On Oct. 24, voters across Waterloo Region will head to the polls to elect city and regional councillors, mayors and a regional chair.
Residents of Waterloo, the region’s smallest city, will elect councillors in seven wards as well as a mayor to form city council.
There will be at least three new faces in place, as Ward 3 Coun. Angela Vieth, Ward 6 Coun. Jeff Henry and Ward 7 Coun. Tenille Bonoguore have chosen not to seek re-election.
Two longtime residents of the community, Madelyn Steiss and Hans Roach, have entered the race to replace Vieth in Ward 3.
To help voters ahead of this election, Global News has reached out to all of those running for regional or city council, mayor or regional chair in Kitchener, Cambridge and Waterloo with available online contact info. Those running for office were emailed a list of seven questions and in the coming days, the responses for every candidate who replies will be shared.
What follows are the responses received from those running for councillor in Waterloo, with the candidates being listed in alphabetical order.
Hans Roach
Q.2 Why do you believe you are the right person for the job?
My professional and personal experience as well as my community involvement make me the right person for the job. My career (in) the world of medical technology has instilled in me the value of hard work and fiscal responsibility. In my role as a trustee on the Waterloo Catholic District School Board, I serve on the budget committee where we oversee an annual budget of $350 million. In the community, I have been involved with several groups including Waterloo Minor Hockey where I have served as President for 6 years.
Q.3 What do you think is the most important issue facing your ward and the city as a whole?
Affordable housing is the most important issue in Waterloo.
Q.4 Looking down the road, what are your long-term goals for the city?
I want to live in a sustainable city, where we continue to grow our vibrant economy, and increase our quality of life.
Q.5 What is your platform?
The three themes of my platform include:
Fiscal responsibility and a stronger economy.
Citizen-focused government & service improvements.
Build Community Life
Q.6 What do you like to do in your spare time?
I love to travel, dabble in photography and I enjoy hockey.
Q.7 What is your favourite thing about living in your city/ward?
The friendly people in my ward are the best!
Madelyn Steiss
Q.1 Please give a brief background of yourself including what you do for a living and how long you have lived in the area? (If you are an incumbent, please state how long you have held the position.)
I have lived in Ward 3 in Waterloo all my life. I have an undergraduate degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Master’s degree in Applied Disability Studies. I work closely with people of differing abilities to be an advocate for them and their needs. I am keenly interested in politics and have volunteered on a couple campaigns which gave me some political experience, and I realize the importance of municipal government and want to be a part of it.
Q.2 Why do you believe you are the right person for the job?
I decided to put my name forward because I want to increase the connection between the people of Ward 3 and our municipal government. I understand how to listen to and connect with people of differing needs and abilities. Having these skills makes me the ideal candidate to bring positive and effective leadership as Councillor, and as an advocate for the people of Ward 3. It is no secret that I am 25 years old, and if elected I will be proud to be one of the youngest serving council members. I am ready and willing to serve my community and bring my skills to the table, offering the diverse perspective of the younger population. Since I started voting when I turned 18, I have heard that younger voters need to be more engaged in politics. I want to bring my diverse perspective to the table and encourage other young people to get engaged in local government.
Q.3 What do you think is the most important issue facing your ward and the city as a whole?
I am concerned about how increasing costs affects our population in Waterloo. These increases have made it difficult for people like me who are attempting to enter the housing market. I had dreams of owning my own home when I finished school but had to make the tough decision to decide to continue renting. It also affects people on fixed incomes like seniors, who are unable to keep up with increasing prices. If I am elected, I will ensure that tax increases are balanced, and that Council is considering how spending affects the individuals in our city and takes a balanced approach.
Q.4 Looking down the road, what are your long-term goals for the city?
Waterloo is growing fast and with it comes big city problems like crime and homelessness and we need to stay on top of that. I want Waterloo to stay the safe and beautiful city that I’ve always seen it as. I want to see positive growth for our city but ensure that we learn from quickly developed cities like Toronto, and plan ahead to prevent increasing crime and homelessness rates.
Q.5 What is your platform?
I want to value the needs, requests and interests of people in Ward 3. I hope to ensure open communication between citizens of Ward 3 and myself as Councillor is crucial. Not only will I make sure to listen to questions and comments, but ensure regular communication is made back to voters about why decisions were made at council. I aim to encourage higher engagement of young people’s involvement in politics, as well as to make efforts to engage all voters to achieve an overall increase in voter turnout at every election. I will engage council in finding creative and innovative solutions to the housing crisis. I want to ensure that I am building affordable housing and making strategic investments in our community at the municipal level.
Q.6 What do you like to do in your spare time?
I enjoy participating in local arts and culture, especially live music. I myself am a musician and have performed in bands and orchestras at local vendors. As a musician I know how important arts and culture is to communities. I enjoy travelling around Canada and hope to visit every province. As Councillor, it would be important to visit other municipalities to see how they run, how they tackle local issues and support local community business, arts, culture and recreation.
Q.7 What is your favourite thing about living in your city/ward?
In Ward 3, we have the privilege to be minutes away from both St. Jacobs and the beautiful countryside, a walk to Laurel Creek Conservation Area for camping, walks, and beach, and minutes away from Uptown Waterloo with its amazing local businesses and restaurants. This is a unique feature of Ward 3 that is unmatched in any other city. Our beautiful trails also make it easy to walk and bike to any of these places right from home. This is what I have always loved about living in Ward 3, and why I continue to build my roots here.
Comments