|
Rotary Talk
2006 10 16
Dick Carpani
Good
afternoon everybody and
thank you for the opportunity to be here. I hope you will decide that I
am the
best candidate to be Sarnia’s next mayor
About me
a.
I am a
retired chemical engineer (Nova)
b.
have lived
in Sarnia since 1958, born and went to school
in Saskatoon
c.
I have wife
Donna, two adult children and two
grandchildren
d.
I was four
and a half years on Sarnia City council, 12
years on LCBE and five years as chair of the housing authority. I was
the
housing authority’s last chair and oversaw its transfer to a Lambton
County
responsibility
e.
Many other
volunteer committees, I am a golden K
Kiwanian
f.
I stay fit
and I am a blood donor.
2.
About my
style
a.
I am one who
works with people
b.
I believe
that, with proper discussion and
understanding, most council decisions should be either by consensus or
a large
majority in favour.
c.
I will take
advantage of the knowledge and opinions of
each councillor.
d.
I will not
reject any proposal without even a hearing
e.
I will not
turf anyone, business person or whoever,
out of my office
f.
People tell
me I am too much of a ‘nice guy’. I do not
think that being pleasant to people is a bad characteristic for
a mayor.
3.
What I will
do as your mayor
a.
My vision
statement is to make Sarnia:
i.
A good
place to live,
a good pace to visit and
a good place to move to.
ii.
I think this
will lead
directly to the city goals
b.
Five of my
goals include:
i.
Control tax
level to make it
as low as is consistent with acceptable services
ii.
Infrastructure
i.e. sewers,
sidewalks, roads, parks to standard
iii.
Keep youth
in town
iv.
Work with
MPAC on assessment
fairness
v.
Have good
health care
including more doctors completed hospital
c.
Some actions
needed:
i.
Many of the
items outlined in
the BMA report. For example better use of reserve funds
ii.
A university
or at least
increased university level opportunities at Lambton College
iii.
A strategic
plan
iv.
Work in
conjunction with:
1.
The Chamber
of commerce
2.
The Sarnia
Lambton Economic Partnership
3.
The Labour
Council
4.
Lambton
County Council
v.
Work with
city staff. They do
the work with council being their board-of-directors providing policy
and
making decisions
Thank you
again for the
opportunity to be here. I believe I am the best candidate for mayor of
Sarnia.
“If we keep doing what we have been doing, how do we expect a different
outcome?”
|