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Mayor Williams confirms he will seek second term

October 27, 2017   ·   0 Comments

By Avery Park

Heading into 2018, Orangeville Mayor Jeremy Williams is looking back into the past three years while also planning for the last year of his first term and a bid for a second four-year term.

The next election is just a year away, so Mayor Williams has some choices to make. In an interview, he explained how the recent years have affected the community and himself, and why he will be running again.

Having already been Mayor for three years, when asked what has changed in Orangeville in that time, Mayor Williams replied, “The biggest improvements I have seen are the Five-Year Budget Plan… The upgrades we have seen on the water filtration plant have also been a great success… (And) the Diane Drive Park, which its actual name is the Lions Sports Park but I find it easier to call it by the streets name, but it is now being used to its’ full potential.”

Mayor Williams easily volunteered that the contribution he has made for the community that he is most pleased with is the Five-Year Budget Plan, because he feels it will have a great effect on the town.

Mayor Williams also mentioned the median on Broadway and how it has won multiple awards, something for which he is very proud. Even though it has done so well, they are considering updating it – not tearing it down or doing big renovations, but possibly trimming the trees, and making it look more modern.

Improvements Mayor Williams has been thinking about are all for the benefit of the public. “We don’t have anywhere in town to hold big events, like a Times Square for the town. If we could close the road beside the Town Hall, and expand into the property the town owns behind the road at the back of Town Hall, it would create that big space.”

One of the streets the Mayor speaks about closing is already closed most of the yearon Saturdays for the Farmers Market, so closing it permanently is not likely to have a big impact on traffic flow. Events that could be held in a place like this could be for holidays, like Canada Day or a countdown for New Year’s. There could also be local fundraisers, or anything that would benefit the community.

Another idea the Mayor commented on was for the artistic people within our community, “There is an empty building owned by the town that I would enjoy turning into a place for artists to display their artwork. It’s just sitting there, empty. I think we should turn it into a place that would help artists in Orangeville get the recognition they deserve.”

He says that for those in Orangeville who appreciate the arts, a gallery would be a great place for them to go and see what others in our community are creating. More support for visual arts in Orangeville would be a great addition to the town.

While Mayor Williams would love for these changes to happen, he notes the decisions are not up to just him. “Nothing happens quickly in government, unlike when you are running a business. It takes time, and the right council, but if you have an idea that’s good enough it will always come back.”

As for the council, he was then asked how this term’s council was different from last term’s council, to which he replied, “I have heard that the council this term is a lot more interesting to watch and listen to. There is a lot of discussion, and I like discussions. Even though there are different opinions, the Council is never divided. There is always a decision.”

While being in office, Mayor Williams says he has really liked being highly involved with his kid’s sports, “I usually coach four soccer teams in the summer, but this year I only coached two. You can also find me on the bench at hockey games.”

The interest in Orangeville for sports has continually gone up, and with people coming here from Mississauga and Toronto, they expect higher standards for sports teams and their facilities, and Mayor Williams says, “We are trying our best to fill those expectations.”

Focusing back on Orangeville as a whole, Mayor Williams says, “There isn’t a lot I can change in a year, but I would like to see more people coming to Orangeville. Even though our borders are set, we can keep turning our small town into a small city. Toronto is a very large influence on us, so maybe ‘modernized town’ is a better term.”

When asked where he sees Orangeville being in a year, he responds, “I’m seeing it being right where it is, but I would like to move it more south for some nicer weather… Anyways, as I said before, not a lot can change in a year, so I think that if everything keeps running as is, I will be happy with how I leave it.”

Mayor Williams confirmed he will be running for mayor again next year, and says he will be happy whichever way the election goes. Win or lose, “I would be happy to see what business opportunities have opened up for me.”

“This might sound cheesy, but my favourite part about being mayor is meeting people like you, people in the community that want to get involved and care about the community.” Mayor Williams says he is always happy to start a conversation with anyone, and wants to really get to know the people within Orangeville.

He would like to see how else he can help Orangeville to grow and develop, and finished by saying, “Everything I do is for the benefit of Orangeville.”

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