Just days remain before voters will flock – meander may be a more suitable verb – to the polls to cast their vote in the municipal election.
It is our hope residents casting ballots took the time to attend candidate debates, visit websites, ask questions personally of candidates and follow coverage in reliable News sources like the Advertiser.
Lack of effort?
One thing that is troublesome is the gall of candidates – and there are a lot of them – who have not even attended a single council meeting.
It’s unacceptable that they would expect voters to support them when they couldn’t even take a few hours a month to familiarize themselves with the process.
There is absolutely no excuse for that; it’s just plain lazy (reading meeting minutes is not the same as attending).
Erin
Voters in the Town of Erin are faced with two choices when it comes to mayor and county councillor, and seven choices for four town council seats.
Without a doubt, the two biggest election issues in Erin this time around are the service and settlement master plan (SSMP) and ambulance service in the municipality. Voters should be wary of candidates offering what seem to be simple solutions to two very complex problems.
Clearly something has to be done to address the town’s sewage problems, but as one candidate has said, those already offering a solution are doing so without all the information required to make an informed decision. That’s what the SSMP is for.
And the town has lobbied for years for improved ambulance service, so its hard to fathom further negotiations with the City of Guelph will lead to a miraculous breakthrough anytime soon. But suggesting a private solution, without thought given whatsoever to the cost, is even less helpful.
Whatever choice voters make will have a great impact on those two issues.
Guelph-Eramosa
One candidate here has been acclaimed, while two others should be virtual locks to be elected, leaving two very interesting races in the township.
Three newcomers – Nicholas Dalton, John Gough, and Corey Woods – are running in ward 2 and, in my opinion, one candidate has not distinguished himself from the others, so it should be an interesting race.
But regardless of who succeeds, residents in that ward should certainly receive better representation than they do now.
Mapleton
While we do not endorse any candidates – the Advertiser, unlike another daily publication in Guelph, believes residents are intelligent enough to decide for themselves – it is hard to understand how candidates can make a run at the mayor’s job without ever serving at least one term on council, much less attending council meetings.
And yet, that’s exactly what has happened in several municipalities throughout the county. In Mapleton two newcomers are challenging current councillor Bruce Whale for mayor.
It’s not that newbies can’t do a good job; they can. And every councillor at some point has to serve a first term. But election promises of sweeping changes as mayor, which are common platforms for newcomers, ignore the reality that at least three votes are needed to approve even the most insignificant motion or bylaw.
Many newbies would be shocked at the lack of power they have as an individual councillor – or even as mayor.
Puslinch
Major issues in the Puslinch election, and rightfully so, will be high taxes, the new library, the “big lake” proposal, the Highway 6 realignment and water and gravel extraction.
But what should not be an issue – although it has come up at several candidates debates – is the staff in Puslinch.
Several candidates have criticized staff for what they believe to be deficiencies in customer relations and/or exorbitant salaries. Some have even called for a review of duties and pay, nitpicking about 3% increases the township has very little say over.
The truth is, those candidates have no clue how good the township has it right now.
The township’s Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), whose six figure salary makes her an easy target for many, serves as the CAO, clerk, and treasurer, while other townships have three individuals filling those three roles.
The township also has one individual serving as its chief building official and bylaw enforcement officer, whereas other municipalities employ two individuals for those jobs.
Overall, Puslinch staff members, while often stretched thin, are accessible, courteous and prompt.
Candidates should stick to the issues – there is no shortage of them in Puslinch – and not waste time chastising staff. After all, if the candidates are successful, those are the people they’ll depend on to do the real work of the municipality.
