Two-way race for Dryden mayor's office

After being acclaimed in the 2006 municipal election, Dryden Mayor Anne Krassilowsky is facing a challenge this time round from an old council veteran.
Craig Nuttall says he’s running at age 73 because he’s concerned that municipal spending during Krassilowsky’s two terms has been out of control.
“We have too much debt, and we can’t keep spending as if it’s a bottomless pit,” said Nuttall, a former business lobbyist and restaurant owner who was a councillor in the early and late 1980s.
Krassilowsky, a 66-year-old former realtor, said the city is carrying about $6 million in long-term debt — an amount, she says, that is manageable and well within the city’s means.
“We don’t want to close our doors to development,” she warned.
The city’s debt-load is soon to increase by an additional $10 million to pay for its share of a new $30-million sewage treatment plant that’s to come on line in December 2011.
In addition, Dryden Telephone last month decided to spend $12 million in system upgrades.
Though that amount doesn’t directly impact the tax levy, it’s expected eventually to hike the cost of telephone bills.
In light of the hefty expenditures, Nuttall says it’s time for city council re-think some of the city’s operations — including finding out how much it would cost to contract out policing to the Ontario Provincial Police.
Krassilowsky says she’s against that move because the experience in other Northwestern Ontario towns has shown that it doesn’t reduce policing costs.
“It’s also an issue that ends up dividing your community,” she said.
Earlier this year, many ratepayers were incredulous when the city paid its police chief, Shayne MacKinnon, $196,000 in 2009, according to the province’s list of public servants who earn more than $100,000 per year.
Krassilowsky said the figure was inflated because it included back pay as a result of new contract negotiations.
According to provincial figures, MacKinnon was paid $115,384 in 2008.
The rest of the candidates in the Dryden election are as follows (*denotes incumbent):
Council (six to be elected) — Gary Case*, Brian Collins*, Joe Delaney, Mel Fisher*, Richard Jonasson, Martin MacKinnon, Ken Moss, Adam Riley, Krag Schmidt, Mary Trist, Mike Wood*.
Keewatin Patricia District School Board (one to be elected) — Ed Arnold*, David Wilkinson; Northwest Catholic District Board (two to be elected) — Kathy Bryck, Robert vanOort*; Trustee, A Le Conseil scolaire de district catholique des Aurores Boreales (one to be elected) — Lorraine Marston.