Mayor’s Levee

Council seeks to improve community engagement as term begins

An audience of about 70 people attended the 2023 Mayor’s Levee on Sunday in the Rotary Hall at the Picton Community Centre. This was the first time in