Who is running for mayor in Charlottetown

Incumbent Philip Brown is looking for a second term as mayor of Charlottetown and challenging him are two candidates: Cecil Villard and Daniel Mullen.

These are the three candidates registered with Elections P.E.I. to be on the ballot come Nov. 7.

We sent them a questionnaire highlighting just some of the major issues facing the city now and into the future.

Here are their answers in alphabetical order by candidate name.

Cecil Villard

What are you going to do to help address the housing situation in Charlottetown?

Affordable housing must be a clear city council priority across all lines of city business. We will: work together as three levels of government and the private and non-profit sector to ensure that housing policies and programs meet the needs of individuals and families who require affordable housing; identify and prioritize opportunities to integrate affordable housing into city projects and initiatives; utilize all appropriate municipal tools to enable affordable housing development to occur ASAP; ensure affordable housing is provided in all our neighbourhoods of our city. We will: support the private sector to get new homes into the ground for people in need; provide city land to contribute to affordable housing development; develop a plan to increase density in the downtown area; immediately form a Housing Committee of Council to follow through on our affordable housing commitment.

How can the city better prepare for major storms like Fiona?

We need more co-ordination with all levels of government and agencies to work together with EMO to co-ordinate disasters. As well, one communication hub to disseminate disaster updates/funding programs and services is required. EMO must consider the formation of Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT). This is a group of trained, certified volunteers who will help our community to mobilize help on the ground as soon as possible after a disaster. Having an emergency response team in place increases Charlottetown's safety and resiliency. It is critical to have public works, police and fire departments meet with council on a regular basis to inform and educate the council and our residents on emergency planning.

The city is creating a new official plan to guide all planning/land decisions in the city — how and where should Charlottetown build for the future?

Our new official plan sets out our vision and principles on how and where we should be going for the future. We will: A) work together to solve the affordable housing challenge in our city; B) promote development and embrace innovation, support entrepreneurship and foster leadership; C) be a competitive city with an innovative spirit; D) value the input of our citizens and actively engage them to ensure information and services are available and accessible to everyone when and where needed; E) foster partnerships with government, educational institutions, employers and citizens to encourage development and forward thinking. My vision for Charlottetown is a smart city with greater economic vitality, citizen engagement, environmental integrity and quality of life for all citizens.

What is your plan for better active transportation and transit for the city?

Together with residents and partners, we will develop a Sustainable Transportation Action Plan to support residents in making active, cleaner and healthier transportation choices. Through a variety of investments and outreach initiatives, our plan will focus on: enhancing the safety of everyone who uses active forms of transportation through infrastructure improvements (sidewalks, cycling, trails, scooter lanes, etc.); strengthening partnerships with our provincial government, Indigenous communities and non-government organizations around walking, cycling and any other forms of active transportation; and creating a promotion and education campaign to increase the confidence and competence of those wanting to commute. For transit, we will increase bus times, routes, pick-up areas and continue to add to the fleet of electric transit buses.

Why are you the best choice for mayor?

This is a time for strong effective leadership. The controversy, the ineffectiveness, the financial waste, the secrecy, the tension and disharmony in the chambers, the ineffectual council/administration relationship just to mention a few has to end. The city begs for the right leadership and more open communication and transparency of city operations for accountability. We must restore trust and integrity at city hall. My experience, my track record and my commitment to our city will reverse the current reputation that has resulted in voter indifference, discord with the provincial government and a failure to own up, accept and ultimately apologize for the current state of discourse. It's all about leadership!

Daniel Mullen

What are you going to do to help address the housing situation in Charlottetown?

I will create a new Charlottetown Housing Authority with a mandate to build 1,000 new units by 2030 in collaboration with federal and provincial governments, and introduce "use-it-or-lose-it" rules for developers who have been holding us back. We will eliminate the requirement to have one parking space for every unit in low-cost downtown projects, and allow for additional height with offsets in certain areas. All developers will be offered express approval rules that will focus on truly affordable units, require better use of space, and enforce the Short Term Rentals bylaw coming into effect.

How can the city better prepare for major storms like Fiona?

