Councillor Brandon Forder

Q1. Meaford is experiencing dynamic growth. How do you see ratepayers’ involvement in that growth?

Every year, our current tax rate increases to meet with inflation, growing demand for services and utilities, capital projects, and much more. Because we have a smaller base of both ratepayers and businesses than most other Municipalities, the burden lies largely on current ratepayers to shoulder most of the Municipal expenses. This is no secret, and is a complex issue that the community has managed for decades. Our Municipal staff does a good job of attaining grants to cover large portions of expenses, but I believe there is room for improvement. We could be proactively taking advantage of grants for infrastructure we will need in the near future. For example, electric vehicle charging stations are a great example of a grant opportunity I believe the Municipality should have taken advantage of. As the population of Meaford continues to grow, and I firmly believe we are on the cusp of a pivotal development boom, we will see increased demand for services, and elevated expenses associated with offering them. Ideally, we will also have a larger tax base to spread those expenses over.

The difficulty lies in determining who should shoulder the cost of that growth. An estimated $25 million is needed to upgrade our wastewater treatment facility. Should current ratepayers be responsible for that burden? Absolutely not! When the forecasted development boom happens, the next Council will have to decide between continuing to increase rates, maintaining rates where they are, or bringing them down. I respect that it is a delicate balancing act, and there are a lot of unknown variables that will go into their decision. However, Council’s decisions will set a precedent for how future growth is funded in Meaford. As a small business owner, I have to be fiscally responsible at all times; I owe it to my staff, my customers, and my business to do so. I am a firm believer in fiscal responsibility within municipalities, too, and intend to keep taxes as low as possible.

Q2. Currently there is a debate on the effectiveness of the Municipality of Meaford’s Advisory Committees as they are currently structured. How would you ensure community committees are used more effectively by Council and the Municipality in the next term of Council?

Meaford’s Advisory Committees are a great starting point; they’re full of passionate and educated local residents who want to better our community. However, I believe there is significant room to improve how they are managed. With the current process, Committee members are given large amounts of information with too short of a window to adequately process, and are expected to make big decisions on important community matters. I do not feel this is an effective or efficient model, and in fact it is most likely wasting time and resources. My recommendation would be to allow Advisory Committees to form subcommittees, and to provide sufficient time to meet with community groups and residents about issues before making recommendations. A great example would be the City of Kitchener. They have an extensive list of advisory committees that have clearly defined visions, directions, tools and resources. They meet every month, rather than bi-monthly, they have subcommittees to focus on specific issues, and they network with community members and organizations. Meaford is full of talented people with experience in industries of all shapes and sizes. Like other communities that recognize this, we should be using this to our advantage by encouraging residents to contribute to local matters via sub-committee roles conducive to their areas of expertise.

Q3. Would you support the creation of a community-based Advisory Committee for Planning and Development?

I believe that community advisory committees can become the heart and soul of positive growth in communities like Meaford. They bring a unique set of knowledge, skills, experience, and passion that fills in the gaps and creates innovative ideas to support the furtherance of Municipal planning. I also believe there is a tremendous amount of value in community organizations such as Imagine Meaford, AMP, Save Georgian Bay, and many others. I highly encourage local residents to organize, investigate, and inform our Municipal council and other residents on issues that are important to them regularly. The creation of a community-based Advisory Committee focused on Planning and Development would be a tremendous asset; I am highly in favour. The passionate, intelligent people of our community have already proven their value many times over. To take that a step further, I see opportunities for a number of new advisory committees within our Municipality. Voting in Councillors that you trust will listen to, validate, and act upon your concerns is key to the success of this type of organization. Meaford is at a pivotal stage for growth and development, and the more community input the better.

Q4. What is the role of Council and the Municipality in supporting the development of downtown Meaford? In rural areas? Please provide examples. 

