Top 10 List of why you MUST VOTE on Oct 27th Number 8 Recreation and health

Each year when your community allocates its budget, one of the largest items that is set aside is for recreation, health and active lifestyles.  Consider the parks, trails, bike paths, Senior Centres, pools and arenas, not to mention every other aspect of the social well being spectrum.  When you consider all these you can see that your local government has a interest in your well being, whether it is is health related or your social well being.

When we go to build new parks, or arenas or any other major recreation facility, we do not do it willy nilly.  It is after much consultation, consideration and planning.  Whether is a small neighbourhood park, a large community style park or an arena, we plan in advance as to where they will be located.
But recreation is more than parks.  It is also people.  Having services in our health, social services and recreation departments geared to people of all ages is a base competency of municipalities.

We provide daycare, seniors centres, learn to swim, day camps, adult day programs.  We also teach people active lifestyles with programs to learn to skate, swim, play tennis and the list goes on.

One of the reasons Municipalities do this is unlike the other orders of government, we can respond to the needs of your own community.  We can, based on what our community needs, plan programs that they want.
Halton Hills has a young community and the need for services geared for that will be needed for a while.  We have a high percentage of arena usage which predicated our need to build the arenas we are doing now.
We have an active seniors community and our commitment to their centres is evident by the recent expansion done in Acton and our finding a solution in Georgetown.
Our trail system has expanded greatly the last few years and are a very popular way for people to get exercise, socialize and remain active.
When the candidates come to your door ask about their views on recreation, health and social services we provide.

Top 10 List of reasons to Vote on Oct 27th...Number 9 Public Safety

Your local government is responsible for public safety.  From making sure your  Police,Fire and paramedics have adequate resources to protect your community, to emergency planning and protecting your neighbours.

We all know that local government is responsible for making sure our roads and parks are safe. But some people forget the role we play in our emergency services.  

It is mandated by the Province on how we provide the services, but with Fire and Police, very little money, if any ever flows from the Province to pay for them.  They are paid for by you, the local taxpayer.The Province covers some of the Paramedics costs but not enough.  You still pay the majority.

Our Regional Police Services are governed by a Police Services Board that is independent of Council, but does have Council representatives on it. Council approves the budget that is passed by the Board and the board works closely with the Chief to set it.

All our Emergency Services work hard to keep our communities safe.  They spend countless hours promoting things you can do to make your home and neighbourhood safer.

In Halton we are part of a group that literally has the highest survival rate for people having Heart attacks.  We also work to increase the number yearly who have CPR and can be part of the chain of survival.

When you need to call the Police, Fire or Paramedics, they arrive as quickly and safely as possible.  They are ana ctive part of your community.

When you vote in a Municipal election, the Mayor and Councillors you elect work with all the groups to set the budget.  They approve master Plans that set out how the service will operate and also how it will grow.

We live in one of the Safest Regions in the Country.  We need to make sure that those we elect will keep it that way!

Remember VOTE in the upcoming Municipal elections.

Top 10 reasons to Vote on October 27 in the Municipal Elections.. Number 10

 Number 10 All aspects of your everyday life are in some way affected by your Town or Region.

Some people think that voting municipally does not matter.  Boy are they wrong!  So many parts of your day are touched by municipal government.  Every day your local Town or Region has a impact on your life.  All of the items that touch you from the moment you get up to to to bed are in some way provided by your municipality.
Consider this: When you wake up and go to make your morning coffee, the water was provided by your municipality and it is clean safe water, your well can be tested for free by the Region to make sure it is safe.  The coffee arrived on roads paid for by your taxes and cleaned and repaired by the Town. That is even before you got to a shower or drove to work.
The Police, Firefighters and paramedics who keep our community safe are paid for by your local taxes.
The local parks and facilities are planned and paid for by your taxes.
Everyday people are making their voices heard by working with their Councillors, Mayor and Town Staff to shape the future of our community.
Get out and meet the candidates running for office in your community.  Ask for their views on items of importance to you and your family.
Check out the Halton Hills website to see if your on the Voters list.  Go to http://haltonhills.ca/

Should they not hear your voice?

“Seeds Sown for a Social Services Network”

April 30^th, 2014 - News Release

Over seventy people participated in a very successful one day workshop focusing on social issues in Halton Hills.  The event was held on April 25 at St. Andrew’s United Church.  Participants included representatives from Halton Region, the Town of Halton Hills, a wide range of “not for profit” groups and organizations, as well as church groups and private citizens.

Mayor Rick Bonnette’s address illustrated how the social component is an integral part of the Integrated Community Sustainability Strategy (ICSS), which was recently adopted by Council.  Damian Szybalski, Manager of Sustainability, Town of Halton Hills gave a presentation outlining the overall framework of the ICSS, and highlighted the contents of the Social component of the Strategy. The other three parts of the Strategy are the Economy, Culture, and the Environment.

Regional Councillor Clark Somerville explained the important role that Halton Region plays in the delivery of many social services in Halton Hills, including child care subsidies, subsidized housing, employment skills, managing the Ontario Works program, services for seniors, and mental health programs.

Keynote speaker, Dr. Joey Edwardh, Executive Director of Community Development Halton, gave the audience a snapshot of the demographic and social dimensions of Halton Hills as a community of communities.  She emphasized that social services enhance the quality of life of the entire community, and the importance of neighbourhoods as the core mechanism for people to look after each other. 

Beatrice Sharkey used the evolution of   the Cultural Roundtable as gave an example of how a small group of people can build an effective network to share information, improve cooperation and partnership, and increase the effective use of resources. She emphasized how the social services sector could benefit from such a mechanism locally.

Small group discussions tackling issues in the social services sector were animated and productive, and a key outcome was strong support for the concept of creating a structured ongoing network in the social services sector. Volunteers will be following up to make this concept a reality.

Event organizers David Clayton and Nancy Heinmiller, (who were the original co-Chairs of the Social component of the ICSS) said: “Our objective was to emphasize that the social services sector is as important as the other three components of the Sustainability Strategy, and to sow the seeds for a network that would bring greater cohesion and effectiveness to the social services sector in Halton Hills. We are pleased that we went some distance in achieving these goals, and greatly appreciate the help of the team who helped organize the event, and the enthusiastic participation of those who attended”.

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Councillor Clark Somerville calls on Federal Government to fix Flaws in New Building Canada Fund

Halton Hills, On – Councillor Clark Somerville joined other members of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Board of Directors in calling on the Federal Government to fix serious gaps in the design of the New Building Canada Fund.  Those gaps could put much-needed infrastructure investments in Halton Hills at risk.

Councillor Somerville, who is also the third vice-president of FCM, issued the call in Thunder Bay, following a meeting of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ (FCM) Board of Directors from March 5-8.

“Halton Hills welcomed the federal government’s investment in the New Building Canada Fund, the longest and largest infrastructure program in Canadian history,” said Councillor Somerville. “But it is critical that these gaps be addressed so that the program can meet the needs of this community over the next decade and give our residents the best value for money.”

Councillor Somerville joined other board members in calling on the Federal Government to work with local leaders to address flaws in the design of the BCF and to work to prevent similar concerns from emerging in the future by improving the quality of federal consultations with local governments.

In 2012-2013, consultations between federal and local governments led to ground-breaking federal infrastructure investments, including a commitment to a new 10-year, $14 billion Building Canada Fund (BCF), a two per cent annual index of the federal gas tax transfer, and a pledge to work with FCM on the detailed design and rollout of the plan. However, a lack of meaningful program design consultations followed and there was inadequate study and discussion of the issues.  This left important concerns with the New Building Canada Fund unaddressed and important questions unanswered.

Municipalities like Halton Hills own the vast majority of Canada’s roads, water systems, public transit and other core infrastructure, but to date they have received no clear indication that a fair share of the new BCF will be invested in vital future municipal The new BCF’s funding rules further reduce local flexibility by eliminating core infrastructure categories from eligibility, such as local roads.

 

 

“It’s not too late for the federal government to work together with us to resolve these issues,” added Mayor Rick Bonnette.  “It is our joint responsibility to do so. This community counts on its federal representatives to work with local leaders to make informed decisions that serve the people of Halton Hills and get the most out of every tax dollar.”

Thank you to all my supporters.  I am honoured to be your 3rd Vice President of the FCM.

FCM speech

It was a great weekend at FCM and I am humbled by the support I have recieved.  Here is my speech I gave that morning to the delegates.

Good Morning Everyone, Bienevue

I am Clark Somerville, a Local and Regional Councillor for Halton Region, and I am a asking for your vote for 3^rd Vice President. 

I share your passion for strong local government.  I believe that municipalities are the true keepers of democracy in Canada as we ARE the order of government closest to the people. We listen, we work together and we respond.  But we can’t do it alone.

My Council role, like being 3^rd Vice President, requires balance. I deal with issues like poverty reduction, housing, public transit as well as the vitality and sustainability of our agricultural communities.  I deal with places that have high as well as no growth. I am someone who will meet YOU on the level.

I am willing to learn to improve myself and serve you.

We don’t know what the next 5 years will bring, but I feel I have the VISION to lead us as we move forward. I AM committed to FCM and to serving you and your communities.

Increasingly a rural /urban divide is being felt and we must remember that all of us have a tremendous amount to contribute to the agenda and WE AS AN ORGANISATION must strive to reach that,  we need to build bridges, not of steel and concrete, but of understanding between our large urban centers and our smallest rural areas. 

We need to find ways to keep OUR members engaged through  innovative ideas like  webstreamed meetings,  and pooling travel rewards programs to assist smaller communities in attending.  Let’s have the discussion.

We have made great strides with the Federal government but we can’t rest on our laurels.  We need to advance OUR municipal agenda and lay the ground work to build 22^nd century Canada.

Infrastructure means different things to different people.  Transit is not just roads but includes active transportation and public transit.  It must include our hospitals, recreational, senior and youth centres and a host of other projects we fund off our property tax base.  We need to make sure that ALL infrastructure is discussed.

We need to get aggressive on items that may be falling behind. 

We all know we need a better financial deal.

We need to enhance our partnership on trade issues as ALL trade and economic growth in Canada begins on Main Street.  We ARE the front line.

Canada is only as healthy as our cities, towns, regions and rural areas.

We must take EVERY opportunity to remind the Federal government of our needs. 

Together let’s make our voices heard.    Together, elect the candidate with vision, passion and commitment to advance your needs as your future President.  Together elect Clark Somerville as your 3^rd Vice President.

Je vous demande d’élire Clark Somerville pour le TROI-ZI-M  vice-président de la FCM.

Remember Click on Clark 

Clique Sur Clark

I ask for your vote.