Replenishment of fiscal reserves, reduction in Town debt key priorities
JOHN WINK QUICK FACTS
Running for: Reelection as Pelham Town Councillor in Ward w, vs. challengers Carla Baxter, Colin McCann, and Brian Eckhardt
Age: 69
Occupation: Retired manager in the financial services industry
Resides: 36 years in Pelham
Family: Spouse Sue, four children, six grandchildren
John Wink arrived on Pelham Town Council surfing the 2018 electoral wave that, like a tsunami, swept council clean of incumbents. In 2022, he hopes to return to council to provide leadership and stability, and also play a role in mentoring those new to municipal politics.
Equity, diversity, and inclusion must be part of the fabric of our town, he insists.
“We had some real fiscal challenges, but things have improved dramatically from where we were four years ago,” he told the Voice. “But we still need to build up our reserves. There's more work to be done. And that's one of the reasons I am running again. I still want to be that voice of reason. There are going to be a lot of new councillors, and we may have a new mayor, who knows? We were at a disadvantage coming in four years ago, in that there were no mentors on council. It takes a good 18 months to two years on that learning curve before you become a really effective councillor.”
Wink has been involved in the community for many years, in a variety of volunteer roles, since he moved to Pelham with his family in 1986. He has served as a baseball and basketball coach, a Rotarian, United Way vice president, and, perhaps most conspicuously, as the Chair of Summerfest.
As Chair of Town’s Finance and Audit Committee, Wink said he came to better understand how the Town’s money matters work.
“We have really turned around our finances. When I first arrived on council, nine of the 20 reserves were in a negative position. I think our reserves at that point in time were $2 million. Now, our reserves are around $13 million, with some funds allocated to projects that were carried over a year. The finance staff at Town Hall has done a superb job. Teresa Quinlin-Murphy [Town Treasurer and Director of Corporate Services] and her team applied for $44-million-worth of grant money in the last four years, and we got $21 million. It's an amazing track record,” said Wink.
With 41 years in the financial services industry under his belt (35 of which were in management positions with Meridian Credit Union), it’s evident that Wink knows his way around a spreadsheet. But he also understands real estate.
“Early in my career in banking with Meridian, my specialty was mortgages,” he said. “As soon as I was elected to council, I began taking the Ontario municipal planning course, which provided me with additional insight. I actually had a number of different roles with Meridian. I was in charge of the mortgage department for six years, then became a branch manager for eight and a half years. Next, I ran the wealth department for ten years. At that point, I decided I wanted to go back into the branch, closer to home.”
Over the past term, most of the new subdivisions in Pelham have been approved, said Wink, so the next council won't have to deal with that issue. He appreciates that some constituents don’t like the appearance of certain housing and business construction in town, but said that councillors can't dictate to developers with regard to the design of residential or commercial buildings or subdivisions.
Reflecting on some of council’s successes over the past term, Wink pointed to the fiscal recovery, of course. But there were other noteworthy accomplishments.
“We got second-dwelling units passed by council, and licensed short-term rentals,” he said. “We got rid of the chicane on Haist Street, and prevented a road crossing over the Steve Bauer Trail. A new zoning bylaw finally got done after 15 iterations. We passed a tree management policy, and of course, the Cannabis Control Committee did great work.”
When it was suggested that a “tiny house” community—prefabricated, portable buildings of about 500 square feet, costing approximately $175,000—might provide some affordable housing in the municipality, Wink responded with skepticism.
“What's that development going to look like in 20 years? They might look good when brand new, but over the years, there's a lot of deferred maintenance on those structures.”
I think we were, for the most part, pretty transparent over the past four years
Land is at a premium right now, said Wink, and it would be tough to find someone that would donate land for affordable housing.
“The Town simply doesn’t have property to donate,” he said. “We've got probably two pieces of land right now. One is earmarked for a parking lot at the MCC, and the other is across from the MCC on the corner of Meridian Way, where we’re looking at either a civic space or a site for the new library.”
Wink said that there are priorities to be addressed early in the new term.
“All the budgets have to be approved, and we need to refine our strategic plan for the next four years. It can't just be my strategic plan. It needs to be everybody's strategic plan. Early on, we also need to get the Ridgeville parking problem straightened out, and resolve the parking issue with the MCC. We've got temporary parking, but we need a permanent solution. Perhaps we’ll build parking underneath the new library. It costs more, but land is at a premium.”
Climate change initiatives, like charging stations for electric cars at municipal lots, and encouraging developers to work towards shrinking their carbon footprint, are also on Wink’s radar.
Asked if he would enjoy being the new Pelham council representative on the Niagara Central Dorothy Rungeling Airport Commission, which is proving to be something of a money pit for the municipality, Wink grinned, and said, “No thanks. It should have been left in the hands of the Region, not downloaded on us.”
Wink said that Ward 1 Councillor Mike Ciolfi’s death at the start of Covid was a negative turning point last term, and not simply in the loss of a valuable councillor and well-respected member of the community.
“We were working pretty cohesively up until that point, and then after Mike passed, things seemed to change.”
As reported by the Voice and picked up by the CBC and other media outlets, early in the Covid-19 pandemic Ward 2 Councillor and Sobeys franchisee Ron Kore continued to attend council meetings and work at his store despite exhibiting symptoms of a respiratory illness. Kore was later confirmed as having Covid, and potentially exposed fellow councillors and Town staff to the virus at a late March 2020 meeting, one of the last held before council shifted to meeting virtually. Three other individuals in Council Chambers that night later tested positive for Covid, including the 51-year-old Ciolfi, whose cause of death on April 13, 2020 has never been officially stated.
Wink thinks that a new council will have fewer closed sessions.
“Last term, we had to go in camera for cannabis issues and legal issues, and real estate transactions. Transparency was a buzzword of the last election, because the previous council had the perception of not being transparent at all. I think we were, for the most part, pretty transparent over the past four years.”
Wink said that he was very fortunate that a lot of people have stepped forward to help him out with his campaign, volunteering to help distribute brochures, going door-to-door.
“It helps a lot,” he said. “I’ve had many people on the street say, ‘John, you’ve got our votes.’ But I think the advantage this time is that I know a lot more people in Pelham, through committee work, public events, and my job at the golf course.”
Wink is a golf aficionado, and works as a part-time course marshall and starter at Pen Lakes in his retirement. He smiled, referring to it as a “dream job.”
He is busy these days monitoring his three email accounts (one personal, one for his councillor role, one for his election campaign). He is grateful for his wife’s support while he is in election mode.
“Sue convinced me to run four years ago,” he said. “She saw some of the antics from the last council, and said they needed to get some better people in there. ‘You should step forward,’ she said. That’s how my political life started.”
Asked about any ambitions for higher office, Wink smiled as responded, “I don't consider myself a politician. I'm a councillor, serving my community.”
Wink’s website is available at www.electwinkforpelham.ca
