To Comment on this article Click Here

Former Kincardine councillor and reeve Norman Annetts has filed nomination papers for the position of Ward 1 councillor for Municipality of Kincardine in the Oct. 25 municipal election.

“It is time to cut back on spending and start rebuilding our reserves," says Annetts. "This does not mean reducing services, but it may require fewer large projects in order to maintain the services we have enjoyed and have come to expect."

He believes that since Bruce Telecom dividends have been reduced, and may be slow to return to pre-2005 levels, and grants from the province have been drastically cut, it is important that council exercise caution in spending and raising taxes.

Annetts supports continued improvements to the Kincardine hospital as well as physician recruitment. “The establishment of the new Family Health Team is a positive step forward in ensuring that our citizens have access to quality health care at all times,” he says.

Development on the east side of Highway 21 has somewhat slowed over the past several years, says Annetts. "While I welcome the new hotel and Boston Pizza, I think much more can be done to encourage new commercial development there and in other parts of our municipality which will help mitigate residential property tax increases and stimulate our economy further.”

Annetts has been a permanent resident of Kincardine since his retirement as an engineering technician and businessman in 1988. However, he was a summer resident for many years before that. 

He served on Kincardine Town Council for seven years, four of those as reeve. He has extensive experience on a number of municipal and Bruce County committees, including tourism, personnel, airport, social services, county finance, strategic plan steering committee, waste management, and planning advisory committee (county and local). 

During his time as reeve, he also served on the Kincardine and District Hospital Board. 

While he was a member of council, and since that time, Annetts has been very active in volunteer activities in many areas, such as the Gathering of the Bands (19 years), Teddy Bear Parade (14 years), annual garbage can painting program (14 years), Kincardine Centre for the Arts Committee since its inception, and Communities in Bloom. 

^{for world news, books, sports, movies ...}

Tuesday, September 07, 2010