This term of council is the third for Gary Clarke, and as he seeks re-election, he suggests residents are fairly pleased with what has been going on in St. Thomas.
“They know that we need some growth, with the commercial and industrial tax bases growing to offset the new parks and trails and amenities that they want. So that’s what we’re working on.
“But I hope people get out and vote. Municipal politics is the one that affects them the most and closest to them. You know, it’s the garbage pickup and the roads and arenas and trails and all the good things that happen in a city. And so, if you want your say, this is the time of the year to do it.
So, what was the driving force behind the desire to serve a fourth term?
“Well, I think right now what motivated me the most to run again is that we’re in the middle of some very, very big projects.”
“Yeah, and the good news with that is that, as the tax base grows, then we’ll be able to do the new arenas, a new theatre, a civic center, a pool, the things that people want for their kids, so that you don’t have to travel to London.”
And with that comes the need for housing.
“We’ve worked very hard in homelessness and housing, affordable housing. We’ve made great strides. People across the country, across the province, are looking at us as a model where it’s supportive housing, and we’re allowing people to journey along the road to getting better. And we’re also trying to increase the housing stock in general for people with more affordable housing. And so I think with some of the changes that we’ve seen with our development charges being reduced, we’re going to be able to see a lot more. And we want to switch and pivot a little bit and spend more of an emphasis on, say, senior housing as well, affordable and accessible senior housing.
“We’ve got great partners. We can’t do it alone. A lot of the affordable housing relies on provincial and federal grants. And so you need those partnerships. And we’re lucky in St. Thomas that we have so many great partners here.”
Clarke agreed that the upcoming 2027 budget deliberations could prove a challenge.
“Zero-increase budgets don’t do anything for you because it catches up with you. And so we’ve got labour contracts that we have to honour, and they’re all in the inflation range of 3 per cent. So we just have to take a real hard look at what services do we need to provide and what we can expand on, and be mindful of the fact that with the Trump economy and everything else that’s going on, that times are tough for people. And so we’ve got to stay within that inflation area and wait two or three years until we have the new taxes coming in.”
Add to the mix the request from the Elgin County Railway Museum for $1 million in funding to rehabilitate their home.
“I think it’s important, though, when the Chamber of Commerce had a report out, and it said that when culture is thriving in a city, so that’s museums, theatres, and senior centers, then business and cities thrive. So we put a lot of money into recreation, and I think we have to take a look at where we are spending our other dollars and balance that off.”
If re-elected, what are the priorities for Clarke?
“Yeah, for me, there are four things. Economic development to continue that work. I want to see taxes stay at the inflation rate. I want to see affordable housing that we continue those projects that we had with our partners and do more work on our own. And then the last one for me is as we look at moving forward, I really think we’ve got to take a look at Valleyview and then take a look at the number of beds there. Our population is almost double from what it was when Valleyview was built, and we still have the same number of beds.
“And so the waiting list gets bigger. People are living longer with more acute needs. So we’ve got to do something with Valleyview. And then Valleyview’s day program is an easy one where people can get some respite. The people who are aging at home, their caregivers can get some support. And a lot of that all flows from provincial dollars, so it won’t affect our budget.”
It’s an area where he and Coun. Joan Rymal have been working collaboratively.
“I’m excited to see how the election folds out. I hope I can serve the people again. And whether that’s with new councillors or with some of the old guard, I think we’re well positioned with a lot of really qualified candidates.
“I think it’s really important to cut red tape and make things an open-door policy at city hall so that people feel comfortable coming in. We’re really making it easy for people to get what they need and get the answers. And most of the candidates operate the same way. They try to be… Getting back to people as quickly as they can with answers.
“I hope that people take this opportunity to vote and whether they think we’ve done a good job or a bad job, it’s their opportunity to get out there and see the city that they want for the future.”
Written by Ian McCallum
