The great awakening

There’s something about election time we have always found curious. People come and go so quickly.

Opinions abound, answers to hypothetical questions flow like wine yet many of the participants will never be heard from again. Perhaps this time will be different, and unsuccessful candidates will volunteer some time for council committees or community work until the next election four years from now.

Rejection at the ballot box is simply part of the process, but it doesn’t need to be a defining moment for anyone. Indeed, those people who spent the last few weeks campaigning played a vital role in encouraging conversations, ranging from what people like and areas for improvement. Incumbents and those new to the game would do well to listen.

For the Town of Erin and Township of Centre Wellington, development tops the chart for election issues. Other communities seem on track for sensible growth projections or in the case of Guelph/Eramosa Township, much of its expansion is stymied by lack of access to sewage treatment.

Erin and Centre Wellington continue to wrestle with obligations handed down by the province and concurrence by previous councils. Going forward, pressure is on to expand outside of the patterns preferred by professional planning staff. It is a worry as many properties will be referred to the Ontario Land Tribunal, which often amounts to a rubber stamp – especially with the Ford government’s insistence on growth.

Locally, we remain disappointed with the lack of defiance to plans around growth. Even new candidates seem to quote chapter and verse about mandated growth and the need to grow. The embrace of this mindset is puzzling despite clear community concerns about the eradication of farmland and no definitive answer to this primary question: how much population can these river valleys sustain in terms of water and treatment of effluent?

Another muted topic for the most part this year is escalating taxation and affordability. There are a few buzzwords floated (wise use of taxpayer dollars and respect for taxpayers, etc.), but we have yet to see a full-on commitment by any candidate to review current processes and seek out efficiencies. There are plenty to be found.

If local government ever returns to a time when grants and transfers are limited, most municipalities will have a big problem coping with that change. Councils have had it pretty good in recent years, but there is nothing to say that won’t change.

Along with new blood and new candidates, comes “new media”. That’s a little tongue-in-cheek considering social media has been around for decades now, but its influence on the campaign this election period is being amplified in dubious ways.

We have heard from numerous candidates who are concerned they’re being censored on various community Facebook pages and sites purporting to be unbiased sources of local election information. 

Posters have noted comments are disabled or eliminated when trying to offer opinions on a topic. Candidates have had their posts removed or attempts to share rebuffed. It strikes us as manipulative and dishonest, making it difficult for residents to get a clear picture of who’s who and what’s what.

As part of our commitment to residents, readers will find our Municipal Election supplement in this week’s newspaper. All candidates were offered a forum to present themselves free of charge and it was good to see so many take advantage of that opportunity.

As the great awakening recedes to a quiet slumber in a few short weeks, let’s make good electoral choices for the next four years. 

Much is at stake.