Here are Five Questions with 2014 Cornwall Ontario City Council candidate David Murphy.

1 – Tell the voters a bit about yourself. What skills and experience would make you a good candidate for Council?

I was born and raised (for the most part) in Cornwall. I am a proud St. Joseph’s Catholic Secondary School Alumnus. With a background in media, public relations and marketing I continue to work in Cornwall – currently with the Benson Group and the Cornwall Colts Hockey Club. As a member of City Council the past four years, I’ve sat on several committees of Council including this past year as Chairperson of the Budget Steering Committee for Outside Agencies while also being a part of several groups within the community. I am respectfully seeking a second mandate from the residents of this great City.

2 – In what ways could we improve Economic Development and how can we make Cornwall a friendlier city for small businesses?

Economic Development has done a very good job of ensuring we take full advantage of the burgeoning Logistics Industry in securing various industrial companies while also seeing expansion of others. We’ve also been fortunate to have diversified our economy throughout the City with business growth in the Downtown, Brookdale corridor & Le Village areas. With all that said, one of my priorities (if re-elected) would be to streamline the “red tape” for small business – we’ve made strides in that area but there’s still room to improve.

3 – What is your vision for arts and culture? Would you support the building of an Arts and Culture Centre in Cornwall?

Arts and culture should play an integral part in our community. I’m one of two Council representatives on the Arts & Culture Committee which has representatives from various disciplines. The Committee has started the proverbial ball rolling with the end result to see Cornwall with its own Arts & Culture Centre. To reach that goal, it is imperative the entire arts and culture community be united and work together.

4 – Do you support freezing or lowering taxes? If so, where would the savings come from, and would you support reducing some services? If you do not support freezing or lowering taxes explain why.

During this past term of Council, I’ve always tried to separate the “need to have” and the “nice to have” items during budget deliberations. Council should always consider ways to at the very least hold the line of taxes by distinguishing between the two. While our tax rate has dropped significantly over the past two years we’ve still felt the pinch of increases due to the rise in assessment. We have to live within our means. After all, sustainability is an important value to our community as laid out by City Council.

5 – What has been the biggest accomplishment at City Hall over the past four years OR what has been the biggest issue of concern at City Hall over the past four years?

The City’s economy continues to diversify within the commercial and industrial sectors. Thanks to a group of dedicated visionaries, we’re on the path towards a potential University to enhance what St. Lawrence College provides in the way of post secondary education. It’s my humble opinion that will only lead to an increase in youth retention, which is vital to one of our pillars – sustainability.