Jeff Kohler has served on city council for 22 years, beginning in 2000, when he was selected to fill the seat vacated by Helen Cole after Kohler finished third runner-up in the 1997 vote.
In 2003, he was chosen to fill the mayor’s seat vacated by Peter Ostojic, and in the municipal election later that year he successfully campaigned for mayor.
He lost his re-election bid in 2006 to Cliff Barwick, and returned to council as an alderman in 2010, and he has remained there ever since.
We began our conversation by noting his longevity in the council chamber.
Kohler agreed this is a far different municipality than in 2003 when he first sat as mayor.
“I look back at not only the council of the day, but staff. And that’s one thing that I think our council has done really well. We’ve been able to build a great team around us. The leadership team is phenomenal.
“I’ve had the opportunity, especially in the last couple of months, to meet with several of them. The collaboration between council and the leadership team is what’s really making a difference, and it’s refreshing.
“If we disagree on something, we agree to disagree, and we move forward. And then there are many times where I’ve read the agenda, and I thought I’m going to vote a certain way. And then you go in, and you have a discussion, and you change your mind where that would never have happened in the past.
“Our council’s done a great job, and we’ve got big shoes to fill with Joe being gone. I want St. Thomas to become the big beacon of Ontario as the best place to live, work, and raise a family.”
Filling the void created by the departure of Mayor Joe Preston at the end of this term will be a challenge, admitted Kohler.
“Our council’s done a great job, and we’ve got big shoes to fill with Joe being gone. I want St. Thomas to become the big beacon of Ontario as the best place to live, work, and raise a family.
“We have a strong local economy, even outside of St. Thomas. And when we all work together, we can really show how those investment opportunities just continue to grow. And that’s going to be big for us in the future because we have some big projects.”
Kohler stressed that with the investment comes the need for housing.
We turned to the city’s housing partnerships with the YWCA, Indwell, Doug Tarry Homes and Eastwood Housing Corporation.
“We were able to contribute through donation of land on both Project Tiny Hope and the YWCA’s 53 Hiawatha Street proposal. So we’re continuing to find unique ways, think outside the box so that we’re not putting too much pressure on our residents.”
Another key focal point for Kohler is transit.
Fiscal responsibility has to be front and centre, stressed Kohler. In particular, big-ticket items like the proposed aquatic/community centre.
“What we’re looking at there right now on our own, we can’t afford that. There’s no way. But at the end of the day, we need to do the investigation to make sure that we’re ready for it if the provincial and federal dollars come in along with the private sector.
“Have a shovel-ready project to move ahead and also work with some partners, which, you know, we’re looking at that right now. To make sure that it fits in and it serves our residents the right way without increasing taxes.”
Although located in the Municipality of Central Elgin, the re-development of the former St. Thomas Psychiatric Hospital lands will impact the city decades into the future.
Kohler stressed discussions are already underway.
“Right now we’re working with Central Elgin. And at the end of the day, they will need the servicing for that. So we’re looking at some of the agreements that we already have in place, how they fall into place with that. And at the end of the day, we need to work together.
“Our airport is in Central Elgin. That’s some prime land right there. We’ve proposed to them to have a joint industrial park where we could share the revenue.”
“It’s been overwhelming to be honest with you with the positive response that we’ve got and it’s it’s it’s been humbling.”
Whatever the outcome, Kohler would like to see a turnaround in voter participation.
“As a council, we’ve moved forward to make things easier with the online voting, so hopefully that will help, and people will get used to it. And realize how easy it is. It doesn’t matter how bad the weather is; you can do it over your phone or on the computer in a couple of minutes.”
Kohler concluded, “I offer up capable, local, proven leadership. I’m looking forward to representing St. Thomas over the next four years. And hopefully people will get out, exercise their vote, and put their trust in me, Jeff Kohler.”
Written by Ian McCallum
