County councillors have announced their hopes for positions in the coming year.
The result is there will be several elections for chairmanships of committees.
Councillor Lou Maieron might be the busiest in lobbying for votes.
Maieron is running to become chairman of the county’s powerful administration, finance, and personnel committee. He has sat on that committee for two years, and said, “I believe I’ve done my due diligence.”
Maieron is challenging incumbent chairman Mike Broomhead.
He had stated a year ago that he hoped to run for warden this year, but he said there are some things on the committee that he has set out to do that will not be completed until 2008.
As well, he said as Mayor of Wellington North he wants to be available to shepherd about $34-million in capital projects that are all going to be done in the coming year, so he simply does not have time to be warden this year. Those projects include a sewage treatment plant expansion, a new arena for Mount Forest, a library and medical centre for Arthur, as well as a bridge.
“I don’t think, doing those projects, I could do justice to the job of warden,” Broomhead said. “I hope to throw my name in next year.”
Broomhead said Green has provided “outstanding leadership.”
He said he also wants to sit on the information, heritage, and seniors committee.
Councillor Joanne Ross-Zuj has also sat on the administration, finance, and personnel committee, and stated she would consider the chairmanship.
Maieron said if he is not elected to be chairman of the administration, finance, and personnel committee, he would like to be chairman of solid waste services.
In doing so, he will be opposing incumbent chairman Bob Wilson. Wilson had told Maieron that their ideas for effective and efficient operation of garbage collection are completely opposed, so councillors will be considering which direction to go.
Wilson said the committee just completed the first year of a three-year program, and he hopes to be chairman as those projects are completed. Wilson was defeated in the 2003 election before returning last year, and he added, “It’s wonderful to get back here.”
Maieron said that he does not expect to win either position, but he is running because he believes there should be an election.
Carl Hall is the incumbent chairman of the roads committee, and the lone candidate to date.
In social services, Gord Tosh wishes to remain the county chairman. He noted it is the county’s turn to head the joint Guelph-Wellington committee. There were no formal challengers for that post at the meeting.
Brad Whitcombe is seeking to again be the chairman of the information, heritage, and seniors committee.
Councillor Lynda White asked to be reappointed as the liaison to the Police Services Board. The liaison reports to county council in the same manner as chairmen present committee reports.
Councillor Walter Trachsel is hoping to return as chairman of the planning committee.
“Being chairman is simple because you’ve got the best staff in the world,” he said.
There will be open elections for all the races for chairman on Dec. 7.
Councillors who are not running to head committees did have a chance to state their preferences for committee work.
Councillor Rod Finnie also made a plea for some unity on the council, and said, “It’s been a challenging year. One thing to consider, what we should be doing as a county – one rather than seven [municipalities]”
He wants to return to the roads and information, seniors, and heritage committees.
Councillor Chris White has just completed his first year on county council, and said, “It’s been a wonderful year … a real eye-opener.” He wants to sit on solid waste services.
Councillor Barb McKay spent nine months sitting in the gallery watching county council, and then she won the seat. She said, “It’s a lot different being down here” around the horseshoe.
She asked to stay on the social services and planning committees.
Councillor Mark MacKenzie said he would like to remain on information, seniors, and heritage and the accessibility advisory committee.
Ross-Zuj said her first year on county council was “exciting.” She said her recent lobby efforts in Ottawa taught her all municipalities in Ontario are stressed to pay for infrastructure, so “It is a wonderful time for county to look at new ways of doing business.”
She wants to chair the administration, finance, and personnel committee, or at least remain a member, and also sit on the roads committee.
Councillor Jean Innes said it has been a real change moving from a township to county council, and she had heard on the streets that “people had real concerns about taxes.” She said her campaign was smart planning and fair taxes.
She wants to return to the planning committee, and “I would stand for chair if needed.”
Innes added that the information, seniors, and heritage committee will be making decisions about Centre Wellington libraries next year, so she would like to sit on that committee “to make sure it’s kept simple.”
Councillor David Anderson was unable to attend, but told Warden John Green he would like to sit on the planning and the administration, finance and personnel committees.
