With the municipal election a week away, we asked the candidates running for St. Stephen Mayor what they feel is the biggest issue council will face.
Allan McEachern tells us we need to keep St. Stephen moving in the same direction it has been, “Keeping this flow going that we have right now, and keeping it on the rails. Future St. Stephen, keep them moving forward. Our town is growing really well right now, so we have to keep on track.”
McEachern says he also wants to make infrastructure and property management a priority. He says we need to take care of our buildings, and invest in them, so we aren’t left in another situation like the Old Town Hall.
Abby Pond, who is also running for St. Stephen Mayor, says the biggest issue facing the new council, like a lot of small communities in New Brunswick, is fiscal constraints. “We have increasing demands on our infrastructure, and for our population, our income isn’t going up, our residents’ income is not going up, but we have a lot of expenses we need to cover.”
Pond tells us it’s a tough balancing act, as climate change is putting a strain on our infrastructure, as well as having an effect on residents, yet at the same time we need to live within our fiscal means.
Pond says whatever new council comes in, everyone will need to keep a close eye on the purse strings.
The municipal election is Monday, May 9th.
