Beaconsfield Mayoral Candidates Election 2013 Mel Lefebvre Special contributor James Bonnell A resident of Beaconsfield for seven years, James Bonnell is the director of sales and manufacturing for an overseas company, with an expertise in leadership and organizational change. Bonnell is an engaged citizen who is ready to tackle what he sees as some major stresses for Beaconsfield. “My passion is looking at ways of getting people engaged. Many feel they’re just tax payers,” says Bonnell. At the core of his bid for mayor is a desire to re-brand Beaconsfield as a waterfront town, with more walking and cycling paths, more open communication between residents, and the creation of a centralized intellectual hub for lawyers, architects and accountants, so that Beaconsfield is known as a place where people think. Bonnell would also increase police presence in the town, address poor use of green space, reduce waste and redundancy, and resolve the issues surrounding Angell Woods. Georges Bourelle A retired CEO in the electrical industry, Georges Bourelle brings business and management experience to his bid for mayor of Beaconsfield, where he has lived for 26 years. Bourelle says it is vital that municipalities be managed with business skills and expertise in order to give taxpayers the best value for their tax dollars. Projects he intends to explore within this scope include replacing aging infrastructure and seeking revenue growth opportunities for the city. Bourelle intends to increase community participation in local politics by implementing a townhall approach to address residents’ issues and concerns. From there, Bourelle intends to create resident committees to come up with recommended solutions on issues brought to council. Hela Labene An accountant, lawyer, and politically active resident, Hela Labene has lived in Beaconsfi eld for 25 years and loves calling the city her home. Labene volunteers for the 690 Lakeshore Squadron, the Air Cadets, and was treasurer of the Beaconsfi eld Citizen’s Association for three years. Labene is a returning mayoral candidate, having fi rst run for the position in the last election four years ago. She feels she is right for the job because is a peopleperson. “I listen to people. If they give me their voice, I will fi ght for them,” she says. If elected, Labene intends to address ineffi ciencies and secrecy in Beaconsfi eld council and staff . A big issue, she fi nds, is the closed-door decision-making process for urban development. Labene intends to build Beaconsfi eld’s economy by lowering debt and municipal taxes, and hiring local residents instead of outsourcing jobs to other municipalities. Advocating for green spaces and resolving the issues surrounding Angell Woods is also high on Labene’s list of priorities. Rhonda Massad A city councillor for Beaconsfield for four years, Rhonda Massad, a resident of Beaconsfield for 20 years, brings experience and business expertise to her candidacy for mayor of Beaconsfield. If elected, Massad intends to increase council transparency, hold quarterly town hall meetings, establish a citizen’s advisory committee, perform a full-review of the city’s bidding process for contracts, and have council do a full review of Beaconsfield’s urban planning department. Massad also wants to review the city’s emergency plan, develop additional services for families, youth and seniors, and come to a conclusion regarding the issues surrounding Angell Woods. Better serving her community is at the core of her motivation for entering the race for mayor. “I have been answering people’s concerns for years. I believe issues are brought to acid levels simply because they are not addressed. I will continue to make the citizens a priority - that’s how to make this work well,” says Massad.
Posted on: Fri, 23 Aug 2013 23:18:49 +0000
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