Local Municiple gov't

[margrace]

It is interesting to follow the big city and area politics but what of the little ones, and I mean very little. In an area with under 1000 people, one municipality has a reeve and 4 councillors.

In the coming election it appears that no one is challenging the reeve but there are, so far, 3 of the incumbant councillors running and at least 3 challengers. Of the already seated concillors, one is sueing his own council over the official plan just instituted, one loves politics but does not vote until she sees which way the wind blows, several are only interested in keeping local services as low as they can.

There are a lot of people who formerly owned cottages in the area and are only interested in keeping the taxes on their lake front properties down. The new people from the cities see no reason to support local health care since they can afford to go to the big cities for their care. This area is one of the fastest growing areas for senior retirement, the the local average or mean wage is about $21,000 a year.

There are a lot of central municipalites in Ontario that would fit this description. The worst part of this is the Ontario governments mandates to keep seniors in their own home, meanwhile cutting homecare and asking that voluteers pick up the work. Is this feasible?

[Michael Hardner]

It would be feasible for the government to share information with people in an accessible, consistent, audited, frequent and easy-to-understand format.

Then we could make informed decisions.

[Shwa]

It is interesting to follow the big city and area politics but what of the little ones, and I mean very little. In an area with under 1000 people, one municipality has a reeve and 4 councillors.

In the coming election it appears that no one is challenging the reeve but there are, so far, 3 of the incumbant councillors running and at least 3 challengers. Of the already seated concillors, one is sueing his own council over the official plan just instituted, one loves politics but does not vote until she sees which way the wind blows, several are only interested in keeping local services as low as they can.

There are a lot of people who formerly owned cottages in the area and are only interested in keeping the taxes on their lake front properties down. The new people from the cities see no reason to support local health care since they can afford to go to the big cities for their care. This area is one of the fastest growing areas for senior retirement, the the local average or mean wage is about $21,000 a year.

There are a lot of central municipalites in Ontario that would fit this description. The worst part of this is the Ontario governments mandates to keep seniors in their own home, meanwhile cutting homecare and asking that voluteers pick up the work. Is this feasible?

I am not sure how you got from Reeve and municipal elections to volunteers and home health care. Is this a big issue with your local politics that low property taxes would effect somehow?

[William Ashley]

It is interesting to follow the big city and area politics but what of the little ones, and I mean very little. In an area with under 1000 people, one municipality has a reeve and 4 councillors.

In the coming election it appears that no one is challenging the reeve but there are, so far, 3 of the incumbant councillors running and at least 3 challengers. Of the already seated concillors, one is sueing his own council over the official plan just instituted, one loves politics but does not vote until she sees which way the wind blows, several are only interested in keeping local services as low as they can.

There are a lot of people who formerly owned cottages in the area and are only interested in keeping the taxes on their lake front properties down. The new people from the cities see no reason to support local health care since they can afford to go to the big cities for their care. This area is one of the fastest growing areas for senior retirement, the the local average or mean wage is about $21,000 a year.

There are a lot of central municipalites in Ontario that would fit this description. The worst part of this is the Ontario governments mandates to keep seniors in their own home, meanwhile cutting homecare and asking that voluteers pick up the work. Is this feasible?

It isn't feasable nor needed. 95% of the program dollar goes to health care in Ontario. What should exist is access to healthcare.

I've purported that "misi" doctors are used in underserviced areas. Beyond nomadic clinics going around these areas there ain't much that can be done. If you are indeed in a seniors community though there should be a market existing for a doctor who is willing to service the community.

This has absolutely nothing to do with local politics and is a provincial issue.