Chris McGuire seats a third Smiths Falls council term. Grant Deme photo.
Chris McGuire is seeking his third term on Smiths Falls council, and wants to continue guiding the town forward.
He sits on the Smiths Falls Police Services board, and has a great understanding of the work they do in the community, but also the cost.
McGuire’s research shows the town has the 3rd most expensive police force in Ontario per household and population for communities with over 5,000 residents.
2024 data showed an average of 10.5% of the overall budget spent on policing for the average municipality, while this year in Smiths Falls it was 26%.
McGuire says managing the population grown the town has seen is a key priority.
Mainly, it’s building new infrastructure to back the growth, while maintaining the exisiting properties to extend their service life.
McGuire says an underdiscussed council accomplishment is having all the town parks are up to code and with accessible playstructures.
Hear the full interview below.
Story by Grant Deme
