A retired businessman with a record of municipal committee involvement has added his name to the ballot for Oct. 25 municipal election in Mono.

Bob Mitchell says one of his priorities, if elected, will be to establish more open communication between council and the public, as well as with the provincial government.

He says residents should have better access, via the town’s website, to minutes and agendas of council and committee meetings. As for Queen’s Park, he feels the government should be made aware that some of its environmental policies – notably the Greenbelt Plan – may have honourable intent but can be a burden to local landowners.

“The Greenbelt is becoming a very contentious issue,” Mr. Mitchell said in an interview. “The concept is good, (as) it prevents urban sprawl and maintains agricultural land. But it is certainly no consolation for local landowners, whose land has been frozen in terms to how it can be used.

He says the relationship between town and province “doesn’t have to be adversarial, but we need to build better communications.”

Mr. Mitchell also weighed in on the current issue of extraction versus recreational use at the town-owned gravel pit. “I would want to see a good solid study of the dollars at work, what the savings really are.”

He added that, unless the town is realizing significant savings from operating its own pit, the gravel it uses should be procured elsewhere.

Mr. Mitchell said he sees the town’s landfill as another important issue and has come to the conclusion that the town should continue to use its own landfill rather than shipping its waste elsewhere. “There’s a good reason to be in the landfill business,” he said, “but I’m not convinced we should be in the aggregate business.”

His record of public service in Mono began when he retired and moved to the area in 2005.

He has been involved in the Island Lake Management Committee and sat as a member of the Mono Sustainability Advisory Committee (MSAC).

Mr. Mitchell has also worked with the Friends of Island Lake on that organization’s trail building efforts.

Having spent much of his working career in the heavy equipment business, he has three grown children and his partner, Shirley, is a retired teacher who taught at Orangeville District Secondary School.

He said he was encouraged by others to run for a council position and expressed confidence that the current list of candidates is strong.

“It’s a good slate of people. Regardless of who gets in, I think it will be a good council the next time around.”