Elect Rachel Corbett for
Deputy Mayor,
Municipality of Marmora & Lake 

What I Hope to Do as Your Elected Representative 

My observation of government at every level is that when you bring together PURPOSE and COMPETENCE, good things happen. A government, and those elected to lead a government, must know what they wish to achieve. It is not enough to say simply “we will listen to you” or “our Council will be accessible and transparent” or “we will do what is best for our community” or "a vote for me is a vote for change". Having a PURPOSE is far more concrete and pragmatic - it is about ACTION. 

My Purpose 

Keep in mind that an individual member of Council cannot do much acting alone. But a purposeful and competent member of Council can work alongside Council colleagues in a collaborative team effort to achieve specific goals. 

My PURPOSE, if I am elected as Deputy Mayor, would be to work with all members of Council and staff in pursuit of the following goals:

1. INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT. Ensure our Municipality’s essential infrastructure is properly maintained, and where warranted, improved. We are a large rural municipality with miles of roads and associated ditches and culverts, nearly three dozen bridges, parks and recreation areas, boat launches, numerous buildings, water and sewage treatment facilities, sidewalks and street lighting. In addition, there is all the equipment needed to support this physical infrastructure. All of this require care on a planned and ongoing basis. Properly maintained infrastructure not only saves money, is important to all residents, improves everyone’s quality of life, and enhances our property values. 

2. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. Continue efforts to recruit businesses and commercial activity to Marmora &Lake. Less than five percent of our tax base comes from these sources, meaning that residents bear nearly the full burden of raising revenue through taxation. Council’s job is to create the overall conditions that are conducive to business development. Being a physically attractive community that offers a high quality of life is a good first step. There have been some small successes in this area but more must be done to attract new entrepreneurs to our community. But at the same time, let’s be sure to support the small businesses, tourism providers and community partners which already drive economic activity in this Municipality. 

3. BUILD ON OUR ASSETS. Our small township boasts some unique assets, many of which are underutilized. One inherent advantage we have is our prime location at the intersection of Highways 7 and 14, both of which are well-travelled routes. The recent project to install multiple EV chargers is an example of a good initiative that will attract travellers. However, many other assets have untapped value - for example, our tourism centre, the Memorial Building (which contains unused space including a residential apartment), the shuttered public school which sits on serviced and developable land, and the legacy of the Marmoraton Mine. While our municipality has no jurisdiction over the latter two (and the school site is now privately owned), I would want our Council and staff to be much more focused on finding ways to work with other entities to realize the amazing potential of these assets. 

4. BE AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE. The value that a municipality can provide to its residents is a direct result of the quality of its staff. Our Municipality has a history of underpaying staff, with the result that many of our staff get 'poached' by other municipalities, after we have invested heavily in staff recruitment, orientation and training. We have just witnessed this with the sudden departure of our Chief Administrative Officer. While I do not advocate that Council should necessarily pay staff more, we can nonetheless enhance the overall conditions of employment, offer good benefits and support measures to improve work-life balance for our valued employees. 

5. PURSUE COST SAVINGS. Within any level of government, there is room for cost savings. Colour photocopying is not required, supplies can be purchased in bulk, preventative maintenance of equipment can ensure that we avoid unplanned repairs or costly replacement. Serious measures are needed to increase staff retention and reduce turnover, as recruitment, orientation and training of new staff is a significant unplanned expense that our Municipality has incurred repeatedly (one example is noted above). Council should always be looking for savings, while also ensuring that the quality of services we provide to our residents is not diminished as a result.  

6. SEEK FUNDING AND RESOURCES. It has been my experience throughout my professional life that there is always money available for worthwhile projects. Whether it was getting scholarships and bursaries for my students, securing resources for my clients in the sport industry, or getting grant money for the many charities with which I am involved - there is always money to shoot for. My observation is that our Municipality is not as aggressive as others in pursuing funding opportunities. I believe the next Council must change this, and I am prepared to lead that effort. 

7. SUPPORT OUR PARTNERS. As a Council, we should support our many volunteer-based community partners. When friends 'from away' ask me what it is like living in this small eastern Ontario community, I explain that when something good happens here, it is usually because of the community volunteers who lead the activities of the Curling Club, Legion, Lions Club, Library, #7 Classic Cruisers, Crowe Lake Waterway Association, Food Bank, Historical Society, Marmora Fair Board/Agricultural Society, cottage associations and other community organizations and clubs. I am not suggesting these organizations need financial support from Council - rather, it is important that Council’s policies and decisions do not constrain their success, which has sometimes been the case in the past. 

I also look forward to hearing from voters about what they think our next Council’s priorities should be!

My Competence

Competent leadership at the Municipal level has many components and I can deliver on several: 

• RESPECT is one of my core values - I will respect all views and will be available to listen to all concerns. 

• I am a clear COMMUNICATOR, and will be approachable and accessible to all members of the community.

• A Municipal Council works well only if it works as a TEAM. I am a team player and believe in building strong relationships with fellow Councillors, Municipal staff, partner organizations and individuals in the community.

• I will always come to my work as Deputy Mayor PREPARED. Municipal government is complex and requires sharp focus and sustained effort. 

• As a planner, I appreciate the value of LONG-TERM THINKING. Council must be mindful that today's decisions have consequences for tomorrow, not all of which can be anticipated. 

• I am a trained and skilled FACILITATOR, NEGOTIATOR and MEDIATOR. This can be useful when there are divergent views on controversial issues. 

• Lastly, I am an ENTREPRENEUR which means I understand finances, managing through uncertainty, and plain old hard work. 

Feel free to contact me:

Rachel Corbett

corbett1822@gmail.com

Mobile 705-312-2424

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