Month: October 2024

Updates/

Ward 3 Candidates 2024: Housing

Scott Fitzgerald

Obviously all councillors want to make and keep their constituents happy as much as possible. The temptation will always be to side with them in the face of development that may be perceived as a negative to things like their property values. These concerns are real and important to homeowners and should not simply be treated as NIMBY. Unfortunately we are in a housing crisis right now and it didn’t happen overnight. Over the last 15 years, there have been many developments that did not happen in our city because of neighborhood opposition, and it has contributed to the housing deficit we have now. Council needs to have the courage to tackle the housing crisis by making meaningful change to the regulations that slow and prevent housing developments from happening, and it needs to have the courage to say to constituents that, for the good of the city as a whole, we need to support development. This doesn’t mean that all resident concerns are ignored and that every proposal, no matter what, is approved. We still need meaningful public consultation, we just need to focus on the greater good. The city has a responsibility to help ease this housing crunch and should do what it can to make meaningful contributions towards a solution.

The recent Village Mall housing proposal is, in general, a great move forward in alleviating the housing deficit we have. There are still lots of details that are unknown for this project (green space, parking, and transit access among them) but I do love the idea of bold proposals to tackle a huge societal problem we are facing right now.

Surely there are solutions to any issues that are presented. For example, in other cities, developers help pay for transit access in lieu of providing additional parking spaces for some developments. Sounds like an idea worth exploring. That being said, I think that a delay in approving this project may be appropriate to allow the new Ward 3 councillor, (whoever that is), some time to get up to speed on everything included in the proposal. I think that would be fair given that the development is in Ward 3.

Walter Harding

[To come]

Mark House

Housing is one of the most pressing issues in our city. While we’ve made strides with federal funding and regulatory changes, I believe we can go further. The proposal at the Village Mall is a great opportunity, but we need to ensure it strikes the right balance between adding new housing and maintaining quality of life for nearby residents. Parking, affordability, and building height are all crucial factors, and I would insist on clear communication and negotiation with the developer to meet our community’s needs. We must ensure that any new development includes affordable units, and I support further changes to planning regulations that incentivize the construction of more affordable housing.

I understand that developments of this scale can profoundly impact the character and functionality of our neighbourhoods, and I agree that transparency and a thorough public consultation process are critical. When decisions are made without ample information and without the public’s full input, it undermines trust and reduces the potential for a project that genuinely aligns with the needs and values of the community. In this case, the classification of the project as a “discretionary use” does appear to limit both transparency and meaningful community engagement, which are essential for informed decision-making on a project of this magnitude.

As part of my approach, I believe in setting a high standard for public involvement, especially for landmark developments. If elected, I would advocate for Council to pause, gather comprehensive information, and provide further opportunities for public scrutiny and dialogue. This step will allow everyone—from local residents to council members—to better understand the potential benefits and challenges of this project and propose practical improvements where needed.

Paul Morgan

I think the new development for the VIllage Mall is a positive initiative
● All over Canada groups and councils are looking more and more at parking lots that are not being used to their full potential as possible
housing and green spaces. These days a lot of people are working from home or using public transit and thus a lot of the parking spaces
are being underutilized. Perhaps the developer could cost share a Metrobus hub with all parties involved

● If my constituents are for or against certain housing units I would look at the merits of the situation and support them accordingly. We don’t
need to rush into potential issues as we need proper consultation with all parties involved.
● We need to remember that lack of housing is certainly a major issue that we need to deal with. I would certainly consider all factors for the
placement of housing from my constituents.

Greg Noseworthy

[To Come]

By-Election 2024 Ward 3/

Ward 3 Candidates 2024: Crime

Scott Fitzgerald

Many people that I have spoken with feel like there are just more instances of criminal activity in their neighborhood – things like people breaking into sheds, rummaging through vehicles, evidence of drug activity, etc. The report’s stats would seem to bear out these feelings and perceptions. The report has a lot of input from key stakeholders in the community (and the city deserves a lot of credit for facilitating the bringing together of these stakeholders) and have a lot of action items and strategies that can help reduce crime. I think this is very worthwhile work and would love to be a part of it.

From my perspective so many of the issues identified in the report as root causes, and the area where the city has the power to make the greatest impact, come down to poverty and housing.

