On Oct. 22, many Brockville residents will cast their vote for who they believe will best fill the shoes of outgoing Mayor David Henderson.
The candidates include; Jason Baker, Kelly Cole, Cec Drake and Mark Oliver.
Baker has served on city council for 24 years after he was elected in his late 20s. Baker told Global News that he brings experience that the other candidates do not, which he believes is important moving forward into the next four years.
Although, Drake, Oliver, and Cole do not have any prior political experience, they all say they will bring a new “twist” to city hall.
A topic that has been on the minds of many Brockville residents recently has been youth crimes that have been associated with a self-proclaimed “gang.”
Brockville police say the group of children range in age from 13-17 and have been known to police for nearly a year.
A recent murder at Hardy Park in Brockville has many residents pointing the finger at this group which has caused safety concerns for many residents.
The youngest of the four mayoral candidates, Kelly Cole, 30, who is running for the second time, says if you’re scared of the gang, you should reach out to law enforcement. If she was to be elected mayor, she would leave it up the police to find a solution, she said.
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Oliver gave his opinion on the matter by saying the community must come together and stand up against this issue to ensure the safety of all residents.
Improving the relationship and partnership between the city and local associations and organizations including the police service that is mandated with this type of issue is a way of decreasing the problem, said Baker.
After playing several years in the Brooklyn Dodgers system and one year of professional basketball, Drake is calling for a recreation centre to be built for Brockville youth so they have a place to go, rather than wandering the streets and causing issues.
He continued by saying the new rec-centre will not only be a solution to youth crime, but will accommodate the senior population, and serve as a destination for bands, comedians and sporting events.
Creating employment in Brockville is a topic that each candidate had a similar opinion on.
Oliver started his company Photovision on his own 28 years ago in Brockville and has grown the one-man operation into a company that employs people across the province. He continued by saying his No. 1 goal is economic growth which he believes he will accomplish if elected.
Drake says the city has dug themselves into a financial hole with regards to the raid road tunnel but says because he is the founder of Brockville Taxpayers Association, he believes he will clean up the problem and focus on bringing small business to the city to boost the economy.
“If someone has deep pockets and wants to invest in Brockville, let’s talk,” said Cole.
After six terms as a city councillor, Baker says the economic office needs to change its focus of attracting jobs to retaining jobs.
Polls open on Oct. 22.
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