GRAND BEND — Providing a voice and a platform for residents was how members of the group Citizens for Good Governance in Lambton Shores  described the latest meeting of the group Aug. 26 at Grand Bend Public School.

The meeting which was the second in a series of meetings put on by the group in Lambton Shores, with the first having taken place Aug. 24 in Port Franks.

The group says its aim is to make the municipality a better place to live with an emphasis on transparency, sound development, fiscal responsibility and an understanding of the Ontario Municipal Act.

Several topics were discussed at the meeting, with member Larry Barnsley speaking about the finances of the municipality.

Barnsley said with the median age of the municipality of 49 being 10 years older than the Ontario average and its median income of $61,000, $8,000 less than Ontario’s income, Lambton Shores residents have to work smarter for it to progress.

He added there needs to be a focus on several areas, including benchmarking, tendering, tax increases and an upset limit on projects, above which the municipality should walk away from projects rather than continue to put money in.

Other topics discussed were development by Bill Moran as well as the Municipal Act by Bob Sharen.

Sharen said it appeared that Lambton Shores council hadn’t followed the dictates of the act and that enacting a code of conduct as well as hiring an integrity commissioner and an auditor general would be beneficial to the community.

Following the presentations, questions were taken from the audience, with resident Glen Baillie noting census numbers don’t taken into account seasonal residents of the area.

Barnsley replied the people who live in the area year-round are the ones who have to be protected.

National Citizens Coalition president Peter Coleman said he agreed with Baillie and that the group "needed to turn the temperature down."

He added that while there were positives presented at the meeting, he didn’t feel the group should be supporting candidates.

Other members of the audiences disagreed with Coleman however, with resident Marlan Siren saying she felt if the group didn’t back candidates, it would lack credibility.

Other comments focused on the cost and process of the Lambton Shores sewer project,
Resident Dick Matkza saying while it had been stated by council that Pinery Provincial Park would pay its full share of $2.3 million, he had read another report that stated the Pinery would pay only $750,000, with the rest to be paid by users.

"That’s us," said Matzka.

The next meeting of the group is Sept. 14 at the Thedford Village Complex at 7:30 p.m.