I would like to thank the residents of Pelham for allowing me the privilege of being your mayor for another term. Being mayor is a great job, one that I take seriously, and I look forward to working with the new council in making Pelham the best we can be.
I would also like to thank my campaign team, especially my sister Lois, who once again did yeoman service as my treasurer and campaign organizer. A big thank you to all of the volunteers who helped deliver pamphlets door to door. Thanks also to Gary for all of his time, effort (and gas), who delivered my pamphlets in the rural parts of town and put up and took down my election signs.
The campaign itself seemed to drag on as they all tend to, but in actuality was just a couple of months.
With two candidates running for mayor, voters were given a choice and democracy was better served because of this.
It was always great to meet the many residents that came out to my meet-and-greets held at local businesses, and who stopped in at my local campaign office (temporary as it was).
I am looking forward to a great four years of service to the Town.
Being new to the whole thing I really didn’t have any expectations of what the process would be. From start to finish, however, it was a very smooth process mainly because of the excellent staff at Town Hall, mainly Town Clerk Holly Willford. Everything was explained in detail and all forms supplied. This made the process for this political newcomer very easy. While I certainly have no regrets about running, I think you would get an honest answer from me about three years from now. Going door to door in my ward I learned quite a bit and met some very nice, interesting people.
My team mainly consisted of my wife, Karen, who was a huge help to me and I certainly would not have had the success I had without her. My family gave me a lot of inspiration as did many friends. Early on, my neighbours were huge supporters, especially Brian and Maryann Minard.
My immediate priorities are to quickly learn all the processes at Town Hall and begin to contribute in a timely fashion. I would like to push a tree bylaw as soon as possible. This should not be a huge issue as other municipalities have excellent bylaws. I would also work hard to get the council working together to tackle the important issues facing the Town.
Finally I would be remiss in not thanking the many people who supported me during the election, especially those who put their trust in me and voted for me. I am truly humbled by their faith in me. Also to my opponents congratulations on well-run campaigns.
The starting point in the decision-making process leading to my candidacy was watching the Pelham Town Council elected in 2018. My observations were that this council, while doing an adequate job, was bogged down in the minutia of zoning applications and bylaw amendments but were not addressing the larger issues, such as where the Town should be in the decades to come.
My experience as a past resident of Mississauga was that their council, very early in the growth process, began planning for infrastructure needs and setting aside areas for parks and recreation, recognizing their potential population growth. I am not convinced the Town of Pelham has adequately done this.
In making the decision to run for council, I knew my campaign was going to be an uphill battle. I looked at my fellow candidates and saw a qualified group who had lived in the area for much longer than had I. So, I decided that the best way to connect with voters was to knock on their doors, introduce myself and, most importantly, listen to what they had to say.
I met some great people and had some enlightening front porch conversations. What I heard were concerns about growth in Town, including the strains being placed on infrastructure and failing to protect the environment. Most residents were unaware that the Town had little say in the growth numbers which were being imposed on it by Provincial and Regional governments.
I also heard worries that Fonthill was being divided into an east and west with Station Street being the boundary. There is a growing resentment in people who have lived here for years who fear the loss of their small-town feel with tightly packed homes, strip malls and traffic congestion.
Going forward, an important job for the incoming council will be to educate the public on what the council can and cannot do. Plans for multistorey buildings and infilling within existing communities will continue to be contentious issues before council. Residents need to be informed on how they can have an effective voice allowing them a say in planning decisions.
I would also like to see the next council step back and start the strategic planning process for the next ten, 20, 30 years. One of the advantages of the Town’s growth will be a larger tax base. Planning can start now to prevent any lag in maintaining services and infrastructure. This is also the opportunity to push the Region for a solution to the growing traffic issue on Highway 20.
I would like to thank everyone who chatted with me at their front door, to my fellow volunteer firefighters at Station 1, and my friends and neighbours who supported me. A special thanks to my family for their support and hard work.
I have been asked if I would I run again. In all honesty, that is up to the new council. The incoming council has qualified people who deserve a chance to govern.
