Mayor Joanne Ross-Zuj welcomed the new council at the inaugural meeting and warned the new team members they better be prepared to work.
“The responsibility you have been entrusted with is enormous,” she said, noting people expect the local council to contribute to the community’s quality of life.
She thanked families, friends and supporters for their help and said all councillors need that support. She also saluted community volunteers who make the quality of life so high in the township.
As for the coming term, Ross-Zuj said council would “take the pieces of the last term with us that worked” and “change what didn’t.”
She saluted the township staff and said it was through their hard work over the last four years that council was able to leverage its slots cash to complete $9-million worth of projects on roads, bridges, water and waste water, the Fergus Grand Theatre and refurbish the Elora drill shed.
She said that was all because of the ability of council to plan and because staff was able to “step up to the plate” to ensure all that work had no impact on the tax base.
But, she warned, the infrastructure funding from the federal and provincial governments is drawing to a close, although those governments are still willing to invest in infrastructure.
But, she explained, that funding will be of a different sort than from the past two years, and staff will have to be ready to meet the criteria to obtain it.
Ross-Zuj said councillors will be considering the township’s strategic plans with an eye to “what we are facing. We’ll decide collectively in the next month and staff will work with us. We must be ready. When the economy recovers, we will be ready to ship those projects out.”
Ross-Zuj also warned there is “huge growth coming” in the next four years, and council will have to work to see that it respects and protects the environment, trail system, and natural areas. She noted Wellington County is working on its official plan, and as soon as the township knows what is in that document, it will begin work on its own official plan.
She said there will be many people “at the table” during that process, including the Grand River Conservation Authority and the Ministry of Natural Resources, as well as the public.
Ross-Zuj said with growth the township will need employment, and she hopes the economic development plans for the township will help to provide that.
“When we speak to the quality of life, we hope that will attract business,” she said.
Another major issue facing council is cuts to the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund. That fund was started by the province around the time of amalgamation and provided the township with over $1-million because the government recognized that the downloading was not as revenue neutral as had been hoped.
But last year, the province cut that back to just over $700,000, an there is a threat that cash will disappear entirely, and if it does, taxpayers will have to replace it unless council can find savings somewhere else.
“It’s never a calm day in politics,” Ross-Zuj said. I’m so welcoming to work with all of you and the community, she said.
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The remainder of council business was minimal. Ross-Zuj was appointed the representative to the GRCA ad Centre Wellington Hydro board.
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Clerk Marion Morris acted as emcee and welcomed everyone. She also swore in each councillor.
The meeting began with a festive air, as 9-year-old Liam MacDonald piped all the councillors into the council chamber.
Reverend Andrew Song, of Knox Presbyterian Church in Elora, provided the invocation and led the prayer prior to the mayor’s inaugural address.