Charlottetown needs to create Community Emergency Response Teams as part of a plan to actually be ready before things happen. There is a formal plan that addresses what is done to be ready, what to do during the event, and then afterwards. We will do a much better job of co-ordination with Maritime Electric and start the process of getting utility lines put safely underground, which is something we should have done long ago. Next we will install generators at all lift stations, so fewer homes will have raw sewage problems during power outages, and we will protect our waterfront sewage treatment plant from storm surges.

The city is creating a new official plan to guide all planning/land decisions in the city — how and where should Charlottetown build for the future?

I have met with property owners who would be willing to see the city take the lead in creating better housing, and who are willing to change their plans if the city will be more clear and flexible on planning costs. We need to upgrade the quality of life in the city and create healthy neighbourhoods without heavy traffic day and night. Citizens need to be told more about major projects and have real input, not consulted after plans are already made, which is how it appears now to most residents. We only have one chance to get this right.

What is your plan for better active transportation and transit for the city?

We need to vastly improve the ability to walk, cycle, and run through the city, and be smarter about how we plan traffic flows. I would have lighting on all of our active routes by 2024 and co-ordinate with provincial government for the new four lane project to Winsloe to make sure we do a better job with active transport. On transit, I believe so strongly that we can do better that I have bought a hybrid transit bus to demonstrate the city can do a better job for less money when we want to expand upon services, especially for seniors and students.

Why are you the best choice for mayor?

I do not represent any special interest groups and am actually the only candidate who has real-world experience in construction, multi-million dollar budgets, underground services, utility access, customer service delivery and financial analysis. I hold an MBA, and have worked for major companies like IBM, so I understand the numbers when we deal with federal and provincial officials and can keep an eye on our future CAO and other top staff. We should never be in another situation where hundreds of thousands of dollars are wasted at the expense of taxpayers.

Philip Brown

What are you going to do to help address the housing situation in Charlottetown?

I am proud of our record to create more affordable housing. Over the past four years, 420 new affordable housing units were built, an all-time high. Regulations were put in place on short-term rentals to create more options for renters.
It is also imperative that the city continue to collaborate with the provincial and federal governments and advocates for increased public housing. We cannot rely solely on private rentals and developers to provide the assistance that vulnerable people need. All levels of government need to invest in public and affordable housing in the city.
I would continue to support the provincial government's position on legislating a maximum annual rental increase, and in their challenge of the most recent rental increase by IRAC. I will propose measures to streamline approval of building permits to bring more units on to the market.  And I will continue to work actively with all levels of government to make housing a fundamental human right.

How can the city better prepare for major storms like Fiona?

Addressing climate change and preparing for the effects of rising sea levels and more severe weather events is a major priority. Experience with the impacts of Fiona will be evaluated to enable all levels of government and private utilities to better prepare for future events. One of my immediate actions will be to strengthen municipal infrastructure facilities to better protect homes, businesses and people. More co-ordination with the provincial and federal governments on annual emergency action plans is essential for the future and communicating with the public more in advance of significant weather events as residents should know where to find help prior to it being needed. I also want to work more closely with community and business/organizations to put plans in place and reviewed annually with a lens of weather impacts in different seasons.

The city is creating a new official plan to guide all planning/land decisions in the city — how and where should Charlottetown build for the future?

Official plans set out a vision for our future as a city. They give people more confidence to make investment decisions that are mutually beneficial to residents and developers. Ultimately, they provide people with the opportunity to participate in their development. As mayor, we have already started this process through the initiation of a comprehensive review of our current official plan. I will ensure that the voices of residents will be recognized and respected as well as recommend criteria to help guide planning and land decisions that involves both residents and
business.

What is your plan for better active transportation and transit for the city?

My record is clear: we will continue to promote active transportation by building more active transportation pathways as we have been doing over the past four years. I also recognize that that our active transportation pathways must be properly maintained to ensure safety, especially for those with mobility issues. We will continue to promote the benefits of active transportation to both human health and the environment, to make Charlottetown a leader in how people travel for work and pleasure. I will also be looking at ways to encourage more bus transportation, including investment in electric transit buses.

Why are you the best choice for mayor?

When I campaigned for mayor, I said that as a lifetime resident I wanted to create a better life for my children and their children. That remains my goal. As mayor, I will build on public trust by increasing transparency and accountability at city hall. Through excellent fiscal management, we have had four surplus budgets. I have the experience and commitment to build on our success and look forward to moving forward together.