(Posted 1 p.m., March 23)
Veteran local journalist to run for city council in Orléans Ward 1

Veteran journalist and community advocate Fred Sherwin announced today his candidacy as city councillor for Orleans Ward 1 in next fall's municipal election.

A fixture in the east end for the past 20 years, Mr Sherwin has a unique historical perspective of the local issues and a thorough knowledge of municipal affairs.

The Fallingbrook resident and father of three has built a no nonsense reputation for getting the job done, regardless of the obstacles, and for being a champion of east end initiatives such as the Greater Orléans Canada Day Celebration on Petrie Island and the Orléans Outstanding Youth Awards, which he both founded.

The election campaign will be centred on the issues rather than personalities as is often the case. At the top of the list are the litany of bad decisions that have been made by the current City Council which have costs taxpayers millions of dollars without any return or benefit.

Since the last election property taxes have gone up by 13.87 %, water and sewer rates have increased by 40 % and transit fares have increased by 24.5 %. The combined impact of the property tax increases and water and serwer rate hikes on the average household is more than $605. During the same period of time service levels have been diminished and the city's reserve funds have been drastically depleted.

"Residents and taxpayers of Orléans are tired of paying the financial penalties for Council's costly mismanagement and are looking for a return on their tax dollars. During the campaign, I will be asking voters to allow me the opportunity to call on my knowledge of the issues and municipal affairs to make the right decisions for their families, their neighbours and their community," says Mr. Sherwin.

Another issue that must be addressed before the city can move forward is the polarization and unprecedented level of dysfunction that has gripped City Council.

"The people are fed up with what's been going on and rightfully so. As someone who has observed it firsthand, I share their frustration, which is why I'm running for City Council. We desperately need a changing of the guard, but we also need people who are knowledgeable about the issues, who know how City Hall works and can hit the ground running. I am that person for Orléans," says Mr. Sherwin.

For more information visit www.fredsherwin.ca.

(This story was made possible thanks to the generous support of our local business partners.)

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