Incumbent Mayor Smith pleased with support during first two terms

Jamie Smith is hoping to reclaim Sackville's mayoralty in next week's municipal election and is asking for residents to support him "to continue to build on our successes and to continue to plan for our future."
During Monday night's mayoralty debate at the civic centre, Smith said he is pleased with the confidence the citizens have shown in him in his first two terms as mayor.
"It has been a pleasure to work with each and every one of you as we have collectively moved forward a wide-ranging agenda for our community."

Economic development
"We want to grow the tax base by bringing new businesses to the community," said Smith. "By attracting Burnbrae Farms and others, we have proven that we are competitive in attracting new businesses and we will continue to move forth a strategy for bringing new businesses to our community."
Downtown retail growth has also been strong, said Smith, with currently only two vacant storefronts available. He said the downtown revitalization committee, which consists of many business owners, town councillors and staff, has been very active in looking at ways to strengthen the downtown business area.
He said the municipal plan is also opening up Main Street for retail development, with the possibility of using existing buildings or homes for small boutiques or restaurants.
Highway commercial area growth has also been addressed in the new municipal plan and residents have had the opportunity to voice their concerns about the development in that area of town, said Smith. The new council will work with the planning commission to revise the plan to take some of those changes into consideration.
". . . we want to expand our business community, especially in the downtown area, we want to fill up our expanded business park, and we want to provide a document that residents will find more flexible to use."

Environment
Smith said his family recycles, sorts their waste into wet and dry, maintains their home heat at a constant temperature, uses energy-efficient light bulbs, doesn't use pesticides, encourages their children to walk more often and drives at a set speed when on the highway. As a mayor, he had a hand in distributing cloth shopping bags to every household in Sackville to reduce the amount of plastic bags going to the landfill. The council also instituted the mandatory wet/dry sorting program in town and a pesticide bylaw.
"It's a big concern and we must take care of our environment."

Policing/RCMP
Smith said he is aware that there has been plenty of talk over policing service in the community but doesn't think revisiting the decision made by council more than four years ago is the solution.
"The town has made a decision in this area and I believe it is time to move forward to build on that service. Some have suggested that we need a stronger police advisory committee and I fully agree with that suggestion."
He insisted he will be committed to working with the police advisory committee, council and the RCMP to improve the level of service provided by the Mounties.
He also said he is working alongside RCMP commissioner Steve Graham to negotiate the terms of an agreement for a new police and fire hall for the town.

Senior living
Smith said the town being named as one of the greatest retirement communities in 50Plus magazine is a clear indicator of how Sackville is doing in this area.
"We have a great way of life . . . we have plenty of arts and culture, the Waterfowl Park, and other great services for seniors."
He said the one area lacking in Sackville for the seniors crowd is housing options, so they can live independently without having the burden of maintaining a large home.
"We have to have a place for those seniors to go," said Smith.
He said the new municipal plan has allowed for more open housing, particularly for those in the 50-plus category and for younger families starting out, as well as affordable housing.

Openness/Accountability
Smith said in the last mandate alone, council has established seven new committees to seek out more consultation from the public, "to go hand in hand with the many that we already had in place."
"We have improved communication through more articles in the newspaper, through a new newsletter, and through a new website. I am committed to ensuring that you are informed."

Strategic Plan
Smith said if re-elected, he will work with council to develop a new strategic plan for the community, a document that will outline a long-term vision with goals for the community along with an action plan. Council will then approach the public for their input and feedback on the plan.
"It is important that we establish a collective vision for the community, that we plan for the future, that we maximize our community resources, and that each of us understands what these important priorities are and the role that all of us can play in seeing them realized."