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VOLUNTEER
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What's Better?

Writer: Vaughn Goettler
Vaughn Goettler
Aug 27
3 min read

Is Niagara-on-the-Lake a better place today than how it was when Gary Zalepa and Erwin Wiens took over Town Hall four years ago?

 

I know my answer, and it's is a big NO. That's why I'm running to be the Lord Mayor, because I believe that we can do better. We MUST do better, because this year there is just too much at stake.

 

Let’s look at the record. It’s not pretty. Over the last four years, Erwin Weins has worked in lock step with the current Lord Mayor to support some of the worst decisions for our Town.

 

Here's what they delivered:



  • Outdated infrastructure that couldn't keep up with massive flooding, and yet they refused to declare a Municipal Emergency. St. Catharines and Lincoln did, and are ahead of us on getting Provincial funding for relief.


  • Failure to make a decision about the future of the St. Davids Pool, leaving families and seniors unsure about where they will be able to swim long term.


  • Local property taxes up more than 27% since 2022, and I will show the numbers:



You can do the math, and it isn't pretty. Has the quality of service we are getting from the Town gone up by 27%? Are you 27% more satisfied with what you're getting and seeing happen in Niagara-on-the-Lake these days? I don't think so.


  • Loss of patios on Queen Street, and failure to figure this out. We loved enjoying breakfast or lunch outside, and seeing more people enjoying the beautiful streetscape instead of filling it with cars. We miss the beer garden at the Angel. After a couple of rough starts, the patios were looking good and they were places where people could enjoy this beautiful place.


  • Support for Doug Ford's plan to turn Niagara in to "Las Vegas North" with a larger airport and highways that will bring more traffic to the roads and now the air


  • Refusal to support the Heritage Committee recommendations and the Ontario Land Tribunal's decisions to protect the historic Randwood estate and let heritage features stay where they are, to be restored


  • Voting for the Town-owned, community building at 176 Wellington Street (the former Hospital, and now the site of Royal Oak School) to become a parking garage. What do these guys have against schools?? Arguing that more parking is the best idea we could come up with for an incredible site that is at the gateway to Old Town. Wanting to have cars park where American trenches once threatened our Canadian survival in the War of 1812, 214 years ago.


  • Deciding with no public debate to reduce the size of Council


  • Telling residents to be silent at public meetings


  • Sticking up for the feelings of staff, who are paid very generously with tax dollars to do their jobs, while criticizing tax payers for caring so much about what happens with their money. Putting the people they can control ahead of people they should be listening to.


  • Building a web of secrecy around how decisions are made and what gets on to the agenda. Spending lots of time meeting with Doug Ford, his Ministers and friends.


And oh, let's not forget the best one, after all of this: giving themselves a raise.


Do you think we’re better off today than we were four years ago? Because I sure don’t.

 

That’s why I’m running, to be a different kind of Lord Mayor. Working for you. Full time.


Show your support with a lawn sign.

Volunteer with the campaign.

Get in touch and learn more at vaughngoettlerforlordmayor.com

 

 
 
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