How can we square the protection, survival and expansion of Chelsea’s heritage walking, biking and ski trail network with the legitimate interests and privacy concerns of the community’s private landowners?

Questions for Candidates in the Chelsea Municipal Elections

Why are you running?
What are your first three priorities?
The Meredith Centre Project was a painfully divisive issue for Chelsea residents. A referendum narrowly approved the project, based in part on the following promises;
• The project proponents would raise $600,000 in private donations
• The project would be self-supporting and not require municipal funding for annual operations
• The project would not exceed a certain construction budget.
• The project would not require any significant tax increases for Chelsea.

What will be your position on proceeding should any of these conditions prove unattainable?

What is your position on providing publicly-funded sewers and water service for the 5% of Chelsea residents (and a handful of major land developers) who own properties along Old Chelsea Road, while the other 95% of existing Chelsea residents and businesses must provide these services at their own expense?

A powerful and influential class of Chelsea residents have unionized government positions ensuring jobs-for-life, indexed pensions, early retirement and complete financial security. How will you respond to the ‘other’ Chelsea, those of us who do not share these privileges, and are worried about losing our homes because of spiraling tax increases?

Richard Hofer

(resident of Larrimac for 35 years, and former councilor and mayoral candidate)