Coombs floats police amalgamation, lower property taxes in Ward 5 council run

Julie Coombs recalls being interested in politics even as a young girl.

In fact, Coombs, who is one of the candidates running for Ward 5 councillor in the Oct. 26 election, said she remembers going on the Internet at a young age to make an ambitious search.

“I remember searching ‘how to become prime minister,’” she told Kawartha Lakes Weekly. “Then I looked into (getting into politics), probably about 10 years ago, but it just didn’t fit into my life at that time. My kids are now (older), and so I just figured that now is a good time to throw my hat into the ring.”

Coombs, 40, has been a nurse at Ross Memorial Hospital since 2015 and is a lifelong Lindsay resident.

She said her experience working with people and her lifelong connection to the community give her a broad perspective on the needs of Ward 5, which occupies the northern half of Lindsay.

“Because I work with the older generation and I have younger kids, I feel that I have a better sense of where our community’s wants are going,” she said.

One concern for Coombs is addressing what she sees as bureaucracy and inefficiencies in the municipal government.

“I’m acutely aware of the bureaucracy that is our system, and I see inefficiencies, and I would love to help change that,” Coombs said.

A proposal on her agenda is studying the possibility of amalgamating the Kawartha Lakes Police Service with the OPP.

Orangeville transitioned to OPP policing in 2020, a move Coombs pointed to as an example worth investigating.

Coombs believes such a move could reduce duplication in areas such as administration, IT systems and specialized unit training, allowing more money to be directed towards front-line policing.

One of Coombs’ priorities would be improving traffic safety in Ward 5, particularly through traffic-calming measures and additional all-way stop signs on William Street North.

The issue is one she has experienced firsthand, recalling the difficulty of crossing William Street in the morning with her young child when she lived in the area.

Coombs also wants to see the annual property tax increase reduced, saying she would like to see it brought down from about seven per cent to between four and five per cent.

“You would have to look at the whole budget and balance current services, incoming houses and try to find tax-saving measures,” she said.

Working with older adults while raising a young family has given Coombs a perspective that spans generations, she said.

“I would like to make policies for my future grandkids who aren’t even alive yet,” she said. “I feel like a lot of people are just trying to get through the next year or five years, while I would like to look ahead 50 years and make policies for a long-term sustainable future.”

For Coombs, that long-term outlook is also tied to her approach to representing residents.

“I have spent my adult career listening to people at their worst moments, and I would like to continue listening to people,” she said. “I don’t have all the answers, but I will do the research and find, hopefully, the best possible solutions for the majority of people.”