Rick Stevens
Hello Orangeville!
My name is Rick Stevens and I am running for Orangeville Town Council.
I was raised in Dufferin County and have lived in Orangeville for the past 19 years with my family. My wife Sue and I have raised our children in Orangeville, and we certainly call it home. Our children, Amanda and Jake, are busy working and raising their own families, and Emily is a recent RN graduate from Western working full time as a Registered Nurse and continues to live at home, our youngest, Luke, started high school at Westside Secondary School this past September.
I have worked for the Town of Orangeville for 25 years. I started in the Parks and Recreation Department and in 1999 I moved over to the Orangeville Police Service where I worked as a Special Constable for 21 years. Having been an employee for the Town of Orangeville certainly gives me experience seeing the inner workings of the town and to have insight to see how some of our departments could operate more efficiently, saving money and offering more services.
I have been the President of the Orangeville Minor Hockey Association for the past 15 years dealing with budgets, parent concerns, offering our local youth a great experience of playing hockey. I manage a group of 15 volunteers on the board and as a group we have created a wonderful place for our children to enjoy hockey. I volunteered 12 years as a firefighter in Shelburne before moving to Orangeville. I enjoy volunteering in the community and have sat on many boards throughout my time in each municipality I have lived in, whether that be Shelburne where I was raised, or Orangeville where I live and call home.
If elected to council on October 24th, my role will be to continue to serve our community. I work part time and can offer lots of time to accomplish the tasks that need to be done. Some of those items include…
Transit – our present council voted to offer free transit for a two-year pilot project. That is hundreds of thousands of tax dollars that we could use elsewhere. I will bring that motion back to the table for review. I understand the financial impact on some of our riders, and I have no issue if we offer a discount to some riders who need financial assistance. These are tough times for a lot of us with the price of gas, groceries, hydro, etc., etc., and taxpayers should not have to shoulder yet another burden of the cost of free transit.
Hansen – we need to get this job completed as soon as possible. These folks need a second entrance into their community. It could mean the difference of someone’s life, getting our emergency service to their house in a timely manner.
Sports Complex – we need to utilize some of the funds from the sale of the railway and provide an adequate recreation facility for our youth and our seniors. An indoor facility offering a turf field for soccer, cricket, baseball, and lacrosse. An indoor pickleball court, basketball court, tennis court along with volleyball and a town operated gym.
Parking – some streets are filled with cars. We need to create ways that will lessen the parking issues with more town parking lots for these areas that require it or open the parking lots (spaces such in Montgomery Village) we currently have with better allowable hours to park. The planning of ANY new subdivisions coming to Orangeville MUST better consider parking for these residents.
Industry and Small Business – we need to offer businesses more services and attract more industry for the future of Orangeville. This will create more jobs and lessen the property taxes.
We need to stop wasteful and unnecessary spending, lets work with each Town of Orangeville Manager and control how we operate and find ways to curve the spending but offer our top-notch services.
We need to control our property taxes. Can we freeze property taxes, no, but we can keep them in-line and control how much we raise them, YES!!
Let’s get the council chambers open! – yes, we’ve been dealing with a pandemic, and town council meetings not held in person was understandable (for a while). But that time is over. Most others have returned to their workplaces, and Orangeville Town Council needs to do the same.
I look forward to being a Councillor for the Town of Orangeville. Please get out and vote, and vote for me, a new voice with new fresh ideas. I am passionate about Orangeville and want the best for every resident, no matter how long you have lived here, no matter your age, race, religion, I want to work for YOU!!
Rick Stevens
(519)278-0927
[email protected]
www.rickstevens.ca