HaltonHillsToday is profiling every candidate in the upcoming municipal election. Up next - candidates running for Ward 3 (north Georgetown).
Former RCMP officer Syl Carle is looking to streamline much of of his ward. The Ward 3 candidate has cast a scrutinizing eye over Georgetown’s commercial centres, affordable housing and the Town budget, and plans to make an impact on all if elected.
Thje long-time Georgetown resident said he believes the downtown and Guelph Street commercial corridor need a comprehensive review and customized use policies to attract business and inspire growth.
In speaking with HaltonHillsToday, he lamented that local growth was “not mandated by Georgetown residents or Halton Hills residents. That growth is mandated by the Province and more broadly by the policies of our federal government.”
As such, he acknowledged there's no choice but to grow and emphasized the need to “manage it to minimize the impact on the current residents and the small-town atmosphere we have become accustomed to and cherish so much.”
He proposes adding more residential and condo units to increase the tax base while still including affordable housing in the mix.
“The average income hasn't gone up to catch up with the rise in housing prices. So that is keeping a lot a lot of people out of the market,” he said.
He proposes “reducing the burden on the developer” by “starting from affordable land and lower development charges that take into consideration more efficiencies.”
He said efficiencies are a theme of his campaign. An example of this is by “using the infrastructure that we currently have more efficiently,” like better synchronizing traffic lights.
He promises to share his skills to find efficiencies in the Town budget and "squeeze every penny" to reduce the tax burden.
On the environmental front, he asserted that council’s declaration of a climate change emergency is “virtue signaling” and said he feels it's “outside the scope of our duties.”
“It's completely meaningless," he alleged. "It takes time that should be better spent in developing strategies to deal with things that affect us every day. The climate, someone else is taking care of that."
Carle has been living in Georgetown since 1998. He grew up in the west end of Montreal, "where we faced unprecedented growth,” he said.
“It's not something that I enjoy. I like it quieter. So Georgetown fit the bill for me.”
In the past he has served as chair and vice chair of the Downtown Georgetown BIA and vice president of the Georgetown Skating Club.
