Ken Laframboise Municipal Election Candidate Profile

Name:  Ken Laframboise

Municipality: Mississippi Mills

Position Sought: Mayor

Currently Retired or Working (where?):  Retired from my construction company, operating an equestrian breeding and training facility in Clayton with wife Kerstin and daughter Zoe

Former Elected Positions/Terms if applicable: Former Ramsay township councilor

Community volunteer experience (service clubs, local committees, fundraising, etc): Long time supporter of the Almonte fair board, assisting with construction and renovations of the fairgrounds

Top 3 issues facing your municipality and its residents that council has control or major influence over:

1. Community official plan update.

2. Fiscal responsibility.

3. Lack of opportunity for active participation of the community in municipal decisions that directly affects the quality of their lives.

Your solutions/approach to those 3 issues: 

1. We need to bring the official plan back to the table and make it a real community official plan. That means involving the residents and businesses in an open dialog to come to a solution that is in everybody’s best interest. Some of the issues to be dealt with are

• natural heritage constraints that are on all property designations
• lack of severance opportunities in Pakenham and Ramsay wards
• we need to bring the severance date of 1973 to a more acceptable date
• strengthen the wording in the COP to ensure municipal parkland and open space remain in the public domain
• we need to ensure there is a sufficient amount of affordable housing to meet the needs
• strengthen the protection of land owners rights ,but at the same time respecting the environment and the wildlife

 

2. In the last 5 years we have gone through a 7% tax revenue increase each year. We have to find ways to keep these increases to a minimum

• ensure that projects are properly planned to avoid cost overrun
• invest in much needed upgrades to the infrastructure (partner with the county and the provincial government to invest into our infrastructure)
• eliminate unnecessary legal costs (e.g. City of Thunder Bay saved 6 million dollars with this approach)
• using our municipal staff expertise and limiting the use of outside consultants

 

3. My vision is for our residents to have a meaningful role in the decisions that impact the quality of their lives.

• a question period following council and committee meetings
• allowing audio and video equipment back into the council chambers
• implementing a community involvement strategy

 

Do you own (or have a stake in) or operate a commercial/industrial business in your municipality? (Including vacant development lands or rental units): No

Email:  kenjlaframboise@gmail.com
Phone: 613-256-7887