SMITHS FALLS - Mayoral candidate Jeff
Keays held a well-attended community forum at the Rideau Canal Museum
on the evening of Thursday, Aug. 12, when he discussed his platform and
answered questions from the public.
Keays, who is running
against long-time mayor Dennis Staples, said that he is running on a platform
of accountability, fiscal responsibility, an open and transparent government,
community building and creative service delivery.
“We need to change the way
we do business,” said Keays, who was born and raised in Smiths Falls.
“We need fresh thinking.”
Keays said manufacturing
is not the be all and end all for the Town of Smiths Falls. He stressed the 13
per cent social assistance rate and repeated the fact that people need more
opportunities.
“I want to work with the
business associations and the Smiths Falls and District Chamber of Commerce to make sure
that the plan as we move forward is the right plan for Smiths Falls,”
said Keays. “I want a plan that creates sustainability in our tax base,
(generates) opportunities for new business, provides new jobs and creates
conditions that keep our current businesses here.”
If elected, Keays said, he
will restructure Smiths
Falls’ government to make
it more open, transparent and accountable. Going back to basics, Keays said
that municipal government exists to deliver tangible, core services to the
people and that no decision should be made without hearing from a broad
community voice. He believes that the strategic plans, priorities and policies
of council must be clearly laid out.
“There can be no guessing
games as to what is going to happen next year,” he said.
Keays also noted that he
will make all documents and reports available to everyone, both online and as a
hard copy that can be picked up by walking through the doors of town hall.
Wanting to clear up any
confusion, Keays said that rumours have been going around quoting him as saying
that he is going to clean house and cut jobs at town hall.
“I never once said those
things,” said Keays. “What I have said and what I have spoken to is that I want
every position in that bureaucracy to be reviewed by an independent consulting
firm.”
His other priorities are
investing in the ecosystem, arts and culture, recreation, youth, and bringing
businesses and people to the downtown core.
“We need to develop
strategies for ecotourism,” said Keays. “We have assets that other communities
in Ontario
would die to have. We have a huge, 60-acre pathway system and a UNESCO World
Heritage Site (the Rideau Canal). We need to
promote Canadian and local art. And, we need to invest in our youth and give
them someplace to go other than Beckwith
Street.”
Smiths Falls Coun. Rob Peters attended the event and said that
he is impressed with Keays, who, he noted, has several years of experience in
municipal affairs with the City of Ottawa.
“It is incredible to me
how much knowledge this young man has, how passionate he is for politics and
most importantly, how much he loves the community he was born and raised in,”
said Peters.
Peters later added, “I
came here to this evening to state my endorsement for Jeff Keays, the future
mayor of Smiths Falls.”
Another Keays supporter
was Pam Connolly, a community activist and long-time resident of downtown Ottawa. She said that
Keays has been instrumental in making her community clean, safe and a place where
business is thriving and property values have gone up.
“Our neighbourhood has
completely changed because of his hard work,” said Connolly.
During the
question-and-answer session, one resident asked how Keays expects to be
available to Smiths
Falls and govern the town
if he doesn’t live here. Keays replied that he does rent an apartment in town
and that his children go to school here.
Keays also said that in
order to govern the Town of Smiths Falls properly, he will seek to make the
mayor’s position a full-time job with a fair and equitable salary.
“The mayor’s position
should not just be accessible to someone who draws a pension,” said Keays.
Keays said that he will
be making a political announcement on Monday, Aug. 23 at 7:30 p.m. The event
will be taking place at Angelo’s Dining Lounge, which is located at 60 Lombard St.
Smiths Falls This Week