Max Khan is running for re-election of Ward Six town council. In the next term, he hopes to address issues regarding the fluoride in Halton’s drinking water, better transit for seniors, and the inequity of rising property taxes.
He feels the matter of fluoridation should come front and centre as an awareness campaign.
“There are all sorts of pros and cons and benefits,” said Khan, “but I don’t think they’ve been substantiated to the point where we really appreciate the adverse effects.”
Because it’s the region and not the town that decides if water is fluoridated, Khan believes the best approach is lobbying Halton’s four municipalities on what has to be done at the regional level.
“The strongest voice is not my voice; it’s the voice of the residents. When you have a public meeting and you have hundreds of people out there who are angered over an issue, politicians, by the very nature of their livelihood, listen.”
Last term Khan was concerned with retirees on fixed incomes and their inability to keep up with the rate of cost increases. One way he dealt with this was piloting a project allowing seniors to take transit for free. Because of the project’s success, seniors are now allowed to use transit on Mondays free of charge.
“I’m anticipating in the coming election that we’re going to take that to the full week,” said Khan. “Our buses are running the same. We’d still have the same wear and tear, the same gas, same insurance, and same employee salary. Why not give a benefit to seniors where they become more mobile and engaged in community?”
Another key issue he wants to look at is the town’s rising property taxes.
“One of the concerns I have - and this goes back to seniors - is if they bought a house 40 years ago, and let’s just say they paid a hundred thousand for it, that house today is worth a million dollars,” said Khan. “Well they can’t afford to pay property taxes on a million dollar house.”
He said he’s been doing research on how to deal with that inequity and what kind of breaks they can get when it comes to seniors.
“I’m talking about seniors who are on fixed incomes struggling to pay their property taxes. Whether or not there’s a lean on their property, whether or not there’s a deferral program, those kinds of things we should be looking at.”
Contact Max Khan
home: (905) 599-0119
email: [email protected]
Position: Town Councillor
Ward: 6