Where are you from and what is your background?
I built my house on the family farm in New Minas over 30 years ago and raised my two beautiful children here with my wife Heather. I went to the Nova Scotia Agricultural college and graduated as an animal science technician in1993. From there I sold feed for a local feed company. After 5 years with the feed company, I went on to sell animal pharmaceuticals both on an Atlantic Canadian stage and nationally. Eventually I was promoted through the company to management from that I learned planning and budgeting for the short- and long-term results. After Covid 19, I decided to work in Construction and retired mid last year. Now, it is time for me to come out of retirement and be your voice on council.

Why have you chosen to run for office?
I have chosen to run for office as I want to use my experience to help with planning and developing sustainable housing in Kings Country in a time when the supply of housing is low. I want to use my experience to help build a municipal infrastructure that can last, not just for today and tomorrow, but for future generations. We need to find sustainable solutions now or this issue will grow into a much bigger problem for our future. I want to give back to the community that has given me and my family so much. Being your voice on council is the best way for me to do that.

What strengths would you bring to Council if elected?
I will bring a strong voice to the council if I am the successful candidate for District 8. My career has given me the knowledge and experience in negotiating, communicating and planning that New Minas and Greenwich deserves. From my experience listening is one of the stronger assets to have and I am committed to listening to the residents of District 8 and Kings County and making sure your concerns are addressed and heard.

My first step - I have created a survey to best hear your concerns on my Facebook or you can always reach me at my email shawnmaxwell4kings@gmail.com or call me at 902-321-8657.

What do you feel are key issues in this election and how would you address them?
I feel the key issues in this election are:

Proper planning for infrastructure and housing for the growth we know New Minas and Greenwich are going to see in the next 10 years.

I will work to ensure building permits are being processed quickly and efficiently to make sure sustainable housing can be built at the pace required to fulfill the needs.

I feel we need to ensure the proper wastewater management systems are in place and maintained.

I will work with my Federal and Provincial counterparts to make sure areas prone to flooding are taken care of appropriately to prevent flooding every time it rains.

I feel that cellular signal is also a key issue and that it is the responsibility of all levels of government to make sure cellular signal is available to everyone in case of an emergency.

I have found communication amongst all stakeholders is the best path forward to a solution and feel that to resolve the cellular signal issue this is the best first step for all stakeholders to understand the issue at hand.

What is one message you would like to send to voters?
I feel we need more accountability on the services that the municipality provides, and that the public deserves to know that their representatives are being held accountable. As your councilor I will make sure your voice is represented on council and your concerns are well represented. You deserve someone who shows up and is there to be your voice. I would be humbled by your support, and I look forward to putting in the hard work New Minas and Greenwich deserve.