Around 30 members from the Innisfil Heights Rate Payers' Association (IHRA) met with mayoral and Ward 1 candidates at Innisfil Town Hall Thursday night for a meet and greet.
In attendance were mayoral candidates Lynn Dollin and Dan Davidson, deputy mayor candidates Kenneth Fowler and Rob Nicol and Ward 1 candidates Kevin Eisses and Lynn Iwanow.
The Association meets annually for their general meeting and every election year, invite local candidates to speak, share platforms and listen to the concerns of residents in the Innisfil Heights community, located near Highway 400 and Innisfil Beach Road.
Master of Ceremonies for the evening was association president Dan Burns.
Each candidate was allowed a few minutes to introduce themselves and present their platforms before taking questions from the crowd.
Iwanow spoke as a concerned citizen in the area, on behalf of others from the association, questioning the current tax rates for the town.
"We pay heavy taxes to the municipality, some in excess of $10,000 a year, and we feel we get very little in return from the town," she said.
Two other residents raised concerns over the traffic on Highway 400, noting it is sometimes easier to travel on side roads to get to neighbouring towns Bradford and Barrie, in order to get to their destinations.
Two of the main concerns coming from the residents were about the widening of Innisfil Beach Road near Highway 400, and not being able to make a left-hand turn onto Innisfil Heights Road south from Innisfil Beach Road.
With the widening of Innisfil Beach Road, a car turning left, going south onto Industrial Park Road would have to cross three lanes of traffic which many residents of the area felt was dangerous.
It was suggested by residents a left turn lane be implemented as soon as possible.
The residents would also like to see a speed reduction near Innisbrook Street, to 60 km/h, for enhanced safety of the community.
Another issue for the area residents was York Region's plan to have sewage hook up to Lake Simcoe, which could impact 55,000 residents, which residents say is in conflict with the Clean Air and Water act.
Other issues raised throughout the evening included the cost of the South Innisfil Creek drain project and costs to the residents. As per the town website, the South Innisfil Creek Drain (SICD) is a municipal drain, in response to repeated flooding of the properties along the South Innisfil Creek. The watershed surrounding the drains collects runoff from about 800 properties across Innisfil and Bradford West Gwillimbury and directs it to one of the drains. The main drain, in turn, empties into the Nottawasaga River. Construction for the improvements to the SCID began last year and is set to be completed in phases.
"The ratepayers association was very interactive and the questions still came during the first break," said Fowler. "I personally found it informative and a good respectful meeting."
Burns agreed the meeting was productive and was grateful to all the candidates who showed up.
"They were very strong, very supportive," he said.
To learn more about the Innisfil election candidates and their platforms, follow our election coverage page here.
To learn more about the IHRA, click here.
