The survey is problematic.
First and foremost, the survey comes from an organization that is still employing one of St. Catharines' mayoral candidates. Regardless of statements that he had no role in the creation of the survey, as CEO of the organization, he is still ultimately responsible for the work of his staff.
I've been teaching management courses for years. We talk frequently about managers being responsible for the work of their staff. There is no way around that.
So, just as I would not complete an election campaign survey from General Motors, Folk Arts Council, Hickory Dickory Decks, or any other employer of any of our mayoral candidates, I will not formally complete this one.
There are numerous other concerns with the survey, particularly for St. Catharines candidates (including that I don't recall receiving a survey from the Chamber of Commerce in either of the 2006 or 2010 campaigns), but I'll let others discuss them, should they choose to do so.
My bigger concern than where the survey came from is that there is a significant methodological issue with the survey in that the questions are not simple "Yes" or "No" questions.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a proponent for clear, concise communication and for not drawing things out longer than necessary. I communicate with ratepayers at every opportunity, but I don't speak just for the sake of speaking. If I can answer a question clearly and directly with a simple "yes" or "no," I am more than happy to do just that. However, the questions on this survey cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or "no" and it would be misleading and unfair to voters to even try to do so.
Rather than answer the survey the way that the Chamber has laid it out, I will provide my answers here. They are in italics beneath each question.
Greetings,
On behalf of the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce (GNCC), congratulations on taking an important first step in serving your community as a municipal leader. As a result, we want to invite you to participate in VoteNiagara2014.ca.
The business community has defined the important issues to move Niagara forward and is asking all candidates a series of key questions that will help determine their support for business community priorities and their commitment to a stronger, more prosperous, Niagara region.
VoteNiagara2014.ca is a website intended to highlight where Niagara’s candidates stand on important election issues byway of the Business Platform. Each plank of the Business Platform includes 4 action items that have been identified as key elements to improving Niagara’s position in that particular area.
How Do You Get Started?
As a council candidate, we ask that you answer the below yes/no questions and submit a headshot (in JPEG format) with your name as you would like it appear on the website.
In return, this information will be uploaded and featured on VoteNiagara2014.ca over the course of the election. Furthermore, if you support all aspects of our Business Platform, you will receive additional website exposure as a “Gold Star Candidate”.
If you have any questions or would like further clarification of the GNCC’s position on this issue, please do not hesitate to contact me.
How Will We Get The Word Out?
In addition to the completion of the questionnaire, please send along any social media information (twitter, facebook, etc.) that you have, as we will be using our network of over 11,000 followers to let people know that candidates have completed the questionnaire. Additionally, the information on VoteNiagara2014.ca will be circulated to our entire network of over 1,500 businesses, representing over 45,000 employees, across the Niagara region.
Thank you for your participation in VoteNiagara2014 and best of luck on your campaign.
The VoteNiagara2014.ca Business Platform:
1. Talent Attraction & Retention:Do you commit to creating the right conditions to retain, create and attract 1,000 full or part time jobs by the end of your term of Council? YES _____ NO______I would really like to say that I commit to this. Unfortunately, I just can't.
This means:
- Putting in place mechanisms to grow the number of homes and businesses in Niagara at a rate of more than 2.5% each year
- Actively working towards harmonizing zoning by-laws, planning regulations and tracking technologies across Niagara
- Actively working towards expanding business incentives through the Community Improvement Plan (CIP) program
- Supporting Niagara’s Innovation agenda
- Supporting trade missions and business attraction initiatives
- Keeping development charges competitive
First of all, where does the number come from? Why 1,000? Why not 2,000 or 500 or 683 or how about one million jobs? Second, there is a rather significant difference between 1,000 full-time jobs and 1,000 part-time jobs. Even if the jobs were a mix of full- and part-time, this is still a problematic commitment. What kinds of jobs? What will those jobs pay? Where will they be located? Will there be reliable transportation to those jobs? This simply is not a "yes" or "no" question.
