District 2 includes: North Sydney, Boularderie Island, Little Bras d'Or, Bars d'Or, Mill Creek, Point Aconi, Millville, Groves Point, Hillside Boularderie, Southside Boularderie, Dalem Lake

YOUR CANDIDATE:

I am the 40 year-old daughter of Jerry and Sharon LeMoine. I grew up in North Sydney and continue to live and work in my hometown with my husband Wayne and our four children, ages 17 to 21. I have worked with Marine Atlantic for 14 years in various positions and currently work as the Confidential Administrative Assistant for the North Sydney Port Office. Community involvement has always been important to me. I am involved in various local organizations and initiatives; am a former volunteer Volleyball coach, and have recently completed my term as a Citizen Appointee on the CBRM Board of Police Commissioners.

MY PROMISE TO YOU:

Community Engagement

I will hold monthly district meetings within various areas of the district, changing location from month to month. The goal being to keep residents informed and engaged. It is time to put the people back into municipal politics. District 2 is 115 square kilometers and residents issues and ideas vary from community to community and each area must be made a priority. Your council member is your voice and I will be a strong one!

Push for Transparency in Council

I will be transparent. I will also be pushing for all of council to follow suit. Municipal governments are supposed to operate in an accessible and visible manner so that their activity and decision making are clear to the public. They need to answer to the public and be responsible for their actions and not be able to hide behind a mask of confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements.

Provide Personal Accountability

I am a representative of the people of District 2 and will be accountable for my actions, decisions and behaviour. By engaging the community it will make the lines of communication much clearer and provide a perfect opportunity for you to hold me to task. I work for you!

OUR PATH FORWARD:

Taxation

My first action on taxation will be to make a motion to council to strike a committee to work with the Province on a fairer taxation strategy. The Municipal Taxation Committee (MTC) will have an equal number of Councillors and concerned citizens to keep the discussion transparent and the process will allow public input from every district. We need to make sure we can afford to stay in our homes and manage to make purchasing a home affordable if we are going to begin to combat population decline.

Community Development and Revitalization

How do we develop as a community with such low employment levels?
The way I see it when it comes to employment we have 2 options.
Option #1: Wait for an industry to appear and hire everyone who wants and needs a job
Option #2: Create our own and truly be open for business

Although the first option sounds fantastic it is completely unreliable. We cannot build an economy based on “sometime soon, maybe”. Although I am hopeful something large and long term appears I am not naive enough to depend on it. I am not an entrepreneur. I do not have the back ground, business plan or even a marketable idea but I do know the future of the CBRM depends on those who do. I will be an advocate for business creation by exploring tax incentives, reduction of red tape and discounted fees and permits for start-ups.

I am also aware not everyone here wants to start a business so how do we help those? Believe it or not there are work and education options that people simply can’t get to. We do not have a reliable transit system for anyone outside of the city limits to utilize for work, education opportunities, recreation activities etc. If we want to combat poverty let’s start by making opportunity outside of our community possible and affordable. If you live in most areas of District 2 without a vehicle your options for employment and access to secondary education are very limited. I will push for pilot projects regarding schedules and the accessibility of our transit system so we can begin removing those barriers. When we enable people to do better our communities will begin to turn around.

I also will be an advocate for accessible recreation. People in all areas of the CBRM deserve to have access to green space and recreation facilities because community revitalization is more than just a physical aspect but a psychological one as well. It is a requirement of healthy communities and a necessity for attracting new families to our area.

Declining Population and Youth Out-migration

We can address our taxation system, create new business and employment, promote accessible education and provide affordable transportation. We simply need to change the way we think and listen. If we are successful we will begin to turn our population issue around. If we focus on small sustainable goals our area will slowly change for the better and become a more viable and attractive place to live.

IN CLOSING:

I have laid out the main points of my platform. If you have an issue you do not see addressed please remember that it does not mean I am not aware or concerned. As you are all know we are being faced with many issues and it is simply impossible to address every concern I have in this forum.

The futures of our communities depend on new ideas and hands on approach. It is time
to pool our talents and commitment and live up to our potential of making CBRM, and District 2, sustainable. I want to help build a community where our children can prosper.

Change happens when people work together. We must come together and provide a strong voice in Council. You need a representative that cares and is involved, someone who will take a stand, make informed decisions, be accountable and provide transparency. I am that person!

It has never been more important to elect a person who can, and will, act in the best interest of our communities. I am capable of meeting these challenges and will work diligently as your Council representative. A vote for me will be a vote for having “your” voice and concerns heard.

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about me and know that I believe in open conversation and engagement. Please feel free to ask questions and bring your concerns forward. I look forward to hearing from you.

Earlene MacMullin

Phone: 902-577-9615
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Elect-Earlene-MacMullin-CBRM-Council-District-2-Working-for-You-729701690506007/