RCP Windsor 2022 Windsor Election, 2022 YQG ELXN no

Ward 4 Candidate: Matt Marchand

Matt Marchand Matt Marchand

Matt Marchand

Email: matt@votemarchand.com
Website: www.votemarchand.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MattMarchandForWard4/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/marchand4ward4

2022 Windsor Election Rose City Politics Candidate Questionnaire answers:

1. What is your prior political experience?

I spent 12 years in the Mayor’s office as Mayor Mike Hurst’s Policy Assistant, six years as President & CEO of the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce, two years as Chair of the Government Affairs Committee at the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce, Chair of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Special Issues Committee, and ran for Mayor in 2018 (coming in second with 18k+ votes).

2. Why are you running?

I have a lot to offer Ward 4 in terms of experience and leadership, see response to question 1!

For example, much of my platform from when I ran for Mayor in 2018 was implemented by current City council, including hiring an Auditor General, Naloxone for police officers, fixing the Dougall Death Trap, pilot projects for protected bike lanes, and eliminating the underpass to nowhere. And now having ER access downtown for 24/7 care as a complement to the new hospital on County Road 42 has been adopted – and I didn’t even win.

Imagine what I could do if actually elected!

3. What do you do currently for a living?

I am a licensed professional Financial Consultant (RRC) with IG Wealth Management and provide advice to clients. I have four licenses:

  • Exchange Traded Funds or ETFs
  • Mutual Funds
  • Life, Sicknesses and Accident Insurance (LLQP)
  • RRC – Registered Retirement Consultant

4. What is the biggest issue affecting the ward you are running for?

As the campaign rolls on, I’ve been talking to more and more residents at the door and have received great feedback through my Neighbourhood Idea Box on my front lawn, as well as through my website. From this, I’ve released platforms on the top issues affecting Ward 4:

5. What is the biggest issue affecting the city of Windsor?

See response to question 4!

6. Are you seeking any endorsements?

I’ve responded to all the surveys and requests sent in from a cross-section of groups in the community, but I’m most focused on seeking the endorsement of voters in Ward 4 on October 24.

7. Have you received any endorsements?

Will let you know on October 25!

8. Will you continue the “hold the line on taxes” policy?

“Hold the line” means different things to different people. This year, “hold the line” meant a 1.86% tax hike. In 2020 it was 2.1%.

My mayoral campaign platform was 1%. Who “held the line”?

In my 2018 mayoral campaign, I identified areas of unnecessary spending that I thought needed to be reined in (example: $15m underpass to nowhere which was scrapped, hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Grand Prix sponsorship in Detroit with no meaningful cost benefit analysis, concerns about Adventure Bay, street car, excessive spending on sports tourism, etc.) To sum up, keep taxes low and align spending with community priorities and eliminate unnecessary spending.

9. Do you support the mega-hospital location?

I was one of the first to support the new hospital in 2012 when I was President & CEO of the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce and signed a letter in 2015 in support, with the understanding that there would be an urgent care centre at the former Grace Hospital site. In 2018, part of my campaign platform included advocating for 24/7 emergency care downtown.
People in the community worked hard to get the new Windsor/Essex Acute Care Hospital, and I recognize this. This is also an economic development tool for that could create a health sciences hub for the region.

I’m calling for a Community Improvement Plan for the Met hospital site so it doesn’t end up like the Grace site. We need maximum community engagement on what goes on the Met site and we need to ensure all promises on this are kept.

10. Do you support strong mayor legislation?

No.

I have 12 years of experience in the mayor’s office to back that up. The give and take, negotiation, and compromise is how local councils are designed to function. It is difficult work, but it is supposed to be. A strong mayor system would largely eliminate that key democratic function and also limit council oversight.

Rarely in history has concentrating more and more power into one office led to better public policy outcomes. I would like to see the government provide evidence that more concentration of power in one office leads to better outcomes.

11. Should the city use taxpayers dollars to bring jobs to the area?

The issue of incentives has been going on for decades across the globe. Every government at every level does it and every government complains about it. Quick example: Not too long ago, there was North American frenzy over Amazon moving part of its headquarters. Every jurisdiction, despite complaining about incentives, was tripping over themselves to offer huge incentives to land Amazon, including Windsor.

12. If you are running in a ward with an incumbent who is also running, why is change necessary, and why are you the person to deliver it?

No incumbent in Ward 4.

13. How many hours per week do you plan to allocate towards council business if elected?

As many as it takes.

14. Do you live in the ward you are running for?

I do, and I’ve lived on Monmouth Road in Walkerville for 25+ years.

15. What agencies, boards, or committees do/have you served on, and in what capacity?

I currently serve on the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Fundraising Support Committee and have previously served on the Board of Directors of CUSBA (Canada U.S. Business Association), Chair of Special Issues Committee at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Ontario Chamber of Commerce Caucus Committee, ProsperUS, Central Planning Committee for Workforce WindsorEssex, Chair of the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Agriculture Task Force, Member of the Steel Caucus for Ontario Chambers, and was Co-Leader of the Windsor Essex Tech Show (a partnership with WEtech Alliance).

16. What person, animal or fictional character should be Windsor’s unofficial mascot?

Still thinking on that one…