Editor's note: BarrieToday is running profile stories on candidates for city council in each of the city's 10 wards. For more election coverage, visit our 2022 municipal election page by clicking here, where you can also find mayoral profiles and other election news.
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Dieter Mueller says he's 100 per cent committed to being the next representative for Ward 4 on Barrie city council.
Mueller, who has lived in his northwest Barrie neighbourhood for 42 years, told BarrieToday that as a retiree, he would have nothing taking his attention away from his role as a city councillor.
The 73-year-old says the ward had not been properly represented by the current councillor, who had been appointed deputy-mayor four years ago at the start of the term. Mueller says he believes this took attention away from his job representing the north-Barrie ward.
“I felt that I could bring to the position… maturity, experience and dedication," he said.
Going into October's municipal election, Mueller says his motto is ‘Your Voice Matters’, which he noted means that it’s not his opinion that matters, but rather that of the residents he would represent.
“They are going to be the ones that vote for me and what the residents are telling me is that a number of things need to be dealt with here," he said.
One of those issues is to fix up the city’s aging roads, Mueller says.
“We have roads in our area that are over 50 years old and they’ve never been repaved, and they want these roads paved," he said.
Placing a moratorium on the use of spent winter sand, which he claims is polluting the environment and potentially impacting the health of residents, is something else Mueller says he’d look at addressing if elected Oct. 24.
“They would also like to see more trees planted and, this is a strange one, but every spring the neighbours complain about how the sidewalk plows have damaged the grass beside the sidewalk. The reason why is because the blade on the plow is wider than the sidewalk. I am thinking perhaps (the city) operations (department) could do something about that,” he said.
“I also find in talking to residents that people don’t like speed bumps and they don’t like seeing all the beggars at the corners on Bayfield Street. I am in favour of voicing those opinions in council and hoping we can do something about these issues," Mueller added.
Mueller also says the “fluff” needs to be removed from the city’s budget in order to concentrate more on the “essentials." He says his listening skills and desire to work with people will benefit him — and the constituents — if elected.
“I like to make sure others are on board with major programs and work with them,” he said. “For me, it will be a 100 per cent job. I will have no other and I don’t think anyone else can bring that to the table. I will be there for the residents basically 24/7.”
Mueller's opponents in the Ward 4 election are Donald McLaurin, Tim Abel, Ajmal Noushahi, Amy Courser, and Robert Newman. The incumbent councillor, Barry Ward, is running for the mayor's seat.
Nominations close Friday, Aug. 19 at 2 p.m. for the city election, which will elect the next mayor, 10 city councillors and school board trustees.
For more information, visit barrie.ca.
