Bancroft all candidates meeting Sept. 9

By Michael Riley, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

The Bancroft Brewing Company hosted an all candidates meeting for the mayoral and councillor hopefuls running in the
upcoming Oct. 26 election to sit on the Town of Bancroft council. The event was facilitated by Michelle Somerville, morning
announcer and ONSE program director with MooseFM Bancroft. All the candidates were there with the exception of Brad
Sinclair, who is running for mayor. Sinclair's rationale and the reactions from his fellow mayoral candidates can be found in the
article “Sinclair explains all candidates meeting absence” in the Sept. 9 edition of The Bancroft Times.
The all candidates meeting that occurred on Sept. 9 at the Bancroft Brewing Company featured the following council hopefuls
for election on Oct. 26; Tracy McGibbon, Mark Pharand and Joshua MacDonald for mayor (as previously mentioned, the
fourth mayoral candidate Sinclair did not attend the meeting that evening), Brent Anderson, George Eastman, Tracy
Stephenson, and Greg Maxwell for Ward 1, and Paul Byers, Valerie Miles, Judy Edgar, Mike Dillabough and Chris Sheppard
for Ward 2.
The evening commenced with an opportunity for the mayoral and councillor candidates to make a three -minute speech to
introduce themselves and their platforms. The councillor candidates from Ward 1 and Ward 2 went first. Brent Anderson spoke
first.
“I've become very concerned about the direction it's gone over the last several years. Going forward, to be a strong councillor,
we need to have a really strong team that I hope to be a part of, a very functional team that brings different skill sets so we can
work together and be very strong. We'll work hard to make the community more affordable to live in and more attractive for
business to come here, more affordable for businesses that are here and for the residents. Raising the taxes is probably not a
good idea so if we can work around that that'll certainly be part of the plan if I'm there. One way we can get away with cutting
down on the taxes would be through fundraising. I worked in Toronto for rural affairs for a while and there's lots of
government funding available and I know the town has gone after some of it, but I'm very familiar with it and how to dig deep
for it and find as many pennies as we can to help fund opportunities for our community. And I think we also need to get a bit
more creative with fundraising and streamline and make more efficient the services we now have going forward. And another
thing would be to work more closely with municipalities to streamline services, share some costs, and benefit all of us. My
background is in business and I strongly support our local businesses, organizations, and groups. And I think Bancroft has a lot
of talent here and we need to really dwell on that. And other than that, I think affordability will help spur economic growth and
I think we need to keep our spending sensible, not luxurious, but keep things we need. Of course, we have to be accountable
and transparent. Personally, I'm always approachable, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can,” he says.
Paul Byers spoke next, saying he runs a little local business in town and grew up in the area and has seen many changes in the
time he's been here.
“The main thing I can bring to the table is understanding the building industry, the equipment people use day to day like
snowplows, and seeing what works in different townships. My job goes from township to township so I see things differently
from a lot of people. I get to see what works in different townships and what doesn't. Having those ideas and bringing them to
the table is something that I'm not afraid to do. Understanding the businesses in town and what they're going through is a big
thing, and the struggle we're all having trying to help them out. The next thing is tourism for our town. We live off that as 90
per cent of people on our main drag depend on it. We need to get back some of the events we used to have. Understanding how
times are changing right now. Being in the industry and running a crew, I get to see if everyday. Our local population has
changed since I was a kid. I also want to work on the budgets for building permits, planning, water and sewer, bridges,
sidewalks, roads, maintenance, waste and recycling, and property taxes,” he says.
George Eastman spoke next saying he'salways believed in giving back to the community.
“Over the years I have volunteered with many local organizations and helped raise money for a number of charities. I have
also had the privilege of serving for 25 years on the arena commission. My career was in banking and that experience gave me
a strong appreciation for financial responsibility, planning and accountability. Over the past four years, I've had the privilege of
serving on council on your behalf. During that time, I attended several conferences where I had the opportunity to learn from
municipal leaders and financial experts from across Ontario. One presentation in particular, really stayed with me. The question
was; does growth pay for growth? Growth is one of the most celebrated words in municipal government. A new subdivision is
announced, new homes are built, businesses open, population increases, assessment grows. All those are good things. They are
signs of a community that people want to live in and businesses want to invest in. But growth is not quite as simple as it
sounds. More homes can mean more residential assessment, more businesses can mean more commercial industrial assessment,
more residents can mean more utility customers and more user fee revenue. So at first glace, it's easy to say growth pays for
growth. But does it? Does it really? The answer is sometimes. Growth can absolutely strengthen a muncipality's finances, it can
increase the assessment base, generate additional revenue and spread existing municipal costs over a larger population. But
there is another side to that equation. Growth also creates costs; more roads to maintain, more sidewalks, more water and sewer
infrastructure, more parks and public spaces, more equipment, more demands on municipal services. And eventually those
costs can mean greater expenditures,” he says.