As I have said numerous times, I agree what we should do what we can - within the constraints of the Municipal Act and other legislation - to create the conditions that will make employers want to locate here; that will encourage small businesses to open here; that will encourage entrepreneurs to start their own businesses. And, where we can't play an active role in helping, we need to ensure that we are not in the way.
Do you commit to developing and approving a coordinated regional approach to economic development that focuses on high growth and emerging sectors within 100 days of being sworn in? YES _____ NO______Another one that I'd really like to answer "yes" to, but, again, I can't. Anyone who has been following municipal politics will know that we are already working on this. Even if we weren't already working on it, it is extremely difficult to commit to something that requires agreement from so many other municipalities before it can happen. St. Catharines is one municipality in a field of 12. We can't commit to a regional exercise without others getting on board.
This means:
- Developing a clear road-map for Niagara’s economic future that will drive attraction and retention activities, government relations and advocacy over the next four years
Do you commit to reducing total compliance time by 50% for businesses that are looking to enter the Niagara market? YES _____ NO______Yes, I am in favour of cutting compliance times where it makes sense. I am in favour of doing a blanket review of the processes to determine where we can reduce compliance times, eliminate repetition and so on. However, why by 50%? Why not by 13% or 68%? Nice round, arbitrary numbers get us nowhere. Maybe a review of the process shows us that for some types of businesses, we can cut total compliance times by 74% and for other types of businesses, we can cut total compliance times by 6% and for still other types of businesses, we cannot cut compliance times at all.
This means:
- Setting the framework to ensure that business permitting, Notices to Proceed and municipal licencing process times are net cut in half
Do you commit to including the business community in at least 75% of all business attraction missions? YES _____ NO______My very first reaction to this question was "who's paying for it?" I will not, under any circumstances, agree to taxpayers paying for this initiative. Second, how would the decision be made to decide who participates in these business attraction missions? Third, how many people would we agree can or should attend? Fourth, do I need to ask why 75%? I probably don't. I've made my point on the round, seemingly arbitrary numbers.
This means:
- Ensuring that key leaders in the business community are part of ‘making the case’ to locate in Niagara and provide the private sector perspective
Further, this question suggests a lack of trust in what municipal and regional staff are hired to do, many of whom have worked in the private sector/regularly liaise with people who do. I understand that there are many people who don't have faith in our staff, and I will question or challenge our staff on issues that they need to be questioned or challenged on; however, by and large our staff are doing good work. They are hired because they have skills and expertise that others do not.
2. 21st Century Infrastructure:Do you commit to establishing a single integrated regional transit system that includes Niagara’s business community and is implemented within 2 years? YES _____ NO______I have been an advocate for regional transit for quite some time. When I worked for the City of Welland (more than ten years ago), I worked on this file. I've been clear that I feel that more accessible, integrated transportation is necessary throughout St. Catharines and Niagara.
This means:
- Urging regional and transit representatives to expeditiously move forward with a fully-integrated single transit system, managed by a transit commission/joint municipal services board
- Advocating that the business community be formally included as representatives on a transit commission/joint municipal services board
- Urging regional and local transit representatives to provide a specific timeline when residents will be able to see a fully-integrated transit system implemented in the Niagara region, and when businesses will see the issuing of an Expression of Interest for provision of inter-municipal transit services
Again, while I can commit to advocating for it, I cannot commit to establishing it (if I could, it would already be done).
While the business community would certainly benefit from a single integrated regional transit system, so would residents - some using the transportation for business purposes, some using it for social/leisure purposes - therefore, all ratepayer groups need to be involved in making this a reality.
Much to my dismay, given the record of this file, there is no way to put a two-year timeline on this initiative and legitimately hope to see it realized.
Do you support having a pragmatic approach to bringing GO Commuter Train Service to Niagara by supporting GO to West Niagara with a fixed timeline for expansion to St. Catharines and Niagara Falls? YES ____ NO____Anyone who has been following municipal/regional politics or my time on Council will know how I feel about GO trains. Much like I am for regional transit, I am an advocate for bringing daily, year-round GO commuter trains to Niagara.
