A bit about Christina
Christina describes the decision to move to New Minas as the best choice her family has ever made. In her words, “When we arrived, I knew about the natural environment and the amenities that brought us here in the first place. What has really been life changing are the people. The biggest strength we have as a community are the welcoming, hard-working, honest folks who live here. I am passionate about finding ways to give back and one of the ways I can do that is by ensuring people have representation that lives in the district, shows up to meetings, and is willing to put the community ahead of their own interests.”
Professionally, Christina has more than two decades of experience as an on-air radio personality in both the US and Canada. She also has experience running her own business, providing voiceover work from her home studio.
Since moving to New Minas in 2021, Christina has immersed herself in the volunteer sector. Currently, she is Vice-Chair of the Kings County Family Resource Centre (KCFRC) Board of Directors and a member of the KCFRC Policy Advisory Committee. She also gives time and energy to the New Minas Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary, the EMS PTA, the NMES School Advisory Committee, and the Annapolis Valley Frugal Moms. She is also taking First Aid and Mental Health Support training through the Orchard Valley United Church, so she can take part in their homeless outreach program.
Christina’s husband is a proud New Minas volunteer firefighter and a coach with the Valley Minor Football Association - Go Bulldogs! If you would like to know more about either organization, send us a note and Coach Tim will get back to you to get you pointed in the right direction.
​
Together, they have three wonderful kids. Their son is an 8th grade student at Evangeline Middle School and their twin daughters are second graders that love knocking on doors and campaigning with Mom. You can expect an enthusiastic hello when they stop by to visit!
My platform
Growth and Housing – just like the rest of the province, New Minas and Greenwich will continue to grow. As a county, we can take immediate and concrete steps to facilitate housing development and increase the supply of good, well-built homes available for purchase or rent. While 2024-2027 MOK Economic Development Strategy is a good start; I have spoken to enough developers and seen enough stalled development in our district to realise that there is still work to be done. The Municipality must be a facilitator for development, not a gatekeeper.
​
To be clear, I am not saying that we start building willy-nilly. We can continue to review and make practical changes to our zoning, permit issuing, inspection, and deed transfer processes that will continue to ensure safe and secure buildings, while protecting our environment, maintaining the character of our neighbourhoods, and preserving agricultural land. We can revise zoning laws to allow granny suites that would quickly expand the supply of afffordable housing units.
​
Furthermore, I commit to you that I will be a tireless advocate, seeking out federal and provincial officials to ensure that we get proper funding for infrastructure expansion to serve new growth.
​
Critical Infrastructure – In many parts of the county, our critical infrastructure (water and sewer) is rapidly approaching the end of its life cycle. If we want to avoid some of the pitfalls we have seen in other jurisdictions, especially when considering growth and climate change, we must ensure we are properly maintaining, upgrading, and replacing our aging infrastructure. The work begun in 2021-2024 MOK Strategic Plan must be reviewed and revised. In addition to a three year plan, it is imperative that we undertake a longer term strategic plan for critical infrastructure, that includes options and provisions for future expansion. Renwal and replacement is a two-headed beast. Now, more than ever, we need a thorough and detailed review of municipally operated and planned utilities to ensure that our existing plans are sufficient and properly funded.
​
Even if we do our part to properly support infrastructure maintenance and renewal, we must also engage our provincial and federal partners to make sure that we have access to programs, grants, and support for these critical services.
​
Responsible Spending – A key role of Council is stewardship of our tax dollars. With so many people in our community struggling to make ends meet, and a budget of over $100M, our Council must take the necessary steps to ensure that we are (1) spending wisely and (2) easing the tax burden on our most vulnerable. Several years of steady inflation and lack of affordable housing options have pushed too many of us to the brink. A slight bump to the property tax relief program isn’t going to cut it.
​
To that end, I call on our incoming Council to initiate a full review of County programs and services. We must ensure they are useful, living up to expectations, and aren’t costing an arm and a leg. No stone should go unturned. With savings found through efficiency and sunsetting inefficient and ineffective programs, Council will have the freedom to consider increasing and expanding programs that pass muster, fund new initiatives, or reduce tax rates,
On the other side of the coin, if elected, I will make it a priority that Council considers a broad range of changes to the current taxation model and identifies new sources of revenue. If we can diversify our revenue and use the additional money to reduce property taxes, we should.
We need to have a mature, open, and frank discussion about how to manage the public purse and do so with all options on the table.​
Contact
I would love to hear from you. If you have a question, concern, or would even like to volunteer - don't hesitate to reach out to me.
782-232-4778