Featured Candidate | TANIS HARGRAVE | Ward 1 Whitchurch Stouffville

Tanis Hargrave

905-853-2966
email

TANIS HARGRAVE, WARD 1

My name is Tanis Hargrave and I have spent all of my life within Stouffville area. I have watched Stouffville transform from a sleepy little village into the rapidly growing town that it is today.

For the past 14 years I have been a resident of Ward 1 where I live with my husband Ross, my youngest son Dan and many animals. I am a mother of four grown children and a proud grandmother of two beautiful little girls.

I am running because I care about this town. In the past 4 years Stouffville has grown by nearly 50%. While growth is positive it is crucial to maintain fiscal responsibility. We need to be accountable, to gain control of projects and ensure the proper steps are being followed. We need a strong Mayor and a pro-active council.

I want to reconnect the residents of Ward 1 to the town by providing quarterly newsletters and web-site updates through which issues can be reported as they occur.

I would also like all council meetings to take place in the evening so that the greatest number of residents can participate. I would like to investigate the possibility of making the meetings public through television, radio or the internet.

Being an entrepreneur and a business woman I understand the importance of attracting new business to the area to help financially support the large increase in municipal services costs and reduce the residents’ tax burden.

Those of you who know me, are well aware that I never take on anything unless I can do it 100%. On October 25th I’m asking the residents of Ward 1 to vote for Tanis Hargrave for responsible and communicative leadership.

Sincerely,

Tanis Hargrave

WHY ELECT TANIS HARGRAVE FOR WARD 1?

BETTER MANAGEMENT OF TOWN SPENDING

Tanis wants to alert the residents of Ward 1 to a serious issue of growing town debt and major expenditures undertaken without community knowledge. Many motions and financial decisions have been made without sufficient communication.

IMPROVED CONNECTIVITY TO THE TOWN

Tanis wants to reconnect the residents of Ward 1 to the town by providing quarterly newsletters and web-site updates through which issues can be reported as they occur.

MORE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION OF TOWN MEETINGS

Many residents are unavailable for the 3:00 pm council meetings that make up half of the pre-scheduled meetings. Tanis would like all council meetings to take place in the evening so that the greatest number of residents can participate. She would also like to investigate the possibility of making the meetings public through television, radio or the internet. This has been done in other municipalities throughout the region such as the Town of Aurora.

ATTRACT MORE BUSINESS TO THE AREA

Tanis is an entrepreneur and a business woman who understands the importance of attracting new business to the area. Stouffville is one of the fastest-growing communities in Ontario with a population of over 36,000 and 9,000 more residents expected in the next three years. The rapid population growth requires a large increase in municipal services but, without significant business growth, an increasing proportion of municipal taxes will fall directly on residents.

HONEST REPRESENTATION

Tanis never takes on anything unless she can do it 100%. She will provide the residents of Ward 1 with the best leadership possible through open and honest communications and upfront representation. 

Update October 21, 2010

TANIS HARGRAVE ANSWERS THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS

1) WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE MAIN CHALLENGES THAT WILL FACE THE NEW COUNCIL?

Fiscal management, monitoring future capital expenditures, deciding what projects need to be completed and what projects can be pushed off to a later date when the tax money has been properly accrued for building them. We need to review operating costs on all facilities.

The state of the town's senior and youth services focusing on all wards not just the town itself.

Traffic is a major concern not only in the town but in the rural areas where speeding is a definite issue.

The need to develop business growth. The rapid population growth over the past 4 years has required a large increase in municipal services and in order to off-set higher taxes we need to attract more business growth.  We need to develop a properly planned industrial core much like Richmond Hill, Aurora and Newmarket have done while still maintaining a balanced environment. We have the industrial park in Gormely which cannot grow until sewers and water are brought up the 404. This project has been slated by the Region for 2014. How many opportunities to attract commercial companies will be missed before then?

2) ARE THERE ANY SPECIFIC WARD ISSUES THAT YOU WOULD LIKE COUNCIL TO ADDRESS?

INTERNET:
This is a huge issue in ward 1. I have spoken to many people who are still on dial-up.  Some residents opt to use Rocket Sticks which often cost hundreds of dollars every month. I know the town has approached the provincial government for a grant which would fund a provider to set up this key service. The lack of high speed is a constant complaint.

ROAD IMPROVEMENTS:
Many residents have been promised over and over again that their road will be properly paved.

COUNCIL MEETINGS HELD IN OUR WARD:
Investigate the possibility of having at least 1 council meeting held in our ward to make it more convenient for our residents to attend. Meetings should be set for 7:00 pm not 3:00 pm.

DANGEROUS INTERSECTIONS:
The intersection at Vivian and Warden is extremely dangerous and needs to have a stop light installed.

SPEEDING ON RURAL ROADS:
After spending weeks going door to door on Vivian, Aurora, McCowan, Warden, Kennedy, Vandorf, Cherry and St. John's Roads where the speeds are often posted at 60 to 70 kilometers I have observed cars going by at 90 kilometers and more. I have a true appreciation for the residents' safety concerns. We need more police presence.

THE DECENTRALIZATION OF SPENDING:
Rural areas pay very large taxes and get very little back in return. We need to look at services for our seniors and youths, library, soccer fields, etc. It is not always convenient to drive 25 minutes into town to enjoy the facilities or programs offered there.

BALLANTRAE FIREHALL 24/7 SERVICE:
Making the Ballantrae Fire hall a 24/7 full-time staff location:
The current council has delayed this until at 2014 which is too long to wait on such an important essential service. This directly affects the safety of our community.

DEVELOPING GREATER "CONNECTIVITY AND COMMUNITY SPIRIT":
Residents need to be made aware of all issues and costs via monthly newsletters or web site postings so that they can share their input before decisions affecting them are made. 
We want to support Stouffville, so let's start with supporting our own ward 1. In the past few weeks I have discovered a wealth of talent right here in ward 1. Everything from fresh eggs and honey to grass fed beef (purchased by piece if desired), antiques, home-made horseradish, a fantastic wool shop, accountants, landscapers, music teachers, and more. A ward 1 bulletin board could be created featuring our own list of unique businesses.

INVESTIGATE THE POSSIBILITY OF A MOBILE OR SATELLITE LIBRARY:
To create a mobile or satellite library service for residents who live on the western fringes of the ward. Approaching neighboring library Boards to access the usage of their facilities in Aurora and Newmarket without paying "out of the area" fees.