THUNDER BAY – Bill Dell says he’s been watching city hall for the past couple of years and isn’t sure he likes the direction Thunder Bay is headed.
Rather than sit back and continuing watching, he decided to put his name forward and run in Northwood, where two-term Coun. Shelby Ch’ng did not reoffer, choosing instead to run at-large.
“I had some issues in this city and my neighbourhood and I didn’t feel I was getting the right responses. When I looked at council, it seemed like management was ruling council instead of the other way around,” Dell said.
“They’d bring things up like the 12 per cent increase in management salary, saying it was only going to cost $66,000 a year and the next day it was $2 million. I don’t think council asks the tough questions of management. There’s no accountability. We’re sinking tugboats, the dam was opened and still we have no answers why this happened. I think we need to be accountable to the city of Thunder Bay.”
Dell’s top issue entering the election is ongoing flooding in residential homes.
“We need more storm sewers. We need the storm sewers that are there repaired properly, and I can bring that experience. I’ve been in construction in Thunder Bay building water, sewer and roads and I don’t know why we can’t move a little bit faster, because people are suffering,” he said.
Dell, a semi-retired former manager at the Valhalla Inn, said he’s concerned about city spending and wants to see it reined in.
It’s not sustainable, he said, pointing to Sudbury, a city that has a higher population yet fewer employees on the public sector salary disclosure list, which includes provincial and municipal workers making $100,000 or more.
“[Sudbury’s] area is eight times the size of Thunder Bay and their population is 50 per cent more than Thunder Bay. We just have to cut back on operational costs,” Dell said.
One thing he doesn’t want to spend money on now, with fear of a looming recession and inflation nearing 10 per cent, is an indoor turf facility. Dell said it’s just not the time to be considering spending money the city doesn’t have.
He’s not saying no forever, but won’t support it now.
“We’re in a $7-million deficit right now in Thunder Bay. I don’t think we can build any capital facilities – no fire halls, no police station, no soccerplex. I think we just have to hold the line and take care of the homeless,” Dell said.
“The first thing I’ll do when I get on council is fund the SOS van. The initiative for the poor and the homeless in Thunder Bay has to come first, before anything else.”
As far as crime goes, being that it’s driven in large part by social issues, the city’s police just can’t keep up, Dell said.
“We need help from the province. We need help from the federal government. We need help from the First Nations to deal with our social issues, which drive the police.”
