Island man sets his sights on council
by Blake Wolfe/The Scugog Standard

Scugog’s first Ward 3 candidate has entered the municipal election race, leaving only two council seats yet to see a nominee.

Mike Kapustin announced his candidacy this week, the first resident to declare for the seat that will be vacated by current Councillor Lynn Philip Hodgson at the end of the term. The veteran councillor announced his impending retirement from municipal politics earlier this spring. No candidates have yet to declare for Wards 4 or 5.

Mr. Kapustin, a former GM employee and first-time political candidate, said that government spending in the township is among the issues he would address as councillor, adding that a more watchful eye on the way money is spent is needed to reduce additional expenditures.

“I don’t know everything but I know the questions to ask,” said Mr. Kapustin, “and a big part of cost is overruns. That’s where the township needs to be more careful and keep costs down.”

Mr. Kapustin also said that spending on the revitalized Port Perry waterfront should have been more balanced with funding for local infrastructure, adding that the current council has at times “leaned too heavy toward tourism.

“I understand the need for a nice downtown to attract tourists,” he said, “but too much money has been spent on the waterfront when some of that could have gone toward roads. You need to keep the town nice for tourists but you also need to keep residents happy.... What happens in Port Perry is not always a big concern to someone who lives in Nestleton or Blackstock or at the north end of Scugog Island.”

Mr. Kapustin was also among the attendees at this past week’s public meeting regarding zoning amendments affecting waterfront property. In addition to concerns regarding the lack of public notification, Mr. Kapustin also called into question why waterfront property owners appear to be bearing the brunt of regulations, when run-off sources may in fact be elsewhere.

“A new council may look into things where the former council may have been redundant,” said Mr. Kapustin in regard to the upcoming term.