Downtown Meaford:

Our downtown core is the epicenter of tourism in our community, a strong indicator of economic strength, and an essential piece of our community’s heritage. Revitalizing the downtown core will strengthen economic growth, positively affect tourism, and make Meaford a more desirable place to live and play. I believe the Official Plan should directly identify downtown revitalization as an economic development strategy. Council, alongside Municipal staff, can do quite a lot to support the development of downtown Meaford, such as: 

● Enacting and enforcing bylaws and regulations to maintain residential and commercial property standards 

● Enacting bylaws that enhance the downtown experience, such as those to allow for Summer patios 

● Maintaining cleanliness through waste management and beautification 

● Maintaining roads and parking lots; creating additional parking as needed 

● Supporting and promoting events and festivals 

● Providing resources for community groups and local businesses 

● Creating and maintaining tourist experiences, such as the Big Red Chair Tour 

● Actively engaging with residents, tourists, community groups, and downtown business owners, to understand the barriers they face 

● Taking advantage of Provincial and Federal Government grants, such as those designed to educated and equip small business owners, and those that improve parks and heritage sites 

● Proactively anticipating the needs of future residents, businesses, and tourists, such as electric vehicle charging stations 

● Maintaining communication and building a relationship with the Chamber of Commerce 

● Actively supporting pertinent advisory committees, such as Economic Development and Heritage committees While this is not an exhaustive list, it gives a clear indication of the impact our Municipal government can have on our downtown core. 

Rural Areas:

Supporting the development of rural areas is essential to the future of our Municipality, whether they’re residential, agricultural, or natural. Agriculture is a crucial part of our local economy and our food chain. The Municipal government needs to bring rural realities to the forefront, and keep in mind the needs of our rural communities in planning and decision making. Again, this is not an exhaustive list, but these are many ways in which I believe our local government can support the development of our rural communities:

● Actively repairing and maintaining roads and bridges

● Creation of an Agricultural Advisory Committee

● Controlling and limiting urban creep by increasing density of urban housing developments within a smart and comfortable range aligned with the Official Plan ● Meeting with and engaging the farming community to understand the deeper issues they face, and consider times and forms of engagement that are effective

for our rural demographics

● Supporting and developing programs for rural and eco-tourism, such as promotion of our natural rural parks and hiking trails. An example of this is including the Irish Mountain Lookout in the Big Red Chair tour

● Implementing and maintaining signage to promote rural tourism, for cideries and the like.

● Actively supporting and promoting events that promote our agricultural communities, such as the Fall Fair

● Finding ways to bridge the divide between the rural and urban communities, by promoting mutually beneficial initiatives

● Understanding the long-term potential that climate change has to impact our rural communities, and understanding what the Municipality’s role is in future-proofing their safety

● Maintaining, promoting and supporting small halls, such as Woodford Hall and the Bognor Community Centre

● Maintaining cleanliness through waste management and beautification, where applicable ● Developing and nurturing a network of people and organizations who are experts in rural planning and development, economic growth, and promotion of healthy communities

● Understanding what local bylaws and regulations may be causing difficulty for rural communities, and working with community members to redefine them more fairly

● Developing and maintaining individual planning documents for smaller hamlets and communities, similar to the Official Plan, to keep those unique areas on track for their own unique growth that meets their needs

● Actively seeking grants from higher levels of government to upgrade infrastructure

● Promoting the new Mental Health initiatives for farmers, which is a partnership between the OFA and the CMHA

● Supporting bylaws and approvals to bring natural gas and broadband internet to rural communities.

Q5. What role does Meaford’s “Official Plan” have in guiding development?

Meaford’s Official Plan is a legal document that is designed to guide land use and development strategies based on Municipal needs (current and forecasted), community input, and more. It outlines rules for development that include appropriate land use by stats like location and forecasted rate of growth. This essential document guides the updating and creation of bylaws, too. Residents of the Municipality of Meaford will be particularly interested in the newest Official Plan this term as it pertains to density, appropriate waterfront usage, and greenspace requirements for new housing developments within our community. This is a hot button issue, as we work through the growing pains of a development boom. An effective Official Plan should also set out a clear vision, direction, and goals for the future of community growth, which is something many believe our community is currently lacking. This plan is redesigned every 5 years, and as many may know, is currently in revision. With Meaford’s dynamic growth on the horizon, it is of utmost importance that the newest version truly defines healthy, calculated, and smart policies. This document has the potential to create a clearly defined, unique vision for Meaford, that can set our community on the right course to define who we are and what we want our community to become moving forward. I firmly believe our community already has an unwritten vision that allows for smart growth, while still maintaining our unique quality of living and small town feel. However, the Official Plan is only as strong as the Council and staff who enforce it. If a developer can request a bylaw amendment at every turn, and those amendments are constantly approved, it sets the precedent that Meaford will bend over for developers rather than sticking true to their plan. Council, Municipal staff, and developers must respect the Official Plan.

