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Last Tuesday, Rosemère Mayor Hélène Daneault and her team prepared for the upcoming municipal elections by taking stock of the past four years in office. This election, scheduled for November 1st, will be Team Daneault's fourth campaign. "I think it's good to do a review before starting anything again. We did a lot and we are proud of it," stated Daneault.
For this campaign, Daneault is taking the approach of letting her successful four-year run as mayor speak for itself. She believes the achievements of her and her team will help secure another run in office. "In all sectors of municipal administration and in the life of its citizen's, we have improved upon the health of Rosemère," said Daneault, referring to Team Daneault's slogan in the 2005 election, A Healthy City.
Confidence and determination
Daneault highlighted several notable moments of the past four years at the review conference, including debt reduction and the securing grants to improve infrastructure. In three years, Daneault's team managed to to reduce the city's debt by 7.65% and reduce the property tax rate from $0.97 to $0.68 per $100 evaluation. Team Daneault also focused on improving infrastructure by obtaining a grant of $1,184,650 to repair sewer and water pipes and securing $1,080,212 to upgrade municipal pools and water playgrounds.
But Team Daneault's greatest source of pride comes from achievements they have made to benefit the daily lives of Rosemère's over 14,000 citizens and building a reputation as an eco-conscious community. In 2007, Rosemère won the international prize for Livable Communities by the prestigious LivCom Awards for Environment. "For us, it was a surprise, a really great surprise," said Daneault. By securing free access for citizens to tennis courts and swimming pools, installing outdoor exercise equipment at Hamilton Park and developing three new tennis courts, the health of Rosemere citizens remains a priority for Team Daneault. And the success of Rosemère 50th anniversary celebrations last year and the 1st Jeux de Quebec held this past winter were major highlights. "It was an opportunity for the community to get together and it was great," she said.
The road ahead
Although Daneault remains proud of the achievements, she is looking forward to the future. "It was a great experience. We did what we were supposed to do and more. But we still have more to do. Four years is not that long," revealed Daneault. And the team hopes to continue in the same vein if elected for another term. "We want to continue with the same vision, especially with the finances and getting grants for our infrastructure. But we also must adjust our services to the new realities. We have a lot of baby boomers and a lot of couples who both work and don't have transportation. We have to be there more to help," she stated.
Next week, Team Daneault will officially launch the 2009 election campaign by unveiling the full team. As the election date draws closer, Daneault remains confident. "This will be my fourth election in seven years. It's not any different but I can say I have more experience," she said. And when asked about challenges her and her team may face, she firmly replied, "We will be ready."
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