Deputy mayor candidate Dan Sample is a man ‘of the people, for the people’

September 20, 2018 · 0 Comments

Written By PETER RICHARDSON

The flyer says ‘Vote Dan Sample for Deputy Mayor’, but who is Dan Sample and why should you choose him?

Dan is a six year resident of Shelburne, but he has spent almost his entire adult life in Dufferin County. He and his wife Cherie have been together for 22 years, they have two boys, Spencer, 13 and Bryson who is 11 and they are deeply involved in their community and 110 percent behind Dan and his run for Deputy Mayor.

Dan grew up in Orangeville, and in 1988 he started working for Honda Canada in Alliston, when he recently retired, after 30 years. He was the Senior Production Co-ordinator, leading the projects that standardized Honda plants throughout North America. There, he learned skills he has brought to Shelburne Council over the past four years.

Dan is a hard worker, community oriented and is a fact based decision maker, looking at all the details before formulating a position on anything. Currently, Dan is involved in most of Shelburne’s major events, festivals and organizations, including the CDRC, Shelbrrr Fest, Home Town Heroes, the Kinsmen Club, Soccer, Baseball, Boy Scouts and many, other activities.

So where is Dan on the issues facing Shelburne in the next four years? Concerning the ongoing debate over the Shelburne Police Services and moving over to an OPP force, Dan is cautious.

He supports the local force and wants to see it remain, but he is practical. Once all of the T’s, are crossed and the I’s, dotted, Dan feels that Council must ultimately do what is best for the taxpayers of the Town and if that indicates a switch to a new force, then he would support the vote. Ultimately, it is about and for the people and their financial debt load, as well as their safety.

Mr. Sample believes that the next four years will be critical to the next council. They will have to deal with several major infrastructure expenses and decisions, as to how best deal with them. As the fastest growing small town in Ontario, Shelburne is faced with the needs of that growth, versus the costs of supporting it. Fire, Police, Services and Roads are all going to be faced with problems and they will all need to be dealt with and they are all going to be costly.

Upgrades will be required to the sewer and water services in town and heavy traffic, especially heavy trucks are already an issue facing Council. Dealing with these issues will be costly and Council will have to make hard choices in funding them.

Dan sees this as the greatest challenge to Council and the Town and he feels that his experience over the last four years and his deep community involvement puts him in a strong position to guide and contribute to sound economic and community solutions. Always, the issues have to be taken to the public and their voices heard!

Dan sees Shelburne’s future as tied to it’s past. He settled here to provide a safe and enjoyable home for his family, in a small town friendly atmosphere, accepting of everyone and openly encouraging and warm. To that end, he wants to balance new growth with maintaining, the small town atmosphere of the downtown core. He sees the engagement of the whole town as the key to this end. He welcomes all the new arrivals in town and sees their differences and cultures as a vibrant addition to be welcomed , encouraged and included in town events and festivals. It is the people who make a town what it is, through their support and involvement.

Attracting residents to Shelburne has to include employment opportunities for the residents. Encouraging companies to locate here is a big Council priority. Dan sees the newly proposed Cannabis plant as potentially an excellent, new edition to Shelburne. It brings a huge investment, major development charges, to the town coffers and as many as fifty new jobs. However, Dan feels that all the facts are not yet presented and many questions still remain to be answered . Although it looks fantastic at first glance, due diligence must be preformed to insure that it is a good fit for the growing community.

Dan sees himself as a man for the people and a hard worker behind the scenes to further Shelburne’s development and prosperity. He feels that his voice at the County Council level will strengthen Shelburne’s position in Dufferin and benefit it’s infrastructure requirements going forward. He also noted that as a retiree, his time is his own and he is and will be more available to the Town and to residents. With his many community involvements he knows what is going on in Shelburne, he has the ear of the street and can and will take issues to Council that are presented to him. He doesn’t just listen he’s also takes what he hears back to Council!

Dan’s message to the residents of Shelburne is a simple one, VOTE. Get out and support your community, regardless of your chosen candidates. His efforts are there for all to see, he is well known, but the main issue is to vote and to think hard about the quality of your choices. Council is there to serve the residents, choose wisely!