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voeitler, who has been a member of Waterloo councillor the past 12 years. says "I guess I'm a lousy politician, I don't like campaigning. but I've got a lot of ideas that I think would improve the city." A 7 - 7 Ideas, innovative, unusual, sometimes off-the- wall schemes to make Waterloo a better place to live. That is what Charles Voelker believes is his main Umtrfttution to Waterloo city council. Kitchener-born and raised, the 62-year-old Voellter moved to Waterloo in 1947. Since then he has been active In comma!” affairs serving as a trustee of the former Waterloo Public School Board for 17 years. and so years " a member of the Waterloo Court of Revision. T When it cornea to mynlclpal panties. Voelker saya 'tee had more experience than anyone else on all the committees." Currently Voelker It any of the names on the ballot for the November 8 municipal election are familiar to Waterloo voters. it has to be that of Robert Henry, who has been a city alderman for the past 15 years. With municipal elections less than a month away, Chronicle reporter Melodee Martlnuk begins today the first of a two-part profile on the incumbents on Waterloo city council A retired teacher. Henry says he is running for re-election because he is "proud of the commu- nity and (likes) being part of making it as good a place to live in as anywhere else in the country and possibly North America." The main tasks for the incoming council. Henry, who is chairman of both the city's finance advisory and civic development com- mittees says.~will be to keep a tight rein on city spending. "to maintain a low tax rate with little or no increase if at all possible," and to continue the initiatives begun this year on core revi- talization. 'Wm committed to the core," the 65-year-oid Henry says. "We have the ingredients here for Mary Jane Mewhlnney Jim Ertt Outspoken. upfront. willing to take a stand and speak out for the minority position is how Mary Jane Mewhinney describes her approach to the lots of being a Waterloo alderman. Married, with two children, Mewhlnney is a former nurse who is currently working in sales with a realty firm. And, it is an approach that has served her well because the. 40-year-old Mewhlnney is now finishing up her 10th year " a Waterloo alderman and is seeking her sixth term in of- The issues in this election, says Mewhinney. are economic issues, such " promoting contin- ued economic development and careful use of the Waterloo tax dollar. "At the city level." she “I just feel really. really good about the whole thing," says Erb of his first crack at municipal omee. If there is one thing that Jim Ertt has learned from his first term as a Waterloo alderman it is that he loves municipal politics and wants more of it ... which is why he is running tor re-electlon on November tr. According to Erb. the high point of the past two years on city council has been his work organizing the celebration of Waterloo’s 125th anniversary. And, he says, if re-elected he will work to keep alive "the sense of coinmunity spirit generated with the 125th ... I hope to see that pride continuing with the people." A member of Waterloo’s civic development committee. Erb has been a strong proponent of lllnnovative,ideas t? have been his strength Most familiar face is proud of community A self-employed architectural designer and custom builder, Voelker believes the emphasis in council for the next term must be to"'dtt anything and everything that we can do to increase the city's tax base ... we need a wider tax base and should do anything to get that." is chairman of the legislative and personnel and the civic awards committees and is member of the service station committee, the energy committee and the local architectural conserva- tion advisory committee. He has alsb been a member of the Emergency Measures Organization. the KW Humane Soci- ety and K-W Oktoberfest. 7 Although Voelller Is a supporter of the current council’s plans for uptown revitalization. he says. "far more important" to the future of Waterloo In "to campaign [or Industrial develop- Such mall projects, Henry explains. "would simply involve relocation of presently existing businesses and that isn't a plus for the city ... it destroys a whole way of life and we don't want that to happen? As weii/tie adds, it will be couneil's job for the next three years to "be actively promoting the having a vibrant. people place: good restatr rants, the basis of good shopping, one museum set to open in 1983 and likely a second that will open within the next two to three years. We've got to build on that." "Major new retail outlets should be directed to the core of the city at this point ... I don't think we can let new developers go in outside the core." Because of this, Henry opposes allowing new exclusive shopping malls. such as the project proposed by Waterloo developer Abe Wiebe. to be constructed outside the uptown area. Boils down to civic and economic. growth Wants to keep alive the community spirit "Jobs and development are what is needed with this flat economy,“ Mewhinney stresses. Mewhinney would also like to see council place an even greater emphasis on the co-opera- tion between the city and volunteer groups in providing services. programs and even athletic explains, “we must work to maintain the election of taxes to a minimum and to continue to maintain the level of services offered," to the people. , “It all boils down to civic and economic development." Mewhinney says. "What we can do to promote throughout the community. If we can keep economic development alive with some minimum growth, there is the money for the services to meet the needs of the people." the city's puns for core development and revitalization, a position which he s 3 he will continue to stress if returned to 0:328 . “The initiatives we've taken in core," Erb explains. “are only the beginning. I'd like to get things moving there. We have to keep working in the uptown improving what we've got." Beyond his concern for the uptown, Ertt says the incoming council will have to work "very, very hard on next year's bodget" to keep city spending down and tax Increases to a minimum and must strive "to attract as many industries as possible to Waterloo to widen our tax base. "We have to build around the high-technology base provided by the University of Waterloo ... we have to be supportive of them (UW) and put out a helping hand to get industry to locate in Waterloo."' Also. Voelker would like to see the new council give some thought "to the possibility of greater use of volunteer ftreftghters (because) the cost of providing tire protection is getting out of hand. It can't keep going up forever." On core development, Voelker explains, "you can only spend so much for the merchants, it has got to be a self-help program. The city can give push and direction but the merchants have also not to help themselves.“ ment." And, he believes. of highest priority is to "work with the University ot Waterloo to get its planned research and development park into operation. We should do everything we can in conjunction with the university to develop their land ... get services in and get things moving so industries can get in." city. have industrial land ready and co-operate with potential developers so that when the (economic) turnaround comes, the city is ready to move. _ In addition to his duties on the finance advisory and civic development committees, Henry is a member of the Canada manpower summer job centre committee, the Kitchener- Waterloo joint civic committee and the transit advisory committee. He has also served on regional council for two years and as chairman of the Community Services Board for six years. -- "e As well, Henry is past chairman of the Sunnyside Home Board of Management and past president of both the Waterloo Lions Club and "We've got to keep trying to make it happen." Henry says. "We can't just sit around crying in our beer." Waterloo Minor Hockey. As well, she has been one of Waterloo’s three representatives on regional council for three terms and is now serving as chairman of the region‘s health and social services and chil- dren's services committees. Mewhinney is also Waterloo's member on the Wilfrid Laurier Board of Directors and sits on the Waterloo. Wellington Airport Commission. facilities for Waterloo. "The role of the volunteer in the community. she explains, "mustn't be underestimated. If we can all work together. using volunteer dollars and the tax dollar it can be a very productive effort." In her years on council, Mewhinney has been a member of numerous committees, including the planning and civic development committee and the community services committee. Erb is currently serving as chairman of the city's community services committee, special events coordinator for the 125th anniversary coordinating committee and a member of the finance advisory committee. Erb is also "coun, eii's representative on the K-W Federated Appeal. the Social Planning Council. the Water- loo Public Library and the Wildlife Advisory Board. In addition, Erb is a director of the Waterloo Lions Club and for the past 15 years has been a volunteer with the K-W Big Brother Associa, tion. The 35-yearfold Ertt is at Waterloo hum man, a partner In the Edward R. Good Funeral Home. He and his wife Marianne, as well us their two sons David and Michael, are members of the Erh Street Mennonite Church. Robert Henry f VOOIKOI