Six questions with Ryan Boehme, candidate for Pittsburgh District
Editorial note:
Across the province, Ontarians are getting ready to cast their ballots in every city, town, and county as the 2022 Municipal Election is fast approaching. With election day on Monday, Oct. 24, 2022, Kingstonist has reached out to all candidates within the City of Kingston to create profiles allowing voters to find a brief overview of each candidate in one place. As response comes in, more and more candidate profiles will be added here, which you can access through our Municipal Election 2022 section (with the tab on the Kingstonist.com homepage), or through our ‘Candidate overview landing page.’
With 45 candidates in total for Kingston City Council alone – and with only one district acclaimed (Countryside District will once again be represented by Gary Oosterhof) and six districts without an incumbent – our goal is to provide as much information as possible leading up to the elections. Thus, we will endeavour to collect response from as many Kingston candidates as possible, with the hope of providing similar coverage for Loyalist Township, Frontenac County, and the Town of Greater Napanee moving forward. All relevant links will be available under the Municipal Election 2022 tab.
For more general information on election process in Kingston, including details on electing Board of Education Trustees, ensuring you are registered to vote, etc., visit the City of Kingston Municipal Elections webpage.
Candidate profiles are being published on our website in no particular order.
Ryan Boehme is hoping to keep his seat in the Pittsburgh District for a third term. Born and raised in the Kingston area, Boehme first ran for City Council in 2010, but didn’t win his seat until the 2014 municipal election.
The father of five is also raising a bearded dragon named Draco, and works as a Journeyperson while continuing his education. “I have a diploma in Instrumentation Engineering from St. Lawrence College, a bachelor’s degree at Royal Military College (RMC) with a concentration in Political Science, and I am working towards my Master’s in Public Administration at RMC, as well,” he shared. Boehme’s interest in politics is something he spoke to when he announced he would no longer be running to represent Kingston and the Islands for the PC Party in 2021.
Boehme spoke to his involvement in local community needs and interests: “I am former military and serve as a Volunteer Firefighter going on 10 years now. I have served on the United Way board for multiple years and supported numerous charities across our city, such as BGCSE, Habitat for Humanity, Lunch by George, and the Food Bank, as I believe they are the mortar that helps to hold us together.”
How would you describe your personal political ideology and/or affiliation?
I would describe myself as a common sense, middle-of-the-road type person.
What made you want to run in this municipal election?
Working together with the amazing residents of the Pittsburgh District, we have had many successes, however, there are still many more things left to work on and finish to improve the quality of life of our residents.
What are the three most common issues voters are bringing up to you as you campaign?
- Roads
- Taxes
- Affordable housing
What three issues are most pressing/important to address locally in your opinion?
- Taxes
- Affordable Housing
- Increased services in our area
What is the most pressing issue in your district?
Increased tax levels that reduce housing affordability.
What do you feel sets you apart from other candidates?
I listen to the local residents and try to represent them as best as possible, and now have eight years of experience in the role. The Pittsburgh District also has the largest employer in the city within its bounds, CFB Kingston; I served 10 years in the military, as did many members of my family and my wife’s family. Additionally, we have a large population of Francophones in our district; my wife is French, and our children are being raised perfectly bilingual and I also “parle le français!”
Ryan Boehme, incumbent for Pittsburg District in the 2022 municipal election, can be reached by email at [email protected].
With files from Cris Vilela.
I am a constituent of Pittsburg District. How can lowering taxes help the homeless in Kingston? Does lowering property taxes on large apartment building or developers lead to guaranteed lower rents? The lack of permanent facilities or plans other than these bandaid solutions for the homeless seems like a wasteful use of taxes and donations. For me it is the constructive use of taxes that is the issue.
What exactly is your plan to change taxes?
Love that you are a journeyman.?