Here are your election highlights from Oct. 1.
Bigger wants fellow candidate banned from campaign events over ‘hate’ speech:
Incumbent mayor Brian Bigger is calling for fellow mayoral candidate David Popescu to be banned from all further campaign events during the 2018 municipal election. A perennial candidate for the past few election cycles, Popescu uses the campaign trail to spread his extreme brand of Christianity that is intolerant of, in particular, the LGBTQ community. Popescu has been sanctioned before for hateful comments, and charged for hate crimes in 2015 (charges that were dropped by the Crown) for offensive campaign material. He was convicted of similar crimes during a 2008 campaign. On Sept. 27 at the all-candidates event hosted by the Laurentian University Political Science Association, Popescu was cut off by the moderator a couple of times for comments that were dismissive of Indigenous culture. Now, Bigger is calling for Popescu to be banned from the upcoming Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce debate, and is asking his fellow candidates to back that call, and for campaign event organizers to dis-invite Popescu from future events.
Ward 11 candidate outlines his views in YouTube video:
Ward 11 candidate John Lindsay released a video Monday outlining his platform and position on a number of local issues. The 10-minute YouTube video not only has his positions, Lindsay “also answers critics on some concerns for which he has been criticized. “He presents his opinion on the Kingsway Entertainment District and also on other legacy projects which he feels are too expensive and unnecessary,” Lindsay said in the news release. Watch the video here.
Tax increases not always a bad things, Ward 11 candidate says:
If a candidate tells you they are in favour of rate-of-inflation tax increases, you should ask them what services or jobs they’re going to be cutting, Ward 11 candidate Kevin Lalonde said in a recent news release. Although he doesn’t say how high tax increases should be, Lalonde was clear that rate-of-inflation increases just won’t cut it. The cuts will have to come from services or personnel. It would be nice if our contractual obligations and our liabilities we pay increased by the same rate of inflation every year, but they don't,” he said. “Most people don't want to see their level of service falter and get cut, and our services are dependent on the manpower to provide and administer them.” Lalonde encourages Sudburians to be involved in the budget consultation process, to push for priorities. That’s the only way the public’s input is included in municipal spending, he said.
Ward 9 candidate says answers needed re: KED:
Ward 9 candidate Paul Stopciati says he has been receiving a number of calls over the past few months regarding the Kingsway Entertainment District. The candidate says the situation regarding who will be paying for the arena is not as complicated as many people seem to be making it out to be. "Regarding the paying for the arena, my views are simple, logical and with the taxpayer in mind," said Stopciati. "If we own it, we pay for it. If we are partners in the project, all partners pay for it and if it is privately owned, the private owner pays for it."
Melanson says Kirwan 'misinterpreting' his position on KED:
Greater Sudbury mayoral candidate Dan Melanson said Ward 5 incumbent Robert Kirwan has been “misinterpreting” his position on the Kingsway Entertainment District (KED) project. Kirwan has made a few recent statements about Melanson on his Valley East Facebook page. “Dan Melanson is trying to say that he supports the KED, but what he writes does not confirm that support,” Kirwan wrote on the Facebook page Sept. 28. “City Council has approved a plan that has been agreed to by the other partners to do the site preparation while waiting for the LPAT so that they are on schedule to build when the appeals are dealt with. To pull out of that now would result in the city being at risk of a major law suit from the other partners who have acted in good faith and would delay both the KED and the downtown developments. “The City is a business. We have a business relationship with three other private partners. You can't just ignore the agreement because you disagree. The current City Council saw nothing wrong with the approach we approved and it must be allowed to continue. Mr. Melanson would try to stop spending until the LPAT is complete. Therefore, he is against the KED and he would support killing the project.” In a news release, Melanson said since he first put his name into the mayoral race, he's always held the same position.“I am in favour of all development in this city including KED however as a taxpayer myself, who would like to represent every taxpayer in this city, I do not believe the current mayor took the leadership necessary to ensure that our money is being spent wisely,” he said. He said there's too many unanswered questions about the $100 million project. As of Sept. 28, according to the city’s website, KED expenses so far total $1,978,972, Melanson said. The city’s share of these expenses is $1,207,350 (This does not include the $8.5 million site development tender that has yet to be awarded).
Cacciotti takes aim at development charges:
Mayoral candidate Cody Cacciotti is now taking aim at what the city charges developers, saying costs could be discouraging growth in Greater Sudbury. Fellow candidate Dan Melanson made similar criticisms last week. For his part, Cacciotti said the city has to find out for certain if development charges are discouraging growth. “Greater Sudbury is currently one of only two major cities in northern Ontario charging developmental fees, with our fees being the higher of the two,” he said. “We need to uncover whether or not these charges are discouraging businesses from developing and new homes from being built. If so, these charges need to be addressed.” Cacciotti also said the city needs a “customer-focused, solution-based approach” and proper training for city employees to help developers through the process. What the city doesn’t need is the expense of employing a part-time facilitator to do the job city staff should already be doing, he said.
Leduc restates his position to Ward 11 voters:
Ward 11 candidate Bill Leduc has re-stated his position on the Kingsway Entertainment District project and said he has a long-term vision for his ward. Leduc made the statements in a campaign release on Sunday. He said once again that he is for the KED project because once completed it will mean a promising future for “our residents here in Sudbury and more specifically, Ward 11.” “I also want residents to be aware that my vision for Sudbury far exceeds the immediate future, as it encompasses long-term goals stretching over the next three terms,” Leduc said. “I recognize that change does not happen overnight and I want to be a part of that change throughout all stages of its development.”
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