Candidates say there’s room for more development

Past mayor, current mayor of Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s both want to win seat in next election

Whatever happens, the next mayor of Portugal CoveSt. Philip’s will have experience in the job.

The town has two candidates for its leading position — its current mayor, Bill Fagan, and a councillor and former mayor, Moses Tucker.

“I’ve been the mayor in St. Philip’s, when it was St. Philip’s town council, and I feel I’m qualified to do the job and at this point in time, we need good leadership and I think I have the qualifications to do that job,” Tucker said, recently making his pitch to The Telegram.

“I think the current feeling and the media, sort of thing, has painted a negative image of the municipality and probably with good cause, with the different things that have been happening over the last few years.

“So the restoration of the positive image of the town and the pride, community pride, by the citizens of where they live — that’s sort of the platform and the lobby, logo, whatever you want to call it that I am now using.”

Tucker has a background in municipal works, including water, sewer and roads, with 15 years of work as an engineering consultant.

Both Tucker and Fagan agree on many of the town’s needs for the future. For example, they agree on seeing a new lifestyle centre and a new school completed.

Both men agree traffic levels on the town’s arteries of Thorburn Road and Portugal Cove Road, a result of growth in Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s and surrounding communities, requires attention. They say the town should work with its neighbours to address traffic problems.

The two also agreed the town needs to attract more businesses, to build its business tax revenues from about six per cent of the town’s total revenues to about 20 per cent. Both said the new businesses being welcomed should be small to mediumsized enterprises and tech or servicebased, rather than heavy industry.

Both candidates said the town could handle more development in the near future, even with so many new homes constructed in recent years.

In fact, when the current mayor was asked if there could be more development, he responded simply, “Definitely. Yes.”

Fagan noted the provincial government has just released 1,200 acres of agricultural land in the area.

“There is the potential for a lot of this to go into development,” he said.

However, “we need to make sure that planning and development go along together,” he said. “We certainly need an updated plan for water and sewer for the town.”

He also called for the town to revisit its recreational plan and tourism plans.

“There’s a lot of potential,” Fagan said of the municipality. “We’ve got some great resources here.”

There are 20 people running for the town’s other council positions.

Jane Tucker, Doug Neary, Joe Duggan, Patsy Whitten and Gordon Tucker are all seeking re-election.