THUNDER BAY -- Shane Judge believes the city should shelve its plan to build an event centre for 10 years.
The long-time city council reporter turned mayoral candidate, who filed his papers at city hall Tuesday, said the city simply can't afford the project right now. He thinks it was also a mistake that council chose not to have a plebiscite on the issue, an example of the lack of respect it has for the public.
"To let the people have a say directly in whether they want to spend that kind of money and jeopardize what I think is a very delicate budget and put us down the road in some real trouble," Judge said.
The city has lost 5,000 people in the last 15 years and is expected to lose more over the next 20 years.
"Who's going to pay for this thing after the baby boomers pass on to the great tax-free zone in the sky?" Judge asked.
With incumbent mayor Keith Hobbs and mayoral candidate and current at-large Coun. Ken Boshcoff in favour of the project, Judge said if he's elected that could send a strong message to the rest of city council that people agree with him that the city can't afford the project right now.
"If I can knock them off that's two fewer 'yes' voices on council," Judge said.
Judge wants the city to focus on growing local business and increase the Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission's profile to find markets for those companies to expand. If specific growth targets are set and met, then the city can decide whether it can build an event centre.
On crime, Judge wants the city to take $1 million from the money it gets from casino slot revenue and sponsor programs and community groups that focus on neighbourhoods.
"To me there's a moral issue to what that money is we should be using it to better our community," Judge said.
Judge started covering council for The Chronicle-Journal in 1976. He retired after nearly 28 years with CBC Thunder Bay in June of 2011.
