On Wednesday, October 21st our Bob Perreault spoke with the three candidates for Mayor in the town of Smiths Falls.
Here are those interviews, presented in alphabetical order.
Chris Cummings outlines priorities in Smiths Falls mayoral race
Smiths Falls mayoral candidate Chris Cummings says economic development, affordability and listening to residents are central to his campaign. In a one-on-one interview with 92.3 WOW FM, the former town councillor discussed his plans to attract investment, manage municipal spending and build on the community’s progress.
Watch the full interview below to hear Cummings explain his priorities and his vision for the future of Smiths Falls.
Key takeaways from the interview
- Listening to residents: Cummings says he has knocked on more than 1,500 doors during the campaign. He wants to improve communication between town hall and residents, ensuring concerns are heard and followed up on.
- Affordability and jobs: Cummings believes attracting employers, creating jobs and strengthening the local economy are key to improving affordability for Smiths Falls families.
- Economic development: He wants to work with businesses, developers and community organizations to attract investment, fill vacant downtown storefronts and encourage responsible growth.
- Municipal spending: Cummings emphasizes careful financial management and protecting the town from excessive debt. He points to his previous work on council establishing borrowing limits.
- Recreation and infrastructure: He supports maintaining recreational facilities and essential infrastructure but says a proposed $49-million arena expansion would require firm financial commitments from surrounding municipalities before moving forward.
- Strong mayor powers: Cummings opposes using strong mayor powers, saying decisions should be made collaboratively by council rather than through unilateral action by the mayor.
- Experience and leadership: Having served on council from 2006 to 2018, Cummings also brings experience in business banking, health care governance and education. He says his leadership approach is built on listening, collaborating, advocating and acting.
Peter McKenna outlines priorities in Smiths Falls mayoral race
Smiths Falls mayoral candidate Peter McKenna says steady leadership, responsible spending and protecting the town’s progress are central to his campaign. In a one-on-one interview with 92.3 WOW FM, the current town councillor discussed affordability, policing, physician recruitment and how he would approach the mayor’s role if elected.
Watch the full interview below to hear Cummings explain his priorities and his vision for the future of Smiths Falls.
Key takeaways from the interview
- Leadership and experience: McKenna says his eight years on council have prepared him to guide Smiths Falls through economic uncertainty. He favours building on the town’s progress rather than making major changes to its leadership or services.
- Affordability and spending: McKenna acknowledges residents are struggling with rising costs. He wants to avoid unnecessary spending, slow some projects where possible and aim to keep municipal cost increases near or below three per cent.
- Recreation and infrastructure: He supports future improvements to the recreation centre but says major investment should wait until neighbouring municipalities commit to helping cover the costs.
- Policing: McKenna supports keeping the Smiths Falls Police Service for the next council term. He acknowledges policing costs are high and says he would continue challenging budgets and questioning expenses.
- Doctor recruitment: He favours working with the province, health-care providers and neighbouring municipalities to attract physicians rather than offering financial incentives that could encourage competition between communities.
- Strong mayor powers: McKenna says he would generally avoid using strong mayor powers but would consider them during a serious public health or safety emergency requiring immediate action.
- Community growth and the future: McKenna says the town’s growing diversity has stood out during the campaign. He wants to help Smiths Falls adapt to economic and environmental challenges while maintaining essential services and community stability.
Nate Morris outlines priorities in Smiths Falls mayoral race
Smiths Falls mayoral candidate Nate Morris says affordability, transparency and a change in leadership are central to his campaign. In a one-on-one interview with 92.3 WOW FM, Morris discussed his plans for the town, concerns about drinking water and what he hopes to accomplish if elected.
Watch the full interview below to hear Morris explain his positions and his vision for the future of Smiths Falls.
Key takeaways from the interview
- Affordability: Morris wants to lower water bills, control property taxes and reduce municipal spending by finding efficiencies and relying less on outside consultants.
- Drinking water: He raised concerns about lead levels, environmental testing records and transparency. He wants better public reporting and more support for residents dealing with potential lead exposure.
- Municipal spending and development: Morris supports responsible growth to expand the tax base but opposes taking on debt based on anticipated future development.
- Food security: He wants stronger partnerships with local farmers, grocery stores, the food bank and Falls Food Hub to reduce food waste and improve access to affordable food.
- Environment and recreation: Morris supports revitalizing local waterways, exploring fish stocking and developing opportunities for local farmers through climate-friendly food production.
- Strong mayor powers: Morris confirmed he would use those powers to replace the town’s chief administrative officer but pledged not to use them for other decisions.
- Leadership and change: Despite never holding elected office, Morris says years of following council have prepared him for the job. He believes Smiths Falls needs a new direction and is encouraging residents to vote.