Q6. There are many issues that need to be addressed in the coming four-year term, including affordable housing, staffing shortages, the downtown heritage district, business development, climate change, tourism, and a host of infrastructure needs supporting agriculture, bridges, roads, water and sewer and urban green spaces. a. As a member of Council, how will you work with local and county/regional partners and Meaford's CAO and staff to move the Municipality forward on the above issues? Can you provide any examples? What, in your opinion, are the most urgent issues to address? 

a. As a member of Council, how will you work with local and county/regional partners and Meaford's CAO and staff to move the Municipality forward on the above issues? Can you provide any examples?

This is a difficult question to answer, as certain issues are of greater importance to different members of our community. As a Councillor, it is important to represent everyone’s voice. That being said, some issues can be more pressing, as they may affect a larger number of people. As a small business owner, I know how difficult it can be to hire new staff in our community. That problem won’t be solved until we take great strides to increase attainable housing projects, address food insecurity, and strengthen our network of social programs. Of course, without an influx of labour, it will be difficult to maintain economic growth and development, too.

Proactively maintaining existing infrastructure will be essential as our population continues to grow, and to avoid a costly massive repair bill when it’s too late. Roads and bridges throughout our Municipality are essential for residents, emergency services, our farmers, and also our tourism industry. Water and sewer will be in higher demand as more homes are built, and new businesses will rely on them too. Our downtown core, our heritage district, our natural resources, and everything else that makes Meaford unique requires special attention to ensure they’re not washed out as our population grows.

Climate change is a big threat to our natural resources, our agricultural communities, and our overall way of life. There are a lot of unknowns in the future of our environment, and a smart Municipality is one that is prepared well in advance. We need to proactively protect our natural resources, to future-proof our community for future generations. Georgian Bay is one of the world’s most precious freshwater ecosystems, and will be far more valuable to the future than we can even begin to imagine today. Preserving and protecting Georgian Bay should be of utmost importance.

Of course, as our population grows, greenspace will need to be maintained and increased, to support the health and wellbeing of those who call Meaford home. Districts like our heritage district are essential to preserve Meaford’s rich history, too. Now, with all of that in mind, addressing and balancing these issues needs to start with a clearly defined vision. This would provide cohesive direction to guide our response to all pressing issues in a way that just makes sense for Meaford. While dealing with many of these issues is largely a function of the Official Plan, Meaford really needs to sit down and decide who and what they want to be. If you look at thriving small communities like Stratford and Elora, they did just that by successfully developing a clear, unified identity that suits the best interest of their community as a whole.

Municipal Council has one employee; the CAO. Through the CAO, Council directs all Municipal activities based on a number of factors such as the Official Plan, existing Bylaws, Masterplans and consultant reports, and input from the community. With all decisions I am a part of, the above issues will be in mind, as we work towards ensuring smart, measured growth for our community. I truly believe that a Council with a unified vision will be paramount to accomplishing big goals over the next term, and that cohesion will allow our council to direct the CAO efficiently and definitively.

A Municipality, County, and any other measurable community, is only as strong as its network. As a small business owner, I understand first hand the productivity that can come from a well-balanced, active network of organizations and individuals. I will actively work towards meeting with as many organizations and individuals as possible, and encouraging relationships between our Municipality and outside groups. Building relationships is essential to growing your knowledge and understanding of in-depth issues affecting our community; no single Councillor can be an expert in everything, and that is why all Council members should have an established network of experts and mentors in the community.

Q7. What is the Municipality of Meaford’s share of tax dollars collected by Grey County? How will you ensure that Meaford’s needs are met through County initiatives (via these tax dollars)? 

In 2021, the Grey County allocation of levy collected $6,945,326 from Meaford, and that increased to $7,191,781 in 2022. This works out to just over 27% of tax dollars collected by the Municipality. Recently, Grey County announced a 3.23 percent increase for 2023, as well as a 10-year capital plan. There are several capital projects outlined in the current Grey County budget for upgrades to affordable housing projects within our community. Unfortunately, the benefits, initiatives, and services that the Municipality receives from the County is largely out of our control; some are designated by the County, and others are delegated from the Provincial government. However, I believe there is a strong opportunity to network with members of the County Board, and to hold the County responsible for their decisions. If elected, I will actively work with Deputy Mayor Keaveny to look deeper into the projects being offered by Grey County to Meaford, to ensure they make best use of our dollars. Thank you for your time!