THUNDER BAY – Jim Mauro says he’s always been political involved, for as long as he can remember.
The brother of long-time Liberal MPP, cabinet minister, city councillor, and most recently mayor, Bill Mauro, it was pretty tough to avoid the topic at family gatherings.
He’s now looking to forge a political identity of his own, running for one of five available at-large seats in this month’s municipal election.
“I spent my adult life being involved in the community with different charity organizations, helping those who are less fortunate. I view politics in a similar vein. Politics can be transformative. You have the ability to shape people’s lives for the better, and that’s where my interest is, in trying to move the city forward, in trying to make people’s lives better,” said Mauro, who in 2014 ran for the Northwood seat, while still an officer with the Thunder Bay Police Service.
“I think I have something to offer, so I thought I’d give it another shot.”
Mauro said as a former police officer, he’s seen the good and the bad the city has to offer, which gives him perspective on many of the issues facing Thunder Bay today.
It’s also why crime is at the top of his list of issues to try to solve over the next four years and beyond.
“Any poll that’s been out there has seemed to indicate that the public feels it’s a very important issue. It’s something I’ve been talking about for 25 years, in terms of mental health and addictions, crime levels in Thunder Bay, levels of violence, and I think we need to deal with them,” Mauro said.
“We need people on council who are going to say, yes, there are things council can do and we need to make those decisions and when they work, great. And if they don’t work, then we try something else.”
What that might look like is not a simple solution, Mauro said, but added he thinks it makes sense to hire back retired officers to fill gaps in the Thunder Bay Police Service, officers who would be fully trained and ready to hit the streets running.
“There’s not a training process. They already know their authorities under the criminal code, they already have use-of-force training. It’s to make sure that the officers that are tied up are able to go back out on the street to be able to respond quickly to your call for help and to be able to deter crime,” said Mauro, the former head of the Thunder Bay Police Association.
That said, the city is facing a myriad of challenges that need a lot of attention from council.
Mauro said the best approach is to do one’s homework and start tackling the issues one at a time, including an indoor turf facility.
If it’s reasonable to play hockey in summer it’s reasonable to play soccer in winter, he said.
“For the kids, it’s a cheap sport. Now, is this the facility? OK, that remains to be seen. I was never a fan of the location, but I would never take the location and oppose it because of that. While I do think we need a facility, what that facility is going to look like come Jan. 1, I don’t have that answer right now.”
