Name:

Denise Brown

Occupation:
Corporate Sales Manager

Family information:
Married, 5 children, 8 grandchildren

Community work:
Rotary Club of London, Business Cares Food Drive, Old South Antique Car
Show, Wortley Roadhouse Fundraisers for various charities, and many other
worthwhile causes.

Would you support a four-year tax freeze (yes or no)?

Yes

Why or why not?

This is a very hot topic and I do believe it is achievable. Other communities
have and so can we. Council needs to review all budgets, stop wasteful
spending and make deep budget cuts.

Why do you want to represent Londoners at city hall?

I have a passion for politics and the effects it has on the community. City
Council needs to represent the interest of the taxpayers and stop spending.
It’s time for a change. A change residents can believe in.

What do you consider

 a) The most important issue for London?
There are actually 2 equally important issues. First one is the taxes which
keep on increasing. Residents, especially lower income families and
seniors, are finding taxes to be more than they can afford. The second one is
job creation. Between 2006 and 2009, we lost almost 10,000 jobs. We have
gained a few since 2009, but with the upcoming closure of the Ford Plant in
2011 and companies that supply Ford with either parts or services, we can
expect loosing as many as 8,000 actual jobs in the region. Needless to say,
this will have a huge impact on London’s economy and will affect many
more businesses which could result in even more job losses.

b) The most important issue for the ward in which you’re running?
Same as above, taxes and job creations. These issues are city wide issues.
_____________________________________________________________

Name:
David Winninger

Occupation:
Lawyer

Family:
Married, three children

Community work:
Soccer coach; delivered Meals on Wheels; treasurer of Neighbourhood
Legal Services; board secretary to London Occupational Health and Safety;
London Housing Advisory Committee; chair of London and Middlesex
Housing; Canadian Mental Health Association board; London Area Tenant
Association; White Oaks Community Council;

Would you support a four-year tax freeze:

No.

Why?
At the present time we can’t generate enough assessment growth to support
a zero percent tax increase. Despite receiving only eight cents of every tax
dollar (the provincial and federal governments get the other 92), London has
to deliver a number of mandated and regulated services such as police, fire,
ambulance, health unit, and conservation authorities. The city is mandated
by the province to deliver these services, despite the costs. Frequently, when
municipalities such as London cannot reach collective agreements with
emergency services, arbitration results in increases in personnel costs well
beyond the rate of inflation.
It would be impossible to find the tens of millions of dollars required to
sustain existing programs – parks, rec services, bicycle/walking paths,
seniors’ centres, libraries, child-care grants, downtown and Old East
renewal, protection of heritage, affordable housing, transit for the future —
without tax increases to meet the cost of inflation.

What’s the most important issue for London?

Maintaining quality of life and sustainable growth in London.
What’s the most important issue in your ward?
How we can assist people to maintain their homes on fixed incomes, or
incomes profoundly affected by unemployment and job dislocation, when
expenses are rising.
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