Puslinch Township Mayor Brad Whitcombe has been elected to the national board of directors for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
“I’m looking forward to representing Puslinch Township on a federal level,” Whitcombe told council last week.
On June 1, at the FCM’s annual conference in Quebec City, Whitcombe was one of 11 members – out of 16 who ran – elected to the Ontario regional committee.
Whitcombe said in an interview that about 130 voting delegates showed up for the election, and he received about 100 votes, which was in the top 20% of all those elected.
“I was quite pleased with my results,” he said.
Whitcombe explained that those seeking election to the board talked to other delegates and distributed election literature in the days leading up to the Sunday election, and they were afforded two minutes to speak before delegates cast their ballots.
The mayor said he was grateful for the support he received over the entire weekend, especially from other Wellington County delegates at the conference.
When asked what he hopes to accomplish during his time on the board – elections are held annually – Whitcombe said his main goal will be trying to help close the infrastructure funding gap at the federal level, which has grown to about $123-billion.
The mayor noted half of all the infrastructure in the country is owned by municipalities, but they have the least amount of resources – of all levels of government – to deal with maintenance and renewal projects.
Whitcombe added that investing in infrastructure doesn’t just “fix potholes,” it helps increase the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), the total market value of all final goods and services produced within the country in a calendar year.
According to Whitcombe, the FCM was instrumental in lobbying for permanent federal gas tax funding, which the government announced last month.
And the federation also has a great international program, he said. The FCM’s International Centre for Municipal Development works to help local governments around the world develop the capacity to deliver basic services, promote economic growth, and encourage the participation of their citizens.
“It really is a great organization,” Whitcombe said of the FCM. Puslinch councillors congratulated Whitcombe on his election to the board.
