Wellington North council held its inaugural meeting of the 2014-2018 term here on Dec. 1, welcoming back many familiar faces and one new member.
Newly-elected Mayor Andy Lennox was sworn in by CAO Michael Givens and addressed the council chamber, which was packed with supporters.
Lennox thanked outgoing mayor Ray Tout for his dedicated community involvement in various projects such as the fireworks festival, Lions Club and Chamber of Commerce.
Lennox reiterated the top three concerns brought forward during the election this fall: infrastructure improvements, developing the community both culturally and economically, and maintaining the fiscal balance.
He said addressing these issues would be more challenging than ever in the coming term, as municipalities continue to receive less funding from upper tiers of government. Despite this, Lennox remained optimistic and said with careful planning, improvements are possible.
“In recent years it has become increasingly clear that we are falling behind in maintaining our infrastructure, such as roads and bridges. These are critical to our daily lives and businesses,” he said.
“While it seems like an immense task, we must continue to build an asset management plan to include all of our assets and tackle the most difficult part: how to finance the maintenance and replacement of them.”
He added, “When an opportunity to participate in funding programs knocks, we must be prepared to answer.”
Lennox said he plans to give careful consideration to each project that requires municipal funding and intends to maintain the title of “Uncle Scrooge” he has garnered in the past.
“When it comes to activities related to community building, we need to ask the question: are we employing our scarce resources on the most important things?” he said.
“I make no apologies for my careful spending of your dollars. I believe the spending of your money needs to be held to a higher standard … every major expenditure of this council will be accompanied by a plan to pay for it.”
He reminded the community that achieving these goals is not impossible, it may just take a little longer than before – and he is confident in the legacy that the work of previous councils has left behind.
“When talking about the challenges ahead, we should make no mistake, those who have come before us have left us the legacy of a strong community,” Lennox said.
“We have the strength of a diversified, stable economy, good arterial transportation routes and we enjoy an enviable rural small town atmosphere with vibrant volunteer participation … I look forward to building on the strong legacy we have been given.”
Other incoming members of council also said a few words to start off the term, including new face Steve McCabe, who said he is eager to get to work as the voice for Ward 4.
“As the newest voice on council, I will bring a new perspective to discussions. We have tough decisions ahead of us, but in order to grow, they must and will be made,” said McCabe.
“I expect to hear from you – good or bad – because I am here for you and because of you.”
Councillor Sherry Burke thanked residents for re-electing her.
“I look forward to working with township staff and I look forward to working with the new mayor and the council to continue to build Wellington North as a strong and vibrant community,” she said.
Mark Goetz also addressed the upcoming fiscal challenges, but said working together will make them seem less onerous.
“It is vital that staff, various groups of people and council continue to work alongside each other to bring the Township of Wellington North closer together which will benefit us all,” he said.
“Wellington North has in the past and will continue to face many challenges to maintain the level of service one expects from their township – in most cases these challenges … require some change.”
Councillor Dan Yake reiterated the excitement to turn a new page in Wellington North and expressed his confidence in the new mayor.
“I met with Andy about two weeks ago and we chatted for a little while,” Yake said.
“As we were talking I said to him, ‘Andy you’ll be the fifth mayor that I work under’ and without missing a beat, he said, ‘don’t think of it as working under, think of it was working with.’”
Yake said this is an opportunity to build a strong a lasting partnership within council and the community.
“There’s an old saying that says, the wars of the world were not won by individuals, they were won by united, well-structured teams,” he said.
“I’m positive that we will move forward with a united, well-structured team with Mayor Lennox’s leadership and a mix of new and experienced council members.”
The inauguration ceremony was followed by a reception in the council chamber.