Walter Harding

[To come]

Mark House

The Safer Communities Strategy is a good step forward, but I believe it needs to be more than just a report—it needs action. In Ward 3, we must focus on both preventative measures and community policing to address crime at its root. I will work closely with community groups, law enforcement, and residents to ensure that we’re tackling the issues of drug use, vandalism, and violence, while also investing in programs that support youth, mental health, and rehabilitation.

Paul Morgan

● Changing the culture of youths with programs in schools starting at
an early age and continuing to high school
● City should act as a facilitator to improve community safety
● Complex social issues including homelessness, lack of affordable housing, poverty and drugs
● Safety concerns, vehicle and home break ins
● Heavy traffic flow making walking difficult, speeding, lack of crosswalks, poor lighting
● City received funding under the Building Safer Communities of $1.8 million to address issues
● Getting as many groups as possible to engage and collaborate
● Education is the key, social determinants, income and social status, employment, education, childhood experiences, physical
environments
● Access to health services
● Schools need to give more academic support, extra curricular activities and life skills training
● Increase public awareness by contributing to groups or organizations that are dealing with Crime and Violence

Greg Noseworthy

[To Come]

By-Election 2024 Ward 3/

Ward 3 Candidates 2024: Taxation

Scott Fitzgerald

Balancing taxation and services provided is always the tug-of-war that the city has to contend with. Basic services must always be protected as do the most vulnerable in our city when any cuts or efficiencies are found. Continuing to strive for value for money and reduce waste has to be a cornerstone of the budgeting process. It is difficult, as someone who is not on council yet, to decide what programs or services I would be willing to reduce but I would be guided by the principle of affordability. Can we afford to do this right now without raising taxes?

Walter Harding

As a city we have to make certain residents, businesses and visitors are taxed fairly and equally.
While the cost of providing municipal services which includes a plethora of areas we must make certain to not overburden businesses owners, property owners and individuals who pay their fair share of tax through their rent every month.
We should not be charging residents full mil rare who do not receive full services from the city. When garbage collection and snow clearing is not provided to these residents we should be adopting a fairer approach and giving them a mil rate decrease over residents who avail of all city services. As well, we should not be charging two water taxes to property owners who are only availing of one unit. We as a city would always provide a fair water tax exemption to property owners who filed a tax exemption application once a year and we should return to this policy immediately.
We as a city have to find inventive ways to stretch every tax dollar to do more with less, to  strategize and encourage new businesses both big and small to grow their idea into a success in our city.
We must be a welcoming and supportive city when it comes to our building department and permit application process. Encourage, invite, supper and serve with great vigour those who want to sustainably develop in our city.
We must do our absolute best to discourage urban sprawl as it has many negative impact’s including high upfront costs and instead encourage growing “ up “ as opposed to “ out “. We should encourage and promote the many positive aspects of an increase in our population density, the development of mix use neighborhoods and wherever we can educating residents and business owners of the many positive impacts of having neighbours close by.
Fair and equitable taxation, maximizing the return of every dollar spent, sustainable growth in both sectors of residential and commercial development, investigating best practices elsewhere, limiting urban sprawl and promoting population density as well as mix use neighborhoods are all great starting points moving forward to ensure a healthy and prosperous, sustainable and affordable city.

Mark House

Taxes are always a contentious issue, especially when residents feel like they’re paying more but getting less in return. My priority will be to find a balance that keeps taxes as affordable as possible while ensuring we maintain and improve vital services like infrastructure, transit, and public safety. We need to be smart about where we allocate resources, and I will advocate for transparency and community consultation to ensure that residents know exactly how their tax dollars are being spent. If cuts are necessary, I will fight to ensure they don’t come at the cost of the services that matter most to residents.

Paul Morgan

● I believe the city residents are taxed enough and I would have difficulty raising taxes
● A city our size needs and wants a certain level of service. The council would need to look at efficiencies in budgetary issues. The cutting of services would be difficult to do but we would have to look at areas
for savings
● We all know that the city’s infrastructure is aging so St. John’s being the capital of Newfoundland would need more provincial and federal funding. Create a task force to look into this issue

Greg Noseworthy

[To Come]

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