Monday, April 19, 2010 FOR IMMMEDIATE RELEASE
Greg Locke to run for King Township Council
Positive Leadership for Ward 4
SCHOMBERG, ON – Schomberg artist, preservation activist and community volunteer Greg Locke today announces his campaign to run for King Township Council – Ward 4 (Lloydtown, Pottageville, Schomberg).
Greg speaks of his desire to represent Ward 4:
“I want to work for the betterment of King Township. This morning I formally registered to run in Ward 4.
The next decade is critical to how King will look, feel and function.
I’m passionate about our unique and distinctive communities and lifestyle.
I see both opportunities and challenges in maintaining and enhancing these in the coming years.
The GTA is growing significantly, and we face pressures from various sources to follow suit.
I have a lot to bring to this challenge – experience, dedication, and vision for Ward 4 and King.”
Asked what challenges he sees, Greg states:
“King is under increasing financial pressure:
Long term capital projects are being committed to with a high reliance on debt issuance, for which King has been denied an increase in its statutory limit.
Valuable Township assets, including the old Schomberg arena, are planned for liquidation. Before such drastic acts, I believe Council should carefully consider re-purposing such facilities, to the benefit of our communities.
Taxpayers have not been given the full story here.
On top of this, the planning tools we have used for decades to guide growth are dull and not ideally suited to the challenges facing us.
We need to raise the bar for new residential & commercial development.
For these reasons and more, I fear for King because we need committed, qualified and unified leadership to address these weaknesses, minimize threats to our communities and lifestyle, and maximize our inherent strengths.
I truly hope for King because with positive leadership we can realize opportunities to increase our quality of life in sustainable, environmentally and fiscally responsible ways.”
What do you mean by, “Positive Leadership”?
“It’s three things to me that form my approach to working with Council:
Represent a positive, strong, informed voice for Ward 4.
Contribute positively to the unity, quality and commitment of Council.
Promote a positive longer-term vision for Ward 4 and King that balances responsible economic growth & fiscal prudence with preservation and sustainable growth of King’s natural, heritage and artistic assets.
In my opinion, this is the kind of leadership required right NOW – positive and active.
I know I can make a positive difference here.”
Where can people learn more about your approach to leadership and campaign platform?
“First, I’ll be visiting every household in Ward 4 in the coming days and weeks – I want input and ideas. If I miss anyone knocking on their door, please telephone or email me, and I’ll be happy to come by again.
Second, I’ve created an interactive blog website to help me do this at www.greglocke.ca I describe my background and community interests in detail, plus my key platform elements.
Most importantly, I want to alert voters to my comment feature: I want VOTERS to tell ME what they want out of their next municipal representative in King.
I’d like to know whether what I have to say and stand for, means something to them – and if not – what I should do differently.
Whether it’s about the planned sale of the “old” Schomberg arena, future intensification in their village, King’s growing debt commitments, preserving natural and heritage features in King, bylaw enforcement, a plan for sustainable economic development, Main Street revitalization in Schomberg, the Holland Marsh peaker plant, the gas pipeline to fuel it from Pottageville, stimulating the arts in King, and much more – I talk about it. But WE need to talk about these important issues and ideas – NOW – so it can shape YOUR next Council.
Please use the comment feature. They’ll see other engaged King and Ward 4 residents commenting too – they’ll even be debating ideas with each other.
It’s time for ideas and debate about the next 10 years in King, and I have the ability to help facilitate that. I offer this because we need fresh ideas AND because I believe in full transparency between your Council and Council members - a higher standard I want participate in.”
Having moved to Schomberg from Toronto 4 years ago, Greg is a long-time GTA citizen. He was born and raised in Scarborough and he has called Markham and Toronto home in the past. He studied economics at York University and received a Master of Business Administration degree in 1989. His career experience crosses 20 years, including energy conservation programming with Ontario Hydro; global communications with AT&T Canada; industrial products with Siemens Canada; consumer product development with Coinamatic Canada; and online communications with Bell Canada.
Greg is active in the King community: He owns and operates Gotham Glassworks custom fused and stained art glass studio, in a restored heritage barn on his Schomberg property. He serves on the boards of Arts Society King (co-founder and Chair of ASK’s annual Schomberg Village Street Gallery in September) and York Region Arts Council as King Township’s representative and Grants Committee Chair. Greg also serves and assists various other community groups in King including the Schomberg Village Association, Concerned Citizens for King Township, the Dufferin Marsh Committee, the Schomberg Horticultural Society, King Blooms and Kettleby Fair.
- 30 -
