In the weeks leading up to this year’s municipal election, Huntsville Doppler will be posting a commentary from each of the local candidates. The order of appearance is completely random. To read commentary from other candidates, click here.
Meet Tim Withey, a candidate for election to Huntsville and District Council
Tim Withey
I am running in the upcoming municipal election because I strongly believe I can make a positive contribution to the future of our town. My platform is based on five main pillars that I believe are central to keeping us on the right path in the areas of responsible growth, infrastructure, the environment, smart fiscal management and to ensure a full acute care hospital remains in our community.
HEALTHCARE ADVOCACY
My considerable experience in the healthcare sector over the past 25 years has me uniquely positioned to ensure that a full service acute care hospital with a 24/7 emergency department remains in our town for generations to come. Some may believe that the recent Task Force recommendation for two hospital sites puts this question to bed, but that is not the case. As long as our hospital operates under the current funding formula there will be pressure to move services from one site to the other which will ultimately result in the re-emergence of the ‘Site A – Site B’ model. This was the outcome of the joint council meeting a few years ago at the Algonquin Theatre at the recommendation of the council’s hospital retention committee. We must never allow this situation to happen again. I am dedicated to remain vigilant and act if the board and administration of MAHC proceed to move essential services such as surgery to the Bracebridge hospital.
A seat on District Council also allows me to serve as your representative in other facets of healthcare. Our District government is the only municipality that runs Healthlinks in our Local Health Integration Network (LHIN). Given the fact that I am currently on leave as a director of the LHIN while I run for a District seat, I am uniquely experienced in this area. I also sat on the Fairvern Nursing Home Redevelopment Committee that decided to change the home’s location and received a pledge of $10.5 million from the District. It’s vital that this project keeps moving forward to make this a reality, growing our healthcare campus in Huntsville.
FISCAL MANAGEMENT
As an owner of a successful business in town, I know how to provide leadership and sound fiscal management. Many claim that you can’t run the town like a business, which I happen to disagree with. We have to make sure we are getting top value for the taxes we collect, making sure we get an appropriate return when there is a decision to dispose of capital assets. As an employer, I am also keenly aware of trying to create opportunities for our youth to attain good paying jobs and careers in our town.
ENVIRONMENTAL WELLBEING
We are truly blessed to be living in our area with an abundance of natural beauty surrounding us. This fortune, coupled with my degree in Environmental Studies, makes preserving our environment a top priority for me. We must make sure that there is responsible development in our town and on and around our surrounding lakes. I will work to accelerate the closure of the Mountview Sewage Treatment plant to get this away from our waterway.
DISTRICT RESTRUCTURING
I stand firmly against the ‘One Muskoka’ movement and will work to rationalize District government to end the duplication of services. My belief is that our town government should prevail in delivering essential services to our taxpayers and that District should be used only for such areas as policing and social services. For an example, I don`t believe our tax dollars in Huntsville should be contributing to the Gravenhurst airport which brings limited, if any, value to our town.
INFRASTRUCTURE
We need to continue to invest in our physical infrastructure, such as roads and bridges, utilizing new technology wherever possible. We need to assess our culverts to ensure adequate run-through and that run-off isn’t hurting our environment. We live in an era of climate change with more intense storm activity which makes this even more important.
In conclusion, Huntsville is the largest populated town in Muskoka and growing. If protected, I believe our hospital is positioned to become the next regional centre in the delivery of healthcare in the province. Yet, we must have leadership in our municipal government that can manage this and other challenges and opportunities in a responsible manner. If we are destined to rise to great heights, which I believe we are, we need leadership with vision and a plan to ensure we harness the potential that is laid before us. Our children and grandchildren deserve nothing less from us.
Please consider a vote for me on October 22 to return to the council table. If I am fortunate to be elected, I will work tirelessly on your behalf. This is a promise you can count on.
If you would like more information, I invite you to visit my website. Or feel free to give me a call 705-783-3289.
You may also be interested in reading this commentary I wrote recently concerning our hospital –
Here’s why it’s hard to trust, even after MAHC board supports recommendation
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