Mayor and Deputy Mayor Candidates at the recent Perth and District Chamber of Commerce All Candidates evening in Perth (Photo yourTV)
Audio courtesy of Your TV Smiths Falls.
Making room for more residents is one challenge. Making sure they can afford to live in Perth is another.
That distinction emerged during the Perth and District Chamber of Commerce’s all-candidates meeting, where housing was repeatedly linked to the town’s ability to attract families, retain workers and support businesses.
Candidates discussed everything from secondary suites and co-operatives to development charges, municipal land and the kinds of homes being built.
Mayoral candidate Stephanie Drummond said Perth needs more options for young families, workers and seniors looking to downsize. She argued that housing costs and property taxes are discouraging people from settling in town.
For Drummond, the consequences reach beyond individual households.
Drummond said development should expand the tax base while roads, water and wastewater services keep pace.
Mayoral candidate David Byrd described another pressure: homes that once contained lower-cost rental units being converted into single homes. He said workers who previously lived in those apartments may no longer be able to afford Perth or a vehicle to commute.
Mayoral candidate Isabelle Anne McRae supported working with Lanark County and developers to increase workforce housing and rentals.
Deputy mayor candidate Catherine Schouler called for a wider mix of housing sizes, types and locations. She pointed to local affordable housing projects as examples of different approaches.
Schouler also said housing and child care must grow together if families are to establish themselves in Perth.
Deputy mayor candidate Jamie Dyer challenged the golf course development, questioning whether it would deliver homes local residents could afford. He supported development at a pace community services can handle.
Councillor candidate Ramsey Hart also criticized the affordable housing component planned for the golf course property. He said he would try to persuade the developer to do more, while acknowledging uncertainty about what influence the town could exercise.
Hart’s approach included a different role for municipal incentives.
Councillor candidate Trevor Oates proposed a municipal co-operative development platform, drawing on his involvement with the Linden Housing Co-operative.
Councillor candidate Judy Brown pointed to steps already taken by the town.
Brown said that project contains 15 units. Mayoral candidate Ed McPherson also cited affordable and co-operative housing among residential approvals during the current council’s term.
Councillor candidate Jim Bolt emphasized homes within reach of both younger buyers and downsizing seniors. Peter Gardner Hallam connected affordability to what local employment income can support.
Marlene Donohue called for attention to residents’ needs, housing design and location.
Derek Zeisman urged a wider community conversation about Perth’s future. He said attracting families requires housing at different price points, with decisions reflecting the kind of community residents want to build.
