Meet the Candidates: Rebecca Johnson

Rebecca Johnson says she thought long and hard about whether or not to seek a fourth term at the city council table.

Indeed she was one of the final incumbents to file her nomination papers. In the end, she said, the decision came down to her feeling she still had more to offer, and more importantly more work left to be done.

“I think it’s because I haven’t finished the work I want to do, particularly in two areas,” Johnson said. “One is in accessibility and one is in the whole area of diversity. Those are very near and dear to my heart and I don’t feel I have done what I really need to have done in this community for those areas.”

A vocal critic of municipal overspending, Johnson says stewardship of the taxpayer dollar is another top priority going forward.

“I think financially, sustainability for our community is one of the largest issues. How are people going to be able to manage our taxes? No one wants increases, but yet they want a lot of services, so how do we balance that?” Johnson said.

“I think that’s one of the major issues we have to very seriously look at.”

Johnson’s list of activities and accomplishments is extensive. She serves variety of organizations, including the Northwestern Ontario Associated Chambers of Commerce, the Children’s Centre Thunder Bay and the Thunder Bay District Women’s Institute.

Last year she helped found the Women in Politics movement, encouraging local women to get involved in the political process. She also chairs the Thunder Bay Drug Strategy steering committee and Age-Friendly Thunder Bay.

While Johnson supports the event-centre concept, she said it must be done with fiscal responsibility in mind.

“I certainly think we need to go to the next step to see if there is money available from the feds, the province and the private sector,” Johnson said.

From there it will be up to the community to decide.

“I do not want to see a debenture. I don’t think that’s what our community can manage right now. I’m very skeptical moving it forward in that way.”