Jodie Wilson admits she won’t be a typical politician if elected as a city councillor in Ward 3.
“I’ll be a proponent for the underdog,” she says, noting she has gained a lot of empathy during life’s journey. “I’ve had to go to a food bank in my life … that teaches you about empathy and gives you a desire to help others.”
Growing up in the riding in which Stephen Lewis rose to fame also inspired that sense of community, she said of the Scarborough politician famous for his social conscience. “He inspired in me a love of politics and the potential good you can do by being involved in the community.”
That appetite was whetted when she moved to Orillia in the mid 1980s and answered an ad from the municipality. John Palmer had just been elected mayor and he and city council decided to hire an administrator who could also serve as a liaison between council and the community.
“Working for the mayor and council was a great job that I loved,” said Wilson. Her new employers seemed to love her as well. After Palmer died unexpectedly, he was replaced by Clayt French, who went on to serve three terms as mayor; Wilson did the job throughout his tenure.
She believes that experience will help her “hit the ground running” as a city councillor. “It gave me a strong understanding of how bureaucracy works, the role of staff, the process … I think it’s an asset I bring to the community.”
That community, she said, seems opposed to a potential sale of the Orillia Power Distribution Corporation to Hydro One. Of the hundreds of voters she’s met on the campaign trail, only three have voiced support of the idea.
Wilson says she’s also opposed to the sale. She concedes “we need the tax base (and) we need those high-paying jobs. But at what cost?” She said there are too many unknowns “because so much happened behind closed doors.”
Similarly, she said people are unhappy with council’s decision to buy the Metro plaza as part of its waterfront redevelopment.
“I don’t believe the city should be in the landlord business,” said Wilson, 62, calling the purchase “frivolous.” Council, she stressed, needs to get “back to grass roots stuff: roads, snow removal, transit ... those are the things people are talking about.”
As someone who lives downtown and gave up her car, she said it’s not easy relying on city transit. While the service has improved, lots more work is needed, she said, including more shelters.
She is also concerned about the lack of affordable housing and says “rents are not in synch with the wages people are getting.”
With that in mind, she’d like to see the city work harder to create affordable housing – especially for seniors. She is also a proponent of the tiny home movement and would “love to see a little community of tiny house developed” in the city.
She also believes the city can provide more fertile ground for community gardens and when new homes and subdivisions are built, she’d like the city to force builders to incorporate community gardens in their developments.
Wilson said she is determined to help the average taxpayer.
“People disclose what they pay for taxes and they feel they are not getting value because council is spending a lot of money on major ticket items,” said Wilson. “Look around town at the roads. We have neighbourhoods that pay huge amount of taxes that don’t even have sidewalks … Those are the kinds of things I will focus on.”
Editor's Note: OrilliaMatters is profiling all candidates in Orillia's municipal election. They are being published daily, by ward, in alphabetical order. The mayoralty candidates will also be profiled.
