John McDonald says he’s hearing common themes from voters ahead of October 24th vote.
McDonald, a former emergency responder, is one of eight people running for council in Renfrew.
Residents have told him that the town needs to tend to its budget first and foremost.
McDonald credits his fellow candidates for bringing the line-by-line budget exam up at Tuesday’s All Candidate’s night, but notes he has experience handling budgets in his previous career.
Staying with the budget, McDonald says people are concerned about their taxes. He believes minimizing tax increases on residents is important, but a cap on tax is not the solution
He says the bottom line for the town is to help people working hard for their money, and a fresh look at the budget is needed.
McDonald notes that he is eager to work with his fellow councilmates should he be elected, as many shared concerns have been brought up during the election by the candidates. That includes attracting businesses to town.
The 30 years in his past career taught McDonald the value of working as a team, and he will use that to also improve Renfrew’s roads and work on the town budget.
McDonald is one of eight people running for five council positions, alongside Andrew Dick, Guy Longtin, Adam Laviolette, Brady Enright, Clint McWhirter, Jason Legris, and Kyle Cybulski.
Renfrew will cast their ballots on October 24th.
(written by Kasey Egan)