Candidate name: Brian Darling
Occupation: Retired Firefighter
Position on council: Councillor
Contact information:
Phone: 905-372-8981
Email: briandarlingcobourg@gmail.com
Social Media: N/A
Campaign Website: To be determined.
Biography:
About Brian:
I was born and raised in Cobourg and completed my schooling here before heading out into the working world. I became a licensed carpenter and worked doing home renovations before moving into heavy construction where I gained an in depth knowledge of watermain, sanitary sewer and storm sewer installations and road construction. That phase of my life has become an important asset as Co-ordinator of Public Works. Later on, while employed by the Ontario Development Corporation as a maintenance carpenter I became a volunteer firefighter. After seven years I was hired as a fulltime firefighter retiring at the rank of Captain in 2012. In 2014 I was elected to Cobourg Council and led the polls with 4739 votes. I then was re-elected to Council in 2018. I have sat as the Co-ordinator of Planning and Development, Co-ordinator of Parks and Recreation,
Co-ordinator of Public Works, a member of the Audit Committee, Heritage Committee, Planning and Development Advisory Committee, Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee, Transportation Advisory Committee, Memorial Arena Ad Hoc Committee and as a Board member for the Ganaraska River Conservation Authority. I also currently sit as a Council liaison on the Lakefront Utilities Water Committee.
I have been married to my wife Lillian for forty-five years. We have two daughters and 4 grandchildren. I have resided in the area my entire life. In one of my current roles as a grandfather I realized what an effect you can have on your grandchildren’s future. My grandfather was a member of Cobourg Council in the 1960’s. Way back then he planted the seed that maybe someday I would follow in his footsteps.
Volunteer experience: I have coached youth softball and hockey. I was a Big Brother for eleven years and was nominated Big Brother of the Year. In recent years I have volunteered for the World Junior “A” Challenge and the RBC Cup which were both held at the Cobourg Community Centre. Flipped pancakes at the Chamber of Commerce pancake breakfast on the Canada Day weekend. My wife and I along with many other citizens spent countless hours volunteering at the COVID 19 vaccination clinics.
Identify one hobby or guilty pleasure you do that is not related to your profession or politics:
I enjoy staying active! I play golf, cycle and go for long walks with my wife. Believe it or not I actually enjoy cutting the grass and gardening too!
Please answer each question clearly and concisely in no more than 500 words.
1. Why are you running for council?
Honestly, I truly love this Town of ours! I have no ulterior motive. I just truly care, and after nearly 40 years of serving the community I would like to continue doing just that! I believe the contributions I have made whether it be the services I provided as a firefighter or the previous decisions at Council, they have all contributed to make Cobourg a great place to live.
2. What is the single, primary reason you are running?
The main reason I am running again is so I can continue to assist Council and work as part of a team in making decisions that enhance the quality of life in Cobourg.
3. What will you do to address this issue?
I will work with Council and staff to move our Asset Management Plan forward. The Asset Management Plan is a very important tool which will provide staff, this Council and future Councils a road map for maintaining our infrastructure and buildings throughout the town. Along with the Asset Management Plan we have to create a Financial Plan and integrate both plans with Council’s future budgets.
4. Identify one success of the previous council?
In my opinion one major success of Council was the implementation of a new parking bylaw. I do understand, not everyone was happy about the changes. Let’s look at the big picture. Council and staff were receiving numerous complaints regarding the number of visitors to our beach and how little they spent in town. The amount of refuse that was left behind and the cost to the taxpayer to have it picked up. The list of complaints goes on. Secondly, several of our downtown parking lots are not owned by the Town, they are rented from the owners. There is a very real possibility that in the near future one or more of the rented lots may be developed by the owners. The loss of parking in the downtown will be detrimental. The increase in parking revenue is to be allotted to a parking reserve fund. The parking reserve fund will lessen the cost of implementing future parking assets in the community.
5. Identify one criticism of the previous council?
Again, in my opinion. I think the sheer length of the Council meetings was a disservice to the public. It is very difficult to engage the public and keep them engaged when meetings run on for 3-4 hours or sometimes longer.
6. How will you address the one issue you identified from the previous council?
I enjoyed my role as Co-ordinator of Public Works. Working with staff on a regular basis and having our Co-ordinator meetings kept me very informed with all the issues in Public Works. I am sure this statement would resonate with the Co-ordinators in the other portfolios. One of the drawbacks to the Co-ordinator role is you tend to spend a lot of time in your portfolio without reaching out to the other Co-ordinators and discussing some of their issues before going to Council. Therefore some of the discussion that could have taken place prior to Council becomes a discussion on the Council floor, leading to lengthy meetings. Personally, I will make a more conscious effort to reach out to my fellow Councillors and clear up some of my questions or concerns before our meetings. I will also request that the next Council look into Standing Committees as a possible solution to better communication.
7. Why should voters select you over others?
This is always a tough question. It is sometimes difficult to pat yourself on the back. I trust my past service to the community, being eight years on Council and over 30 years on the Fire Department would speak for itself. I consider myself a competent person who cares very much about our town and its citizens. I’m sure I could go on patting myself on the back but that is not who I am.
To the voters, you should select me over the others because you want to put “Common Sense” back into Council Chambers!
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