Trevor Giertuga has been fighting for McIntyre Ward for the past 15 years.
And while he contemplated an at-large run in 2014, the long-time councilor decided he’d rather focus his attention in his own backyard, solving ward-specific problems and helping to grow the area into an even more prosperous part of the city.
“It was just a matter of timing,” he said, explaining why he was the last incumbent to file his papers.
“I think we made great strides in McIntyre Ward. We’re consistently number one for road reconstruction, infrastructure and parks for the kids. We’ve just had the new splash pad put in there in County Park.”
In fact, he said, since he first won the seat in 2000, Giertuga said road expenditures have increased four times.
“I just want to keep working on those types of things and keeping the residents apprised of everything that’s going on – and be accountable and accessible.”
Keeping taxes as low as possible is the biggest issue facing council over the next four years.
“I’m one of the few on council, about two or three, who continually vote against tax increases. Everyone else votes for them at the end of the budget process,” said Giertuga, a nurse at the Thunder Bay District Jail.
“We need to keep them down. People can’t afford the increased taxes.”
To do that he plans to implore his fellow councilors to stop shifting the tax burden onto residential owners, instead saying the commercial side should share a greater tax load.
“It’s really reflecting on people’s taxes now,” he said.
Giertuga says his ward was most in favour of a new event centre, based on responses to a city phone survey. That said, he’s not planning to push for it at any cost.
“I’m in favour of it, provided we get provincial and federal funding. If we don’t get that, then it’s a no-go.”
