After serving two terms on Chatham-Kent council as a Ward 6 councillor, Crew has set her sights on the mayor’s seat.
During her terms on council, she always based her decisions on what was best for the community. She never played politics and always voted in favour of moving the municipality forward. “I am running for mayor because I love this community and I want to offer the citizens of Chatham-Kent a choice at the polls this fall,” Crew said.
“My platform will be simple: leadership. I believe that the strength of a mayor is based on their ability to lead the community and council forward. I have that ability.”
Crew is a leader who encourages collaboration and communication. Her belief in Chatham-Kent, its people and its potential is unparalleled.
“As we continue building on the existing strengths of our communities in Chatham-Kent, we will also address the challenges that we are all aware of,” she said.
Crew’s vision is for Chatham-Kent to become a DYNAMIC municipality that encourages growth, jobs and community involvement. “I believe in the power of our citizens to mobilize and make their part of the world a better place. As a municipality, we should be nurturing this strength to make our individual, unique communities stronger and more vibrant,” Crew said. “That unity will make all of Chatham-Kent the place to be, whether it’s where you live, work or play.”
For further information about Marjorie and her campaign please visit her website www.marjoriecrew.ca or call her campaign office at 519-401-5702.
Here are some more details about Crew:
Marjorie grew up in rural Ontario, between Rodney and West Lorne. She is the oldest of 6 kids.
She moved to Chatham in 1980 as a single mom with two boys. She moved to be closer to her family after her father was critically injured in a workplace accident.
She married Greg in 1987 and they moved into a century home on Chatham’s east side. It was in that neighbourhood, which she still calls home that sparked her passion for people and the power of community.
Married to Greg for 27 years, they have a big family with six children, eight grandkids and two dogs.
Marjorie became a grassroots voice for change as an advocate for community safety, crime prevention, and community wellbeing when she took a stand against the negative influences of drugs and criminal activity in her neighbourhood and developed the local organization East Side Pride.
Marjorie’s father-in-law, the late municipal councillor Mel Crew, encouraged her to run for Municipal Council in 2006.
In 2010 she led the polls in her ward. She was the first woman to do so.
She worked for many years in the manufacturing sector as a health and safety manager and currently works part-time at Family Service Kent co-ordinating the CHAP program for seniors. Marjorie is an everyday person who everyday people relate to. Her family has felt the same pressures that many people in Chatham-Kent have struggled through – job loss.
Greg spent 19 years working at Navistar. Today, he works at a minimum wage job to help the family make ends meet.
Marjorie has been on Council since 2006 and has always been a voice of reason and vision. She is known for her common sense approach and no-nonsense attitude. She is never too busy to lend an ear or a visit to the folks in her community.
Current Community Involvement
• 1999 – Co-Founder and Chair of East Side Pride Community Association (www.eastsidepride.ca)
• 2004 -Founder and Past President of Crime Prevention Board of Chatham-Kent
• 2000 – Member of Block Parents of Chatham-Kent
• 2002 to present – Board Member of the Drug Awareness Council of Chatham-Kent
• 2007 Member of M.A.D.D. Chatham-Kent
• 2012 Member of the Women’s Leadership Council through United Way of Chatham-
Kent
• 2010 Member of the Accessibility Advisory Committee of Chatham-Kent (representing Family Service Kent – CHAP)
Committees of Council (Current term)
• Vice Chair of Chatham-Kent Board of Health ( Current) ß Food Policy Council (representing CK Board of Health)
• Chair of the Chatham-Kent Property Standards Committee of Council (Current)
• CK Fire Advisory Committee of Council (Current)
Education
Ontario Secondary School Diploma
Awards and Recognition
• 2004 Citizen of the Year – Chatham –Kent Chamber of Commerce
• 2007 Paul Harris Fellow Award – Chatham Rotary Club
• 2008 Participated in developing the new Community Policing Model for Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police
• 2009 Police Service Board Citation- Outstanding contribution to the Neighbourhood Policing Project and the Crime Prevention and Safety Board of CK and to community policing in Chatham-Kent
• 2012 Police Service Board Citation- Ongoing achievements to keep Chatham-Kent Safe
• 2012 YMCA Peace Medallion Recipient- Commitment to peace keeping efforts in our community
• 2012 Queens Diamond Jubilee Medal
Campaign Platform
Leadership is the focus of my platform. This is the single most important issue in this campaign. My leadership style is collaborative. I recognize that I don’t know everything, but I am surrounded by experts including the citizens of Chatham-Kent. I listen. I encourage thoughtful engagement in decision making. I am not driven by ego.
I am focusing on leadership because of the variety of unpredictable issues that come before council. In our ever changing community, priorities change and evolve. Focusing on a few promises doesn’t seem logical. But, I can promise that no matter what issues are presented, I will use my leadership skills to make the best decisions for the people of Chatham-Kent.
As Mayor I will address the following:
• Jobs – While I fully believe that we should be on the world stage, I also believe that we should not be investing mainly in one area. I would propose a plan to provide grants to develop businesses or help them diversify to create employment in Chatham-Kent, including small business and agribusiness. This will create local jobs by local people. Building employment from within and supporting existing businesses is an investment in Chatham-Kent and an investment in our people.
• Investing in job retention and investing in job strategies will retain and increase out tax base.
• Taxes- It is clear that citizens want to keep tax increases low. However, we need to properly fund our future needs. Looking at different ways to do business, constantly looking for efficiencies, clear direction from council and vigorous budget deliberations will keep a close eye on our bottom line while allowing proper investment in Chatham-Kent. I will work with our Federal and Provincial government as well to ensure that our needs are recognized and supported.
• Health and Wellbeing – As your Mayor, I will lead by example. Our community needs to improve our health indicators overall and I pledge to be active in promoting , participating, and supporting initiatives and being a community that leads in order to make our community healthier, starting today.
• Leadership of Council -Setting clear direction and goals with council immediately. Getting council together for this exercise is critical within the first 6 months. Management needs to understand the priorities of the current council in order to present a budget that reflects the views of the citizens represented by our elected officials. The goals need to be reviewed annually with council to make sure they are still relevant and current.
• Ensure that realistic business plans are developed for all departments. Business plans will provide direction and set long-term goals for Chatham-Kent. These plans must be reviewed and reported to council on a regular basis.
• Bring council together to become more aware of all of CK and all issues that councillors face in the community where they are elected. All councillors vote for all wards, therefore they need to have a good understanding of what issues are important in the entire community.
• Accountable and transparent government.
• Accessible – Help people to understand local government- Many of our processes are difficult for average people to understand. There is a need to communicate effectively in simple terms that everyday people can understand.
• Chatham-Kent Communities- Adopt a strategy to strengthen individual communities through associations and networking across Chatham-Kent. By giving them the tools to be a stronger part of Chatham-Kent. Our communities are the jewels of Chatham-Kent. As a Municipality we should be supportive and assist them in their growth. As our communities become stronger individually, we as a Municipality become stronger as well. It is simply a family affair! We must respect each community’s uniqueness and encourage participation as a vital part of Chatham-Kent.
Communication- Constantly work to improve our communication with our citizens.
