I have to break it to you: Loving Cape Breton or the CBRM isn’t a platform. If only it was that easy to be a leader!
Good candidates for the CBRM mayor and council seats do need a platform: what you’ll do, how you’ll do it, why it’s the right idea in the first place. That kind of stuff.
Think about it. If you can't describe what you would try to do or influence as an elected official, then voters don't have any incentive to pick you. If you can't come up with anything, why on earth are you thinking about running in the first place? Is it just the salary?
There are people in our community that do have ideas, and—if you're one of the ones that don't have any—you should get out of the way and let them take on the role that they are prepared to do.
From following local politics and the build-up to our next election, I know there are current councillors and also some of you thinking about running that would struggle to articulate even just a few policy positions beyond the typical stuff:
- we have to get the taxes down,
- improve the roads, and
- "Child poverty is bad!"
If that's what you have to offer, it just means you're able to state the problems like everyone else, but we're looking for people to bring solutions. We're looking for leaders. At least that's what we should be looking for, right? Regretfully, some CBRM voters are still very fond of familiar faces and those they know from the Legion or the pizza shop. Good folks, nice folks, but not necessarily qualified leaders in the "able to get stuff done" sense.
Fess up now. You don't have a platform, do you? You're realizing that you mostly just know the few key things people complain about most often, right?
OK then, I'll go first. I'll share my mayoral platform, not because I've decided to run for mayor, but because you don't have one. Yikes! Get ready. It's 20 pages long! If you don't like the sound of that, just wait until you're elected and you face legal agreements, and mountains of memos and emails, and agenda packages alone that are 100 pages long. Are you really equipped to read and digest all of that information? Are you educated highly enough to make sense of it?
Instead of committing to reading 20 pages, start below by skimming the table of contents. You can look for details here if any particular item catches your attention.
Maybe you'll spot something you don't like, that you know will be unpopular and wonder why I'd include it. That's a part of leadership too. You have to get comfortable with the idea of putting your ideas out there without knowing what the response will be—but expecting your fair share of criticism. Nobody said this was going to be an easy job—if you aim to do it right.
Do you aim to do it? Then tell the voters how...
Read more: My Full Mayoral Platform (20 pages)
See also: My CBRM Mayoral Candidate Ranking (February 2020)
See also: My Equalization Calculator
Mayoral Platform Summary:
- Set Taxes at 0% on New Home Construction
- Accept “Lobbyist in Chief” Role
- Impose a Firm “No Property Tax Increase” Rule
- Demand an “Equalization Playbook and Scorecard” from the Federal Government
- Deja Vu: Council Equalization Statement at Every Meeting
- OPTION 1: Reduce Taxes by $40 Million (Equalization Transfer) and Remove the Tax Cap—At the Same Time Only
- OPTION 2: “Construction Vouchers”: Reduce Taxes by $40 Million (Equalization Transfer) via Home Construction Re-Investment
- Stop Payment: Withhold $19 Million in Provincial Service Fees Until the Premier Negotiates
- Publish the “Worst First” Road Condition List
- Monthly Mortgage Down Payment 50/50 Draw
- Prohibition on Payday and High-Interest Predatory Loan Businesses in the CBRM
- Ban all Video Lottery Terminals in Local Bars and Restaurants
- Monthly Political Challenges - Video Response
- Road Damage Report - Open Database
- Citizens Request/Feedback/Complaint - Open Database
- 5-Year CBRM $60k+ Salary Freeze
- CBRM Sunshine List - Earnings Disclosure of Top Paid Employees
- CBRM Employee Family Connections
- Mayor and Councillor Mandatory Disclosures
- Cape Breton Regional Police Hiring—Recruitment Scholarship
- Cape Breton Regional Police “Peacekeeping Bands” & Body Camera Pilot
- Cape Breton Regional Police—Steroid Testing and Prohibition
- CBRM Scheduling Disclosures & Overtime Reduction
- Mandatory Public/Media Disclosure of Legal Threats to Council
- Review of CBRM Executives for Performance and Assessment of Potential Municipal Government Act Violations
- Termination of Mayor Clarke’s “Political” Hires
- Termination of Port CEO Role
- Non-Renewal of Port Marketing Contract
- Give an Honest Assessment of the Container Port Status and Realistic Potential
- Pole Signs and Mobile Signs
- 11th-Hour Reconsideration of the New Location for the Sydney Fire Department
- Breakaway of Library Project
- Street Naming Bylaw
- Heavy Garbage Guarantee
- Rooming House / Room Rental Inspection
- Tiny Home/Container Home Welcoming and Planning
- Invite Uber and Lyft On-Demand “Taxi” Services to the Municipality
- Student Engagement and Movie Celebration at the HAT
- Councillor and Mayoral Term Limits
- Rapid Approval of Permitting and Inspections for Construction and Business
- CBRM Citizen Digital Accounts (Updates and Issues Voting)
- List of Medical Clinics and Hours
- Monthly Mayoral Video Update
- CBRM International Student Committee
- CBRM Cape Breton Royalty-Free Promotional Video and Drone Content
- Council Videos to YouTube in Segments
- Council Documents in Searchable Format
NOTE: The views expressed above are my own and do not represent lokol (goCapeBreton.com). Read more
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