Political newcomer sets sights on east-end council seat

Editor’s be aware: BarrieToday is functioning profile tales on candidates for town council in just about every of the city’s 10 wards in the coming weeks. For additional election coverage, stop by our 2022 municipal election web page by clicking below, wherever you can also discover mayoral profiles and other election news. 
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Constance Elliott might be a political newcomer in Ward 1, but she’s far from new to municipal politics. 

With a degree in political science, as nicely as diploma in municipal administration and a certificate in data and info administration, the 37-12 months-previous has labored in municipal government for extra than a ten years.

At present operating as a committee co-ordinator for a close by municipality, Elliott informed BarrieToday it was the situation of absentee landlords in her east-conclusion ward that served as the impetus for her determining to throw her hat in the ring.

“I am a tiny-time landlord, although I choose the title of housing provider. I see myself as performing a excellent thing. I consider to hold my models economical and have very good associations with all my tenants,” she explained to BarrieToday. “Affordable housing is a significant difficulty for me and a major desire of mine.”

The municipal election will take place Monday, Oct. 24. 

Elliott suggests she thinks her combined experience as a landlord, her understanding of the Household Tenancy Act, mixed with knowing the a lot of procedures needed in municipal authorities, will let her to additional properly handle the issue which has been impacting Ward 1 for numerous many years.

“I feel the way the council tried to deal with it originally with the organization licensing bylaw they had been going to approve, which is now on maintain, was a waste of taxpayer pounds. Team had proposed from it and they voted for it anyway,” she explained. “When you really don’t acquire the suggestions of staff and really don’t pay attention to them, you are wasting time and means. You are earning staff members run in circles when they could be investing their time undertaking other points, and which is taxpayers’ money.”

Elliott suggests 13 yrs of knowledge as a municipal employee will enable her far better navigate the issues quite a few newcomers to the council table often encounter.

“I’ve viewed a whole lot of councillors occur in thinking they are likely to modify things and they have excellent thoughts and terrific eyesight, but they don’t truly comprehend the process. They assume it is councillors getting lazy, staff currently being lazy or purple tape, but there are processes that are there for a motive,” she explained. “They’re there to be accountable and clear.

“If you know the processes and how things work then items do not get as extended. My job as a committee co-ordinator is to support my committee users transfer things as a result of the system. We transfer things via council and get those objectives accomplished. I would be using that skill set and employing it for my constituents.”

Coun. Clare Riepma, the incumbent, is at this time the only other confirmed applicant in Ward 1.

The nomination window for candidates closes on Friday, Aug. 19.