This means:
- Continuing to support the regional joint advocacy effort that focuses on bringing GO Train Commuter service to West Niagara with a fixed timeline for full expansion through to St. Catharines and ending in Niagara Falls
Because this is within the purview of the provincial government, I cannot commit to a fixed timeline.
I am well aware that having daily, year-round GO commuter trains are not a panacea for the challenges St. Catharines and Niagara face, but it would help in many respects, and I think it's important for the province to move on getting GO here as soon as humanly possible. We've been asking for as long as I can remember.
Do you support ensuring that more municipal services are offered online by the end of the term of council? YES ____ NO____Yes.
This means:
- Supporting greater access to municipal services by putting more online and leveraging app technology.
Do you support using of Alternative Finance and Procurement Strategies in at least 3 major infrastructure initiatives during the term of Council? YES ____ NO____You know what I'm hoping? I'm hoping that there are no major infrastructure initiatives ($20 million+) during this term of Council.
This means:
- Advocating that for any capital projects over 20 million dollars, explore and implement alternative finance and procurement strategies e.g. Design-Build and Public-Private Partnerships.
EDIT (August 13, 10:42 p.m.): A reader of this blog entry pointed out that I had broken down and completely answered all of the questions except this one. He felt that I had blown it off. Upon re-reading it, I can see how some readers may think that, and it was not my intention.
While I still do not foresee a circumstance under which this next term of Council would agree to undertake an infrastructure project of more than $20 million, I do support using Alternative Finance and Procurement Strategies for these types of projects. I would look to our staff and invite other stakeholders to the table to identify what those finance and procurement options might be prior to selecting the correct one.
3. Efficiencies In Government:Do you commit to governance modernization that includes a directly elected Regional Chair and streamlining the number of Councillors? YES ____ NO____Yes to a directly elected Regional Chair and mostly yes to streamlining the number of Councillors (municipal and regional). I am not afraid to commit to something that could put me out of a job. I would ensure that a great deal of thought went into what the right number of Councillors is to provide the best representation for the community/ies.
This means:
- Committing to raise governance modernization and having a region wide debate to streamline Niagara’s governance system
Do you commit to implementing at least 4 new Shared-Services Agreements during the term of Council? YES ____ NO____While this, of course, would take agreement from any municipality we were seeking to partner with, I do, in principle, agree to it. As a for instance, there has been discussion about building yet another arena/recreational facility in or around St. Catharines. If that comes to pass (again, hopefully not during this term of Council), I would like to see it located and financed to benefit more than one municipality, with each municipality paying their proportionate share.
This means:
- Working with other municipalities to see where value-for-money can be maximized through implementing shared services
- Committing to explore and implement more ways in which the private for-profit and not-for-profit sectors can play a role in service delivery
- Formally committing to see where greater regional collaboration on service delivery can take place and entrenching it through a Memorandum of Understanding.
Do you commit to formally including the business community in municipal decision-making during the term of Council? YES ____ NO____I commit to including every ratepayer group in municipal decision-making. Communication is imperative, and we make the best decisions when everyone has input. There are numerous opportunities for ratepayer groups to attend Council meetings and provide input, as well as several committees of Council on which members of each ratepayer group can volunteer to sit, and multiple ways to get in touch with individual Councils/Councillors to express opinions, and I encourage people (business or otherwise) to make use of these outlets.
This means:
- Committing to formally include business representatives on Council committees, boards, commissions, agencies and task-forces
Thank you for taking the time to complete this questionnaire Please email the completed questionnaire, along with a JPEG headshot to policy@gncc.ca
As always, please don't hesitate to contact me through the blog, via e-mail: lauraipforstgeorgesward@gmail.com, through my Facebook page: Laura Ip for St. George's Ward, or on Twitter: @L__Ip. I'd love to hear your feedback.
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