Things are certainly going to be interesting at the Puslinch community centre on the evening of Oct. 7.
That night mayoral candidates Dennis Lever, Dick Visser and incumbent Brad Whitcombe will square off in a debate that’s sure to be the highlight of one of the most interesting races in the county in this municipal election.
Making the night even more interesting, and perhaps even adding an element of intrigue, was OPP Inspector’s Scott Smith recent refusal to say whether or not there would be a police presence at that debate, as well as at the councillors’ debate on Oct. 12.
Visser said he requested the police attend the meetings after the most recent poison-pen Newsletter reached via “snail mail” the homes of Puslinch residents.
With three candidates for mayor and seven for the remaining four council positions, it should be an interesting race in Puslinch. It will be noteworthy to see the reaction of residents, if any, to council’s unanimous passing earlier this year of a budget with a 12% tax rate increase.
Other topics of interest will surely include the “Big Lake” proposal, aggregate operations and past controversies involving township staff.
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Meanwhile, in Erin, the kerfuffle at a council meeting on Sept. 21 was about whether or not proper notice was provided by the town for a recent meeting about the town’s service and settlement master plan (SSMP).
Given that the SSMP is sure to be one of the major election issues (as it was in 2006) and that many candidates seem to run on a platform of openness and transparency, the timing of this alleged failure to inform residents seems strange.
Councillor Ken Chapman – who shouldn’t be accused of politicking because he’s running for county council and not Erin council – was the one to force the issue, questioning whether the meeting met Municipal Act requirements.
Mayor Rod Finnie said on Sept. 21 that proper guidelines were followed and the meeting was held legally. He noted the meeting was posted on the town’s website one week in advance.
But Chapman rightfully pointed out that many residents, including some seniors, do not have Internet access and simply listing the meeting on the website, while legal, isn’t proper.
We can’t help but agree. Neither Newspaper that regularly covers Erin council was officially informed of the meeting. Other municipalities email or phone The Advertiser directly when they schedule a meeting that’s not on their regular list.?
It’s an easy thing to do, if for no other reason than to avoid such headaches, particularly around an election.
As an aside, perhaps the most interesting race in Erin, besides that between Finnie and Lou Maieron for mayor, will be between Chapman and long-time Erin politician George Root for a seat on county council.
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What a difference four years makes.
In Mapleton all five councillors were acclaimed in the 2006 municipal election, but this time around there are three mayoral candidates and 10 candidates for the other four council seats.
Clearly the apathy has vanished, with most candidates highlighting business retention and attraction as major problem they hope to address if elected.
Some have claimed the township has introduced so much red tape it’s often easier for companies to leave rather than deal with the hassle.
Please be sure to check out the Mapleton candidate profiles at wellingtonadvertiser.com – they have been updated since originally posted on Sept. 16.
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In Guelph-Eramosa there is a re-match of the 2006 mayoral race between Chris White and Clint Martin.
Martin’s recent outlandish claims of ballot tampering and election rigging in 2006 – when White garnered 67% of all votes – as well as his tired “secret meeting” allegations certainly won’t help his cause this year.
Doug Breen and Teressa Gibson?Smye will face off in a ward 3 re-match of the 2006 election, while newcomers Nicholas Dalton, John Gough and Corey Woods face off in ward 2, but the most interesting race of all could be in ward 4.
In 2006 John?Scott defeated opponent Steven Liebig by just 15 votes and we have seen nothing from either side to suggest it won’t be another close race between Liebig and Scott this time around.
