Elect Bonnie for Mayor of Hampstead
November 3rd, 2013
Friends and neighbours,
I have been honoured to serve as your councillor for the past 8 years. During the last two mandates, I initiated many successes in my portfolios including:
- Community outreach programs to both the educational and religious institutions and libraries.
- Green Plan including Waste Diversion strategy & the Tree Bank program.
- The creation of the Communications department including website, newsletter and the Webflash “eHampstead” mail.
- An increase in all programming and special events, with improved and more varied activities.
I am also proud to have taken part in many town and island-wide achievements as well as a number of national accomplishments.
The Town council is comprised of individuals elected by you to represent your best interests and participate in the responsible management of the town’s resources and projects. Over the past few years consultation with council members has been curtailed and certain significant decisions have either been made privately or unilaterally which does not harmonize with the mandate of the council. My goals are to eliminate wasteful tax dollar spending, improve community life, the consultation process and transparency where decision-making is concerned. Residents should be aware of some of the shortcomings which have cost our town time, money, and prospects as a result of poor leadership:
- Almost $1 million was wasted on multiple re-plantings on Fleet and Queen Mary, and yet the majority of council opted not to invest in the Treeazin vaccine to save the Ash Trees in 2012.
- Over $500,000 in costs were incurred due to unnecessary disputes over the ownership of the Langhorne property, attempts to re-route STM-mandated transport which resulted in legal expenses, and personal conflicts with employees which resulted in costly severance packages.
- $250,000 was spent on the construction, renovation, relocation with absolutely no consultation and improvements of TWO dog runs.
- Urban Planning failed to perform routine inspections or even effectively collect permit fees, resulting in tens of thousands in lost revenue.
- Communication fiascos like the Fire Station rezoning and No-Noise by-laws and internal council disputes resulted in tension and ill-will in our usually close-knit community.
- The Town missed out on funding opportunities for park improvements, Centennial Celebrations and our Emergency Plan.
With my background in Finance, and experience as a Bank Manager, I have the knowledge and capabilities to remedy many of these issues. I will invest in our community in a balanced
manner in order to continually upgrade our infrastructure. I will ensure that our town’s business dealings are more transparent, and transacted with informed consultations which are
always in the best interest of our town. I will provide you with clear and accurate information, through a wide range of communication tools. I will convene
more citizen committees and encourage you to bring your ideas and thoughts to the table.
And that, my neighbours, is why I am the best choice for Mayor; I have the vision to bring our community further, to build on our collective strength, and to reveal our full potential. Please visit my platform to review all of my goals.
I look forward to hearing your opinions.
