footing the bill. We must maximize development charges to ensure builders fund the full cost of the roads and services that their projects require.

Instead of approving massive sprawling subdivisions that alter our landscape, we should incentivize smaller, more affordable builds like pocket neighbourhoods or secondary suites that blend naturally into our existing communities. We must protect agriculture by focusing development in designated urban areas. We can ensure key infrastructure needs by returning to basics: essential infrastructure instead of “nice to have” projects.

Clean drinking water and reliable roads are nonnegotiable, but our water infrastructure is funded entirely by user rates, creating an unfair burden on local households. We must shift our approach. We must aggressively lobby both federal and provincial governments for dedicated infrastructure grants. The County should not be shouldering multi-million dollar water treatment projects alone. Let’s have upfront development contributions. Growth must pay for growth. If large-scale development triggers the need for water plant upgrading in Wellington or Picton, these developers must pay for those upgrades upfront, not years down the line.

Andreas Bolik

My involvement with County council was a natural evolution of a lifelong involvement in the many communities that I have lived in as a member of the Canadian Forces. My commitment is to serve my neighbours, just like I served Canada for almost 45 years in the Canadian Forces – by getting the job done.

I have served as a director of a Community Association where I grew up, on the shores of Georgian Bay; as vice-president of a Condominium Corporation when we lived in Ottawa; as a member of a Community Policing Committee; and leading the GoC Charitable Campaign for my workplace. 

I was elected to  council in 2018. While I was not in a position to run again in 2022, I am now retired from my other commitments and am back with new fire in my belly and the time and energy to represent the people of Ameliasburgh at the horseshoe.

When one spends a lifetime defending democracy, it gives one a deep sense of responsibility for ensuring our democracy works for all of us. Ameliasburgh has been my home for the past 17 years — though  my connection to it started in 1975 when I attended Trenton Air Cadet Camp and went gliding at Mountainview, with periodic visits to CFB Trenton until moving here in 2009.

 I don’t have a private agenda and I don’t follow any particular dogma or political creed. I do believe in getting the facts, applying common sense and critical thinking, and finding a ‘big-picture’ solution. My past as an aerospace engineer and lawyer have given me valuable skill sets to do just that, including being able to have frank and productive discussions with experts and laypeople alike.

We must use property taxes wisely, by questioning and weighing new expenditures and ensuring current expenditures are still relevant by prioritizing spending into those things that we must do, those that we should do, and those that are nice to do.

We must replace ad hoc development and tourism with actively guided growth in the County so that we grow in a measured way that does not detract from our rural roots. This would include stewardship of our environmental, rural and agricultural heritage.

We must promote the concept of the County as a community of communities. With Ameliasburgh making up almost a quarter of the County’s population, we are far more than just a backwater to Picton and Wellington – we are the Gateway to the County. As such, we should also promote efficiencies and access to services by co-operating and co-ordinating with our neighbouring municipalities.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly: roads, roads, roads. Without them nothing else matters because you need good, drivable roads to get there.

With respect to the Picton/Bloomfield/Wellington water system debacle – as above, the County needs to drive a vision of our future communities. Robust planning and realistic assumptions are required.

It is important to remember that 4 of the 6 County-run water systems are within Ward 4, and the needs and capacities of their users must not be lost in the fray.

In regard to tourism, our climate is not conducive to a four-season tourist economy. 

A good bet is to grow a service economy (which is often home-based and can reach far beyond our municipal borders) to complement our existing agricultural and tourism core. We need to stop demonizing our existing industries while still holding them to account. 

The MAT is an important source of revenue. Whether the 4 percent rate and 50/50 split remain appropriate should be examined and discussed with Queen’s Park.

Interestingly, the official plan envisions pushing development on some of the best farmland in the County – this is questionable. Residential, industrial and commercial development should be directed away from prime agricultural land while also avoiding urban sprawl. We have lost most of our Ash trees in the last few years. Replacing such a significant canopy should be a priority
and can help with climate resilience.

In the end, we should aim to maintain our rural community of communities, with plenty of greenspace connected by an efficient and serviceable traffic grid. The needs of the resident community should be at the forefront and be complemented by, not subordinated to, those of the transient masses.