Doug Rawson wants to help Penetang 'grow, flourish, be the best it can be'

Editor's note: MidlandToday has asked council candidates in Midland, Penetanguishene and Tiny Township to provide a synopsis of why they are running for public office. Municipal elections take place Oct. 24.

The following response is from Doug Rawson, who is running for mayor of Penetanguishene. For more election coverage, visit our 2022 municipal election page by clicking here, where you can find candidate profiles and other election news.

What is your name, what will be your age on election day, and who are your key immediate family members you rely on for support? 

My name is Doug Rawson, and I will be 46 years old on election day. My immediate family members that I rely on for support are my dad, Doug Rawson, my wife, Dawn Rawson and kids Alex, Reid and Morgan Rawson. 

In 10 words or less, why is your municipality the best in the province?

Penetanguishene’s rich culture, history and people make it the best!

What prompted you to run as a municipal leader?

I was born and raised in Penetanguishene, appreciating all it offers. I want to see our community continue to grow, flourish and be the best it can be for generations to come. I want to contribute meaningfully to our future with sustainable growth while recognizing community volunteers, contributors, and supporters.

You will be asked to join committees and other municipal representations. Which are you eager to become involved in?

Elected as Mayor, I will represent our municipality in Simcoe County Council. This privilege and honour is one that I am eager to ensure we can meet our communities' needs with health and transportation barriers and enhancements.

Locally, I am keen to contribute to all our committees with an eagerness to economic development, planning and contributions to our hospital and physician recruitment strategies. Accessible transportation and helping to ensure our community is connected to meaningful employment, education and health-related services.

Voter apathy is always a concern, ranging between 25.7% to 42% of cast ballots across North Simcoe in the last municipal election. Knowing you could be elected without even half of possible voters turning out, what will you do to combat voter apathy so your municipality is best represented?

Representation of our entire community needs to be a priority for the incoming council. This will start with effective and meaningful communication with our community members. We must ensure we provide accessible information in modes that everyone can access, not just online. With a commitment to active community engagement and two-way communication, we will position ourselves to make decisions that reflect what the community seeks.

How much time and money should be allocated to upgrading the town dock? What is your stance on the town dock project?

I believe we have spent too much money already on consultants telling us what we need. We have a lot of intelligent, vested and committed community members that want what is best for our community. The town dock could use some upgrading to the core area and should have this investment within our capital plan.

So far, we have spent tens of thousands of dollars for consultants to explore these options. This money would be better spent 'beautifying' and upgrading the existing services. Like all municipal services, we need to increase our ongoing operational maintenance and capital allocations to maintain and invest in our infrastructure.

The beloved arena and curling rink are at the end of life, and in various states of disrepair. Is it worth more to pour into their upkeep or invest in a new facility? What is your stance on the facilities?

I have had the privilege of talking with many of our residents during this election campaign. We seem to have a profoundly emotional conversation after the town procures PSS, then quickly demolishes it. The question, although important, requires thoughtful consideration and identification of our needs and wants for our future.

I support our recreational programs and regularly frequent our arena for my family's programs. Like all of our infrastructure, it requires investments to maintain and serious capital investments for the life-cycle replacement. Regarding the current arena plan, we need to get this right and use data to drive our decisions, not emotions. More people have talked to me about a swimming pool for swimming lessons or aqua-fit or accessibility programming.

More people have asked about a walking track, year-round pickle-ball court, programming space for youth and seniors programs, gymnasium for our youth sport and meeting space for community gatherings. All of these are important, but we need to complete the analysis of what we need vs what we want. We need to understand the demand for these services today and in the future while considering any growth with our projected demographics. We need a complete financial plan for the capital and operating costs. We need to solicit financial support from our municipal neighbours who use our facilities and other government and funding partners.

With this information adequately presented, I pledge that this information should be succinctly provided to you, the taxpayer, to make an informed decision in the next election in 2026. As a ballot question, where the entire community will decide what we need, want and will pay. As a generational decision, we need to do it right and take time to ensure everything is assessed and the entire community has a chance to vote on it.

There are many prominent concerns ongoing in the region, from affordable housing to the opioid epidemic to short-term rentals as well as others. What is one concern that you think the majority of residents are not aware of?

One issue that I think residents are unaware of is how inaccessible the transit system is. We began our transit system several years back, and many people have mentioned how the transit bus often has no passengers. Everywhere we go, we see signs for ‘Help Wanted’ while we are creating barriers to those trying to enter the workforce who are disadvantaged by the transit system.

For example, a town resident who cares for seniors has shared with me that it takes one hour to get to work in our transit, and it goes every hour. If they could afford a taxi daily, it would be less than 10 minutes. Equally, suppose someone wanted to go to Lakehead University in Orillia or RVH in Barrie. In that case, it is a couple of connections between Penetanguishene and Midland and again to their destination, and it is not as accessible as one would believe.

The services we provide must provide value for the user, and we need to evaluate value for the dollar consistently and if it provides discernible service to the end user. I am not advocating for a reduction of benefits but an alignment of services to ensure that we meet the needs of those who require and need it the most. We need to not listen to consultants but rather the end-user on how effectively the services meet their needs.

The province is planning for a population of 555,000 and 198,000 jobs by 2051. If now is the time to prepare for that influx, what will you proactively do as your part in the process?

I am a believer that failing to plan is planning to fail. We need to ensure our infrastructure supports growth and that services are ready for this growth, from sewers and water to sidewalks and roadways to police and fire services. We must ensure we have made the necessary investments to meet future demands while equipping our staff with the tools to serve our community. One aspect that I want to invest in is a safe secondary water source to serve our community. Providing the required investments into safe drinking water for today and into the future will guarantee a society that can grow and prosper.

Recidivism isn’t just on the police and courts. As a municipal leader and crafter of bylaws, what initiatives will you undertake to address crime in your care?

By providing meaningful community-focused programs and services where volunteerism is celebrated and activities are cherished, we will continue to build on the history and legacy of our community. Providing initiatives and opportunities for everyone who wants to contribute to the community in their way will continue to provide pride of ownership and leadership within Penetanguishene. The community was built by community leaders supported by many and will continue to grow and prosper.

Infrastructure projects require taxpayer dollars. What infrastructure project does the municipality desperately need, and does it justify a tax increase from the ratepayers to have it done as soon as possible?

Our community, not unlike many others, have an aging infrastructure. It is projected that $52-billion are required to bring Ontario’s municipal infrastructure to a state of “Good Repair."¹ Penetanguishene needs a robust capital plan that is not focused on any council term but on the extended range plan and viability. We must focus on the aging infrastructure and plan and fund it accordingly.

Rather than a tax increase, we need to allocate the required resources to maintain and plan out our long-range capital plan. Coupled with investments from other levels of government, we need to focus on maintaining and building on our capital plan. For example, many community members have seen their streets allocated for repairs only pushed out for several years due to funding or other considerations. We cannot change priorities for pet projects or other preferences and ensure the plan is capitalized appropriately based on need.

As a future state, we will work to have a municipal operating budget at 1% or less each year and a capital plan with an allocated tax levy that will meet and exceed the plan for remediation or replacement.

Times change. What is the most aged or obsolete bylaw in your municipality’s code? 

Property standards, clean yards, and traffic parking by-laws are all aged by-laws that require updating. Many community members have commented about their neighbourhoods with homes that do not comply with the property standards by law or commercial properties that detract from the value of our business corridor. When residents call to inquire, they are left with bureaucracy to ensure a ‘form’ is completed and then what appears is little action to remedy such infractions.

Without active enforcement and application of by-laws, it becomes redundant to have such by-laws in place. We must build a community grounded in a spirit of winning aspiration. One that we are proud of every corner, whether it is Main Street or around the corner from your home.

⁽¹⁾ Financial Accountability Office of Ontario - Municipal Infrastructure - August 2021 - https://www.fao-on.org/en/Blog/Publications/municipal-infrastructure-2021