Bradford native Rick Turner is hoping to be the next Ward 4 councillor in Bradford West Gwillimbury.
Turner has always been active within the community, socially and politically. His interest in municipal politics is what led him to run in the 2018 election against Ward 4 incumbent Ron Orr and former councillor Carl Hordyk, both who have endorsed his run in 2022. Although he didn't win the last race, with Orr being re-elected, he says the experience was worthwhile, giving him a glimpse into the world of town politics.
"It allowed me a really good insight into council and town issues," he said.
Since then he has been appointed to the town's Committee of Adjustments and held leadership roles in the local Toastmasters Club, Toastmasters District 86 and was the past Condo Board President and Vice President for TSCC 1513.
A hot topic among Ward 4 residents is traffic control and speed mitigation. Turner would like to see more police patrolling the area.
"I want to look at hiring more policing to bring it in line with national averages," he said.
He hopes to add more speed cameras, in conjunction with more community policing, as well as stop signs, specifically, in the Dreamfields and Summerlyn communities.
Being accountable to the taxpayers, by being fiscally responsible and realistic about the expectations of the residents, is another one of the pillars of his campaign.
"I feel it's my job to responsibly spend taxpayers' money to minimize costs to residents while improving services as well, and I just don't want to promise all these amenities when maybe we need to figure out a different way to get these services."
For example, he had a conversation with town staff and councillors about potentially installing a splash pad at one of the parks in the Summerlyn subdivision, only to discover the cost would be anywhere from $350-750K.
"I don't think that's something we can accommodate at this moment in time," he said.
Transportation and redesigning the current transit system in town are also on his to-do list if elected to council.
"In Ward 4, I constantly see the town bus drive by completely empty," he said, noting he would like to investigate the Town of Innisfil transit model, operating an on-demand service in partnership with Town taxis and ridesharing companies. "A public-private partnership to deliver a more efficient experience, cost-savings to taxpayers, and a better environmental footprint."
Turner would like to look at partnering with the private sector to bring in a National Training Rink (NTR) to the town, as well as an outdoor covered National Hockey League-style rink that could be used for ball and roller hockey in the warmer months.
"Just opening more opportunities for the kids in our neighbourhoods," he said.
In 2019, Turner was involved in the town's discussion surrounding Bradford West Gwillimbury possibly leaving Simcoe County. He believes Bradford West Gwillimbury should separate from the county, which is another pillar of his campaign.
"We pay 30+ per cent of our tax bill to Simcoe, and I don't see all the services being delivered to us," he said.
He said he has already spoken with councillors and other townships about the possibility of exiting the county, joining York Region, or setting up a separate county system that would be more "equitable".
Turner has been enjoying his time on the campaign trail so far, having visited every home in the ward twice already, door knocking in the evenings and on weekends He encourages voters to do their research on all candidates running in the municipal election before voting this month.
"See what Bradford organizations they belong to, and how many in-person council meetings they have attended," he said.
Turner was born in Bradford and attended Bradford Public School in the '80s before moving to Newmarket and then Toronto, only to return in 2016 with his wife to raise their young family.
He has been a director of sales for a small-based business for the past 18 years.
To learn more about Turner and his campaign, visit his website www.voterickturner.ca.
Election week is Oct. 14-24.
