Saint John election sees 5 in race for mayor

Poverty reduction, population growth and finalizing priority projects are some of the key promises being made by the five candidates for mayor in Saint John.

Shelley Rinehart

Shelley Rinehart is making a run after serving one term as deputy mayor. She says the current council worked well as a team, and she hopes to keep the focus on moving the city forward.

"The role of mayor is all about leadership, it's about bringing a team together to focus on priorities," RineharttoldInformation Morning Saint John.

"We've often heard Saint John doesn't get what it needs because it never can clearly articulate what it wants.I think we did that well this time and I believe we can continue to do that in the future."

Information Morning - Saint John9:55Mayoral candidate: Saint John, Shelley Rinehart

Mayoral candidate: Saint John, Shelley Rinehart

Rinehartsays as mayor, she would focus on bringing more people into the city.

She sees opportunities in the city's information technology and manufacturing communities, as well as the immigration strategies underway through the university, community college and federal refugee program.

"With people come ideas and eventually come investment, and we do need to grow our population, and we need to grow our tax base," said Rinehart.

"I see our potential in a diverse population."

Don Darling

Don Darling, one of the newer faces in the municipal campaign, says he brings business and team-building experience to the table.

Darling, currentlya consultant and small business owner, spent the past 20 years working in the construction industry.

The perception here is that Saint John is hard to do business in.- Don Darling, mayoral candidate

He doesn't bring the same name recognition as some of the other candidates, but says he has been to all areas of the city getting acquainted with voters.

Darling says Saint John needs an aggressive population and immigration growth strategy.

If elected mayor, he would direct his energy towardgrowing the community and the economy.

"The perception here is that Saint John is hard to do business in. We have too many priorities We need a laser focus on economic development. Rather than 30 priorities, we need three," Darling said.

Information Morning - Saint John10:54Mayoral candidate: Saint John, Don Darling

Mayoral candidate: Saint John, Don Darling

"And we need these priorities in a solid business plan and action rather than fight that feedback, we should listen to it and work through it."

That starts by listening to the business community, andcitizens, he said.

Bill Farren

Bill Farren has served three terms as councillor.

He says he can offer the next council 12 years of experience without the baggage of a political team backing him in this election.

You don't build legacy temples when you can't afford it, it's ridiculous.- Bill Farren, mayoral candidate

"Fredericton has to be worked with, Ottawa has to be worked with and if I belonged to the wrong party in power, I'm not going to get the door open, let alone get anything," said Farren.

"The political parties supporting other candidates, that's fine, but we can't afford those type of things We don't have to listen to Fredericton telling the mayor how things should be done because it looks good on their political party, we've had enough of that. I've had enough of that."

Farren says he wants to keep the focus on several unfinishedprojects in the city, such as Rockwood Park, Rainbow Park, the new water treatment system andstreet reconstruction.

Information Morning - Saint John10:28Mayoral candidate: Saint John, Bill Farren

Mayoral candidate: Saint John, Bill Farren

"It's a waste of taxpayers' money if we don't continue. Why start a street halfway down and leave the rest of it in gravel, it just doesn't make sense," saidFarren.

"These are the things we need to do to bring us up to speed, then we start building other things. You don't build legacy temples when you can't afford it, it's ridiculous."

Patty Higgins

Patty Higgins sat on common council from 2008-2012. During that time she was part of a citizen committee for Plan SJ, and it's become part of her election campaign.

"It's so important for costing to run a city to concentrate people and things in one area, and sprawl is extremely costly to an economy," Higgins said.

Information Morning - Saint John10:06Mayoral candidate: Saint John, Patty Higgins

Mayoral candidate: Saint John, Patty Higgins

"And especially an economy that is as off balance as ours is it's an economy that promotes povertization and depopulation instead of people first."

Higgins's platform promises to reduce the residential tax rate and reinstate water fluoridation into Saint John's water system.

"It's good value comparedto dental health bills and other issues the lack of fluoridationbrings," she said.

Howard Yeomans

Retiree Howard Yeomans says he never wanted to be a politician, but that's not how he views the mayor's job.

"I view it as a person who's actually a coordinator, a person whobrings everybody together. I want to go in and review right from the top to the bottom all of the employees and see exactly where we are," said Yeomans.

"Some of the people we never seem to listen to have the simplest and best ideas in order to make changes for the better."

Information Morning - Saint John7:07Mayoral candidate: Saint John, Howard Yeomans

Mayoral candidate: Saint John, Howard Yeomans

A self-proclaimed "average citizen," Yeomans says his background in accounting and sales lines up well with city leadership.

"One of the things we need in the city is someone who is going to sell the city to the world. Because this is a world economy now, we have a lot to offer, we just seem to forget to sell it," he said.

He is short on specifics for growing the city, but says he doesn't want to make promises until he gets a fuller picturefrom city staff.