It is stiff competition for the mayor’s seat at Tom Davies Square. Jeff Huska, an employee of Health Sciences North, will square off against 10 other candidates, including incumbent Brian Bigger; Dan Melanson, who ran unsuccessfully in 2014; Cody Cacciotti of the railroad museum in Capreol; former journalist and NEO Kids president Patricia Mills; former NHLer Troy Crowder, who ran provincially in Sudbury for the Conservatives; Bill Crumplin, a professor at Laurentian University and former Green Party candidate for Nickel Belt; Ron Leclair; Rodney Newton; David Popescu; and entertainer Bill Sanders. The municipal election takes place Oct. 22.

Why are you running for mayor?

I moved back home to Greater Sudbury with my wife, Mary (a Laurentian University graduate originally from St. Catharines) in 1991 because we felt Sudbury had much to offer a young couple wanting to start a family. We both work for the hospital and have been serving the public in various ways since our arrival.

Always wanting to give back to the community and unhappy with the direction our city was heading, I put my name in for the 2014 mayoral race. A relative unknown to many, I was humbled that almost 3,000 citizens trusted me with the future of their city.

Results of the election gave way to a sweeping change at Tom Davies Square with many new councillors and a new mayor at the helm. I felt it was only fair to give them a chance to bring about the positive change this city needs by fostering economic growth and developing Greater Sudbury to be the epicentre of the north. Well, the change that I and many others were looking for hasn’t happened. It’s time we let people know that this is a great city to live in and not just a city where great people come from.

What unique qualities can you bring to council chambers?

I believe in a practical approach to governing. I believe far too many decisions become overly complicated when there isn’t any reason for it. I feel I have the communication and leadership skills that can give this council the direction it needs to move this city forward. I’m not afraid to ask questions or speak up when things don’t seem right. I promote transparency with processes and ethics in decision-making, especially when it comes to spending tax dollars. I’m passionate about this city and what it has to offer. As any health-care worker will tell you it’s impossible for us to do our jobs and resolve issues if we don’t listen. I’ve been listening to and dealing with the public for 32 years.

What do you think your role would be as mayor? How do you plan to represent the city?

I’m committed to the city and I feel it’s the mayor’s role and their responsibility to make sure they meet regularly and listen to their constituents so everyone understands what is happening in the community. As much as I see the mayor as the leader, they must also at times be that lobbyist between councillors ensuring everyone sees that what is important to one ward will inevitably benefit the entire city. The mayor must guarantee that administrative policies, practices and procedures are being followed. Also, that there is accountability and transparency regarding the ongoing operations of the city, and with the decisions that council make.

What is an acceptable tax increase? How will you achieve that?

I would work towards keeping taxes no higher than the rate of inflation. Unfortunately, we have more than $300 million penned for large projects and there won’t be an easy solution to decreasing the tax burden; there never is.

One of the ways to alleviate the tax pain is to increase tax revenues by increasing our tax base. This happens with new development, which in turn creates new employment opportunities. But if you ask the local contractors and developers growth in Greater Sudbury is simply not happening at a rate that’s acceptable. Development charges and an overwhelming amount of red tape at Tom Davies Square impedes the much-needed economic progress. It’s time to eliminate that red tape and foster growth.

What is your position on the Kingsway Entertainment District?

I will continue to advocate for a new downtown arena. Prior to the vote in June 2017, council didn’t request a study on the economic ramifications of removing the arena from its downtown home since 1951; they should have. Also, we continually hear about urban sprawl, the overwhelming geographic size of our city and the many roads in our municipal borders.

I believe we need to capitalize on the opportunity to prevent this sprawl and work within the confines of Greater Sudbury’s existing infrastructure. We as taxpayers need to understand that the $100 million price tag is just the beginning. There are added costs of building and maintaining new roads on the property, bringing the required utilities to the site, redeveloped and newly added transit routes and many more additional expenses.

Regarding the casino, I do not see it as an economic driver for the city, especially when everyone around us will have a casino to call their own. The majority of people that will visit the casino will fall within the boundaries of our city. I want to see those millions of dollars stay and be invested here locally rather than leave Greater Sudbury and go to the province. We need to realize that with the casino, once that money leaves, it isn’t coming back.

Which city issues are top of mind for you?

Our roads, our roads and our roads. Greater Sudbury roads and their poor condition is inexcusable, especially for the amount of money we’ve been told has been spent on them. I believe that residents wouldn’t mind more money being spent on our roads if they actually saw them last more than a few years. Across the US there are many symposiums that deal with asphalt technology and they discuss solutions to the very problems we continually face here in Greater Sudbury. It’s time the city looked past the Marshal Mix standard (developed in 1939) we use on our roads and take advantage of the technology that is out there like Super Pave.

Can you talk a little about your background and expertise?

I grew up in the Robinson subdivision and after graduating from Cambrian College I went on to biomedical engineering technology at Fanshawe College in London. I began working in dialysis at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto in 1986 and then moved back to Sudbury with my wife in 1991.

I continued working in dialysis at Laurentian Hospital (as it was known) where I was fortunate to sit on a national committee with the Canadian Standards Association developing the standard used today for home dialysis. I now work in the biomedical engineering department at HSN.

I was a board member at United Way for many years and sat on numerous committees for them.

Presently I’m a board of director for Public Health Sudbury and Districts, as well as chair of their executive committee.

I sit on the watershed advisory panel for the City of Greater Sudbury, as well as the market advisory panel, which I co-chair.

I currently sit on the strategic plan steering committee for HSN.

How do you like to spend your downtime?

I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I enjoy playing hockey all year long and playing golf in the summer months. Sports, I find, teaches children many of life’s lessons and I was fortunate to have some amazing coaches growing up.

In recognizing the impact those coaches had on me, I thought that giving back to my community was important and spent many years coaching hockey in the Sudbury Playground Hockey League, even long after my kids stopped playing. It afforded me the opportunity to meet and spend time with some fantastic kids that I’m lucky enough to still run into today.

Exploring Canada has always been a priority for me and I can say that all I have left to see are the Territories and PEI.

Tell us about someone who has inspired you in your life.

That one is easy. It comes down to six people: my wife, my children and my parents. Mary, for her commitment to our family and to her work as a bioethicist at the hospital. For those unfamiliar with her title my wife deals with issues pertaining to medical ethics, whether it be in a clinical, research or organizational setting. With both of us as hospital employees, it’s fair to say that ethics plays a large role in our lives.

Then there are our children — who are actually young adults now — Jonathan, Patrick and Elizabeth. They give me the drive to continually move forward in life. Like any parent, I am very proud of them and they are the reason why I get involved within the community and try to contribute in some way to make positive change.

Finally, as cliché as it sounds to many, my parents. My father Tony (who I miss dearly, passed 20 years ago) and my mother Anita are by far the best role models I could ever have. They taught me the meaning of respect, appreciation, compassion and dignity.

What are you reading right now?

My two favorite authors of all time are Robert Ludlum and Tom Clancy. Having said that I also like autobiographies such as the one I’m hoping to start, Playing with Fire, by Theo Fleury.

sud.editorial@sunmedia.ca