Re-Elect Paul as your Councillor

The 2020 municipal election is here.

I’ve been busy as your councillor, and I want to keep that work away from the election. This page talks about what I’ve done and what my priorities are for the next four years.

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As always, I welcome your feedback. You can get in touch with me at SackvillePaul@gmail.com or at 902-830-5043

 

Our Sackville Priorities

I have a number of priorities for Sackville and for HRM. You have helped me identify many of these, and I’ve seen a direct need for some of them.

Sidewalks and Crosswalks

  • Sidewalk on Stokil Drive between the two schools
  • Sidewalk along all of Old Beaver Bank Road
  • Active Transportation sidewalk on Cobequid Road from Sucker Brook Road to First Lake Drive
  • Paving Sucker Brook Road
  • Crosswalk across Beaver Bank Road near Boxwood

 

Street and Traffic Priorities

  • Advance left turn lane, from Stokil on to Beaver Bank Road (this has been approved, and is awaiting future implementation)
  • Identifying and traffic calming on multiple streets
  • Making Exit 2, on the Windsor Highway, safe for pedestrians
  • Improving all other intersections along Beaver Bank Connector and Beaver Bank Road, up to Millwood / Stokil.
  • Improve the average condition of streets across Lower Sackville, and across HRM.
  • Increase the amount of traffic monitoring, decrease the amount of speeding, and make our streets safer

 

Community Improvements

  • Improving the housing situation in Sackville and across HRM. Low vacancy rates are creating challenges for anyone seeking housing and are a risk to those without a roof over their heads
  • Increasing the number of long term care facilities
  • Ensuring that we have plenty of options available for food security, including continued support for Freedom Kitchen and the Square Roots food bundle program
  • Ensuring that we have strong social and youth supports, so that we can help our at-risk youth
  • Ensuring that Sackville remains a strong and vibrant community, where we support and take care of each other
  • Fixing the problem with First Lake, so that we will know that it is safe. Bring back life guards.

 

HRM Wide

  • Ensuring that HRM is fiscally strong
    • that taxes are only raised in conjunction with improvements in service or infrastructure
    • that we reduce, and eventually eliminate, our debt
  • Ensuring that our society is strong, which includes
    • taking care of those that need extra help, including improving options for shelter, food security, and social supports
    • recognizing the equal value of everyone, regardless of age, race,
      religion, gender, or ability
  • Ensuring that HRM is responsive to the needs of those who work and live within it
  • Ensuring that HRM provides clear and consistent information, which includes:
    • identifying any areas (like specific web site pages) where information is missing, incomplete, confusing, or incorrect
    • ensuring that any reports, by-laws, or other policies and procedures, are clear and published.

My Accomplishments

This has been a very busy year since the election, and I’ve gotten a lot done. Some of these things have been completed, some are ongoing, and some have been started and remain to be completed. My work includes:

 

Resident Issues

  • I have responded to hundreds of resident issues in the past year. In many cases these were met with a good resolution, although in some cases we were not able to resolve the issue.
  • I am continuing to work on the resident issues and make sure that I respond to every contact, whether I am contacted by phone, e-mail, over social media, or in person.

 

Prioritizing Sackville

  • I have brought Sackville to the forefront at Council, talking about the various people, community groups, events, businesses that we have here. Sackville is a wonderful place to live, and I have made sure that those around the Council table understand just how special it is.
  • I have made sure that the different departments know about the concerns that we have, and that I will continue to bring our concerns forward.

 

Sidewalks, Crosswalks, and Traffic

  • Gathering data about which neighbourhood streets have a speed issue. This data has directed further actions, like talking with the RCMP about trouble spots and identifying certain streets for HRM traffic calming.
  • Distributing many signs reminding drivers to slow down.
  • Making sure that certain streets are and sidewalks have a higher priority, specifically Stokil Drive, Old Beaver Bank Road, and Cobequid Road from Sucker Brook to First Lake

 

Improved Communication

  • Improving the amount of communication by having multiple social media channels
  • Sending out bi-weekly e-newsletters shortly before each Council meeting
  • Hosting Zoom meetings before each Council meeting so that we can discuss the issues.

 

Social Issues

  • Working on homelessness and housing issues, including being part of the Sackville Area Warming Centre management team, monitoring and helping activity at the Freedom Kitchen, and monitoring activity further around Sackville
  • Setting up the Graduation and Patriot Days drive-in, since we could not have a normal graduation day or a normal week of Patriot Days activities. Thanks to all who helped, including the Lake District Recreation Association and the Sackville Leisure Centre, Les Strong, Chad Lindsay, Maurice Aucoin, Jon Cyr, Madison Richardson, the Lions, the Knights of Columbus, the Shriners, and the Sackville Rotary.
  • Helping Freedom Kitchen and Square Roots, with social supports, financial support, time, and energy. This has gone back to when Jason Craig first brought Square Roots to Sackville and when Rainie and Tara first started Freedom Kitchen.
  • Increasing the First Lake water quality priority. We were going to be getting a comprehensive test to be done on First Lake until COVID required our budget to be redone. We are still expecting a report in Council on Sept 22. I want us to find out what the problem is with First Lake, so that we can correct it, rather than just have us either close the beach or (even worse) not even test for the problem.

 

COVID-19

  • Worked to keep tax rates down, which is especially hard during the pandemic. For the average home, the tax rate will not change and so the only increase in the tax bill will be due to the tax assessment change.
  • Once things were closed, I worked to get things opened back up as much as possible and restore service as quickly as possible, while keeping us safe.
  • Working on hundreds of resident concerns. Happily, this is continuing.

Key Election Information

This information is a copy of what is (or will be) on halifax.ca/election. I am working to keep this as consistent as possible with that page, but may not be aware of the latest changes.

Key Dates

  • Oct 6 through 14 – Online and phone voting
  • Oct 10 & 13 – Advance Poll — in person voting
  • Oct 17 – Election Day — in person voting

Am I on the electors list?

How do I get on the list?

  • Call 902-490-8683 (VOTE)
  • Visit your polling location during the Advance Poll or on Election Day