It’s become a three way race for Mayor so far for this fall’s municipal election. Saultonline.com is first to announce another candidate, former Libertarian Candidate in the recent provincial election, Austin Williams declared his candidacy today.
Williams joins incumbent Mayor, Debbie Amaroso as well as Ted Johnston who declared his candidacy on June 20.
The following was released to Saultonline.com by Austin Williams:
I would like to begin by thanking all of those Liberty minded individuals who supported me during the Provincial Election. I hope I have made you all proud, and hopeful for the future.
Next I would like to announce that I am the second person nominated to be the Mayor of Sault Ste. Marie this election cycle!
I hope to bring a youthful perspective and fresh ideas to the City government this election. My platform will be one based around sustainability, and minimizing risk for the public treasury. If elected I would have four major focuses when working with the council: growing personal freedoms, growing small business, shrinking government spending and reducing poverty. If given a mandate by the people of Sault Ste. Marie, I would do my best to steer the council according to the strategies outlined below.
Growing Personal Freedom:
– Sort the current BY-LAWs into four Categories: out of date, unnecessary, safety oriented, and necessary.
-Laws which fall into the first two categories should be repealed entirely.
-Laws which are safety oriented should receive further review, Laws deemed to be excessive by the administration should be brought to the community for input, and decisions will be made accordingly
-Retain laws deemed necessary
-Put mandatory review/expiration dates on all BY-LAWs in order to ensure good government into the future
-Remove all limitations upon agricultural self sufficiency, beekeeping, gardening and prohibitions against small scale animal ownership such as chickens
Growing Small Business:
-Repeal Special licensing BY-LAWs (such as 2003-50) for establishments which pose no possible threat to the community
-Repeal bans on otherwise legitimate businesses inside city limits (Such as 2012-213 which bans exotic animal shows)
-Repeal mandated closures and hours of operation for businesses
-The Municipal monopoly of ‘public works’ including roads, transit and waste services should be ended. A tax credit for all property owners in the amount the city previously spent (approximately $1000) should be created. This would increase the quality of the roads in SSM by allowing business and home owners to decide when their road needs repair, instead of government bureaucrats.
-Zoning By-Laws should be reopened for public debate and input regularly
Shrinking Government Spending
-I Pledge if elected to work to cut municipal spending in approximately half within four years
-In addition to legalizing private alternatives to public works as described earlier, this should be done primarily by reducing discretionary spending, administration costs, municipal employee perks, and overhead (Like the page Facebook.com/awilliamsSSM on June 5th to find a document entitled “Municipal Financial Plan” which will detail the cuts to be made).
Reducing Poverty:
-I Pledge if elected as mayor to donate 60% of my salary, and also to attempt to partner with local charities and business to complete the project outlined below
-Create free Permaculture Community Food Forests around the City on Public Lands, which will help provide nutritious food and reduce dependence on food banks for the poorest of people.
-Lower property taxes across the board by 0.2%
I look forward to helping return Sault Ste. Marie to the status of central cog in the Canadian economy.
Thank you to everyone who has considered what I have to say.
Austin Williams, Mayoral Candidate Sault Ste. Marie