Greg Maxwell spoke next, saying that the reason he was there was that he had no personal agenda.
“I've worked in three different municipalities all my life pretty much. I get to know a lot what's going on. I've been through
councils, closed sessions, delegations in the cities, and I'm hoping to bring that to the table to help. I'm a roads supervisor and
the fire chief in the Township of Limerick so these are things I'm hoping I can bring to help with the Town. In my volunteer
world what I've done, I'm a giving guy. I'm always out doing the barbecues for the fundraisers, I've been an OPP auxiliary for
26 years, I've been on the fire department in Bancroft and Limerick, I was a CAS driver, we adopted three children through
CAS, I'm just a home-grown boy that's lived here all my life and my whole platform is to help Bancroft. Bancroft need help in the right direction. I can't fix any of the problems, I can't say I'll fix this, I'll fix that, I've not been voted in yet. I don't get to
see the books. But I'm here to tell you, my word is my word. If I don't have the answer for you, I'll get the answer,” he says.
Tracy Stephenson spoke next, saying she wanted to run for council because she wanted to cap property taxes.
“I came up here to retire and I cannot retire. My property taxes are $725 a month. We have zero investment, downtown is
empty. We have a lot of problems and we need to start fixing it. I went through the budget and we have been paying off debt
and paying off debt. We need to do more than just paying off debt. That's the reason I'm running for council. I also have zero
services for that. Just an FYI, I have no water, no hydrants, and it's just really bizarre why we have nothing out that way. So
that's why I'm running for council and I've only been here four years so I don't know a lot of people but I know a lot of people
in the thrift stores. I haven't had time to volunteer to go anywhere because I had to go back to work to pay for my property
taxes. So now I'm working and running for council. Only 1,300 people voted in the last election so please come out and vote,
even if you don't vote for me just vote,” she says.
Mike Dillabough spoke next, saying he left town like a lot of other young guys chasing the money, getting jobs and then
brought their families back.
“I came back a few years ago, and saw how the town was going downhill. We're on the cusp of change. I had the chance to
work in a lot of places in Ontario, and seen a lot of towns that are dead, the stores are empty, everything's gone. We're there, so
I think the time has come that we make some changes, put some stuff at the forefront. I know everybody's got tax problems.
We've got a situation where all our equipment is going downhill and we have to find our way back. There are a lot of good
people sitting at this table, a lot of talent and years of experience. I don't know who you'll vote for but just vote and we'll see
how it turns out and what we can do,” he says.
Judy Edgar spoke next, saying she'd been on school councils, done a lot of volunteer work, and cared very much about this
community.
“I was school board trustee from 1998 until 2006, and for six of those years I was also the chair of the board. And one of the
things that hit me as soon as I got to the board, when Hastings was amalgamating with Prince Edward, was they were going to
call the board, the Bay of Quinte board. And I was at a meeting I wasn't supposed to be at and I put my hand up and said ‘I'm
sorry, I'm from Bancroft and the Bay of Quinte is nowhere near us' and that was my start in making people aware of the area
north of [Hwy] 7. And over the years, I've done a lot of volunteer work, I'm very involved in my church, and at the [Bancroft
Village] Playhouse. Living in this area is very important to me and I've not seen the town go downhill. I've seen changes, but
the town is beautiful. I think we have a long way to go. Taxes are very high and I would like to see them stabilize and find other
ways to raise funds. I'd like to see North Hastings work together so we can make Hastings County south recognize us, and get
the funding we need to make things happen. I know that water is a problem, I know that garbage disposal is a problem. I will
represent you, I will be there to hear you, if you call me, I'll be available. I want to see this community grow and growth is
probably good. We can get more money that way, I'm sure we can. Just get out and vote, whether you vote for me or not, just
vote,” she says.
Valerie Miles spoke next, giving a couple of reasons why folks should support her for another term on council.
“We are going to have a variety of new voices and new ideas, which is fantastic. But I also believe there is some value to
institutional knowledge. So I come to the table knowing where we've been, where we are and where we're going. So let me
give you some perspective to that; in 2018 when I joined council, we were $6 million in debt, with close to $3 million of that in
the wastewater situation that the province offloaded on us. Today, we have about $2.5 million in debt with everything except
$50,000 being the waste water debt. That debt is not serviced by your taxation, it's serviced by your waste and water bills. So
that dramatic change has occurred in eight years while I've been sitting at the table. The other side to that conversation is what
about reserves? When I joined, our reserves were at $1.6 million. Today, they are just under $7 million. We are prepared for the
future, as we have to talk about roads, services and what's best for our constituency. This is never easy. Each and every day,
every municipality has to struggle with, what are we providing for safety, what are we providing for our roads, what are we
providing for our constituents who send us their money every month? But I can assure you, as I've been sitting at the table, we
have never made a decision that didn't come with a safety perspective with it or an absolutely emergency situation that we
approved the money for. We actually have policy in place that council voted on over the last eight years that says we will not go
into debt unless we absolutely need to. And the other side of that is where are we going? Well today we have an arena that's
going to open up with a new system and new equipment. We have three apartments buildings in the downtown core that have
yet to come onto the taxation stream. That will be amazing for us once we get to that spot. We have a new library opening up
with an open house on Sept. 28. Every healthy community has a good library. And we've beautified this town over the last
eight years. I'm very proud of what I have done as I've sat at this table and I'm really hoping that you give me the opportunity
to bring my experience to the next term,” she says.
Chris Sheppard spoke next, saying he'd worked throughout the community for 32 years and had extensive leadership
experience in high stress situations, including leading and participating in highly functional team settings. “I raised a family here and I have grandchildren here. I'm currently looking after an elderly mother and an elderly father-in-law so I'm very familiar with the challenges facing families, retirees and the aging population. I'm a resident of Dungannon ward and I'm running for Dungannon ward. In speaking with the residents of Dungannon I understand their frustration as I have lived experience. I am looking to give Dungannon ward a strong voice at the table of seven council members. I will focus on looking to take things from Bancroft, Ward 1, I just want to make things equal. I have trouble understanding how the Town of Bancroft can pay two people to water flowers every weekend in the summer and can spend $70,000 to $80,000 for six trees on Hastings Street North, but in the winter we can't plow the roads to my grandchildren can go to school, people can drive to work and emergency services can get to you. Roads need to be a larger priority. We shouldn't be going backwards from paved roads to gravel. We need better dust control so the roads are safer and we can open the windows in our homes and hang out our laundry without it being covered in dust. I want to see funds spent on the necessities and not the frills. We all like frills but the needs of the community must be met first. We need to get back to basics. Common sense must prevail and things must be sustainable. I want to see transparency from council including adherence to conflict of interest rules. I want to see council summations added to the Town of Bancroft website because who has time to sit and listen to a three or four hour meeting? If I am successful, I will be available to you. If you have a question, ask me. If I don't know the answer, I'll do everything I can to get you the answer. In conclusion, no community is an island in North Hastings. We all need each other, to be sustainable and successful. We need to reestablish honest meaningful relationships with the townships around us if we want to be successful,” he says.
Next, the mayoral candidates spoke, beginning with Joshua MacDonald, who said that in 2024 he joined the team at Hydro
One as an arborist. “But anyways I reached a point in my life where I have a bit of time and I figure why not be a voice? I'm here I'm a young candidate and everything's new to me. I'm a sponge. I'm willing to take into consideration everything that people want to load on me. I've got big shoulders. And everybody else, there's people in this town that just don't know how to communicate. Call me up, I'll be the voice and I find that I can do much more for others than myself. I think that through this community I can be a big part of this town. I'm running for mayor because I'm a unique individual, I'm an out of the box thinker. I think I'm a great problem solver. I take challenges not personally, but I take pride in my work. I'm a farmer from both sides. Both my parents come from big long farm families so the roots are here. I just hate how young people have to leave this town to survive. We need infrastructure here, we need people to be home, to tend to their kids and feed their families. And now that the
technology is here we can do that. There are lots of problems that I see in the town and together we have to work towards
getting them done even if it's just voicing our opinions. We might not be able to change it today or tomorrow but if we have a
lifelong goal we can do it as a community. I believe there needs to be more communication, there's people left in the dark.
Everybody has problems with service. So bring those problems to the fore so we can follow through with it. For everyone
because this is our hometown. There are too many vacant stores, and there's so much opportunity. I believe we had the most
talented town in Ontario, gem capital of the world. Let's do more. Let's be the voice and I want to be your voice,” he says.
Tracy McGibbon spoke next, saying that for those who knew her from McG's Cakes on Main, she wasn't going to say that
every problem could be solved with buttercream, although after 12 years on council, she joked that cake probably could have
helped some of those meetings.
“Baking has taught me a lot about leadership. You listen, adjust and keep going. If something underneath isn't working, you
can't just add icing and hope nobody notices. Sometimes you have to fix the foundation. I've made mistakes, learned from
them and grown through 12 years of serving this community. I'm a local business owner, wife, mother and grandmother.
Bancroft is home and that's why I am running for mayor. One of my biggest priorities is financial responsibility. Bancroft has a
very limited tax base and property taxes can't be the answer everytime we need something. We need new revenue, outside
funding, stronger reserves and smarter spending. That includes implementing a municipal accommodation tax so the visitors
that visit here help support the community that they enjoy. Roads and aging infrastructure are another major priority. Roadwork
may not be glamourous, and nobody cuts a ribbon after a pothole gets fixed. But safe reliable roads are what we all need and
what matter to us. With major projects completed or nearing completion, or some that are moving forward now, future councils
should have more room to invest in our roads, our buildings and our infrastructure. Economic development is also critical. We
must support existing businesses, strengthen tourism, bring back events, encourage responsible investment and grow our tax
base. I want Bancroft to build a bigger reputation, a stronger economy, and more opportunities without losing what makes our
town so special. I would love to rebuild trust and strengthen relationships across North Hastings. We are stronger when we
work together in healthcare, policing, tourism and regional services. Our local government shouldn't feel like a locked door.
Residents deserve an accessible mayor, an open government with evening council meetings and evening public information
meetings. I believe in teamwork from the council table and I remain committed to not using strong mayor powers. Leadership
is not about collecting power, it's about bringing people together. When it comes to addressing homelessness, addiction and
public safety, compassion and accountability can and should exist together. I won't promise every decision will be easy but I
will promise to show up, to do the work, to ask questions, to listen, follow through and be Bancroft's biggest cheerleader. After
12 years of council, and many years of volunteering prior to that, I know Bancroft's challenges, but I also see the possibilities.
Like baking, building something worthwhile takes patience, creativity, the right ingredients, the right people around the table
and sometimes the courage to change the recipe. I am Tracy McGibbon and I would be honoured to have your support,” she
says.
Last but not least, Mark Pharand spoke, and said he's been around the world and his educational background is rooted in law
enforcement with the RCMP and senior management.
“Over the past 20 years of leadership, I have gained that experience the skill sets we need to work together here in Bancroft.
Throughout my career in Canada and abroad, I've demonstrated a commitment to excellence, with focus on emergency
management, leadership and mediation. At home I have effectively participated in council meetings as the bylaw enforcement
officer and I've also worked extensively on the budget side with other organizations and been very active in that. When elected,
my priorities will include communication, spending the tax base, reducing the tax burden, advocacy for our community and a
collaborative approach. Over the last weeks, I've spoken to many of you in Bancroft but I haven't talked to all of you yet, but
I'm moving toward that. I pledge to establish regular and meaningful engagement with folks. They want to talk to me so I want
to talk to them. I believe it's essential to build connections with our community organizations and all levels of government. We
need to expand our tax base. My goal is to attract new sustainable business here in Bancroft and the opportunities are abundant
if you look for them. Our young population needs a reason to stay, live work, and thrive here in Bancroft. I've heard it so many
times, they graduate, they go away, and 20 or 30 years later they come back. We need to have them stay here in town, work
here and thrive here, and be a viable member of our community. Reducing the tax burden is important. My priority is
promoting fiscal responsibility to keep the taxes as low as possible while maintaining the services both residents and businesses
require. Creating an attractive environment to live and work will attract new families and businesses to Bancroft. We have to be
inviting and folks have to want to come here. I'm committed to actively listening to you, staying informed and then being a
confident advocate when working with our potential government and non-government partners. We need strong leadership and
I'm that person. I've been there and dealt with difficult and stressful situations throughout my life and career. Bancroft is the
hub of North Hastings and we have to talk to others about it. Let's be collaborative and move forward together. I will join
forces with council, municipal staff, residents, businesses, neighbours. We're all facing challenges here in Bancroft, it's not
easy,” he says.
After a 15 minute break, each candidate was asked two questions on issues that face Bancroft and how they would tackle them
if they were elected. The questions focussed on what kind of development Bancroft needs, the lack of parking, taxation, housing, the homelessness issue, procurement policy, increasing business and investment in downtown Bancroft, emergency
preparedness, and waste management. The full livestream can be found at www.youtu.be/8R1NJ2GrCol, and the question and
answer portion begins at 55:45.
Somerville told The Bancroft Times that she thought the meeting went well though she thought maybe her questions were a bit
deep.
“I think it was a great opportunity to meet the candidates for councillor. I haven't heard too much feedback on it- I've been
trying to fix that five-minute gap in the audio of the stream before really publicizing it. All and all, I believe the in-person event
went well considering it was my first go at it. All the candidates were well spoken and passionate about our area,” she says.