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Half-way point: the councillors

February 2, 2017   ·   0 Comments

It is no secret that the past two years have been difficult for the members of Orangeville Council.

It is unfortunate that drama within the chamber has at times overshadowed the good work being done by this group of elected officials. 

In my last submission, I shared my thoughts on how the Mayor has performed thus far this term. This week, we will turn our attention to the contributions and accomplishments of the councillors.

Sylvia Bradley can indeed be polarizing. Why is this? Councillor Bradley seems to consistently volunteer to work on controversial or overly complex files. One of the most significant files of the last two years was the wood-burning issue. The public meetings at town hall were tense, and yet Councillor Bradley continued to push for a fair resolution. All of us can determine how we feel about certain issues, yet in municipal politics I am more interested in those that show leadership through difficult situations. I continue to be impressed, by this tenacious individual. Other areas in which she has championed include the great new signs we see around town for key Orangeville landmarks, library renovations, decorating of the utility boxes around the town, and expansion of the community fresh gardens.

Gail Campbell arrives at each council meeting prepared to speak to the facts of issues and, when appropriate, from the heart. The Councillor’s personal interest in ensuring all things in Orangeville are physically accessible to everyone has continued via her committee work. Improvements such as accessible swings, picnic tables, benches, and a walkway to the cenotaph will make the town better for all of us. In addition, the unwavering support she has given to the Fire Department is noteworthy. Ms. Campbell believes that fire safety in our town must be a priority, and as such she fought for additional firefighters, equipment, and a potential replacement for the department’s current antiquated location. The single largest issue facing our town over the next 24 months will be the potential transition to OPP. Her grasp of the issues and calming influence will be needed on the Police Services Board as Orangeville moves through the process.

Scott Wilson is a strong critical thinker with little patience for those who do not grasp the issues being discussed. He has a unpretentious way of explaining issues to the gallery and rest of council. In one meeting he shared his disdain for the Outdoor Burning bylaw by sharing he “would not even be able to light a cigarette in his backyard.” In my view, he is humorous, yet thoughtful and solution-based. The work that he has done (in conjunction with the Library Board) on the Mill Street facility is first-class (go see the renovations!).  The tenaciousness of Councillor Wilson during budget deliberations was admirable. He was consistent in his approach regarding the need for reserves and support for community organizations.  Lastly, he has been a key figure in attaining the OPP costing, and his analytical skills will be key as we all work through the options.

A long-time follower of municipal politics, Don Kidd is now serving his first term as councillor. At the beginning of the term, Mr. Kidd struggled with key concepts and he seemed to follow the lead of others when he voted. It has been enjoyable to watch him evolve and place his personal stamp on the councillor role. He starts the majority of his speeches at council with “I have a question”. The question typically evolves to a comment on the situation and then some sort of folksy metaphor to help ensure that everyone understands his point. I don’t think I will ever forget him discussing how non-residents of Orangeville could be taking advantage of our toilet rebate program. I served on the snow-clearing committee with Mr. Kidd and found he provided strong leadership and common-sense solutions for the committee. The councillor is also a passionate leader of the recreation committee and is the Town’s representative on the Theatre Orangeville board.

Deputy Mayor Warren Maycock serves on the committee of the whole and Dufferin County Council. The Deputy Mayor campaigned on Bravery Park (progressing), implementing an arts and cultural plan (progressing), Canada 150 Project (progressing) and attracting more businesses/jobs (progressing). Unfortunately, he has found himself in the unenviable position of having to lead the legal initiatives against the Mayor. Many of us would find this draining, yet in my view Warren Maycock has admirably maintained his dignity and professionalism.

Nick Garisto’s lead role of the budget committee was at best difficult. In fact, at one point in 2016, he angrily complained that other councillors were not supporting his ideas. The councillor was a loud champion of the flag restoration project and in conjunction with Paul Korsten successfully raised the money required. The unfortunate fact is that during the last four months of this term, he has endured health issues which caused him to be absent from the majority of meetings. I called him recently to wish him well and find when I could expect him back at council. For now, we should all have best wishes in our thoughts and prayers for him.

Over the next two years Orangeville’s immediate future will be defined by decisions made by its councillors. The short-term issues faced by our town are not dire, but we are at a critical inflection point. It will be incumbent on our elected citizens to ensure they lead us with the future in mind, and not be influenced by their political ambitions or alliances.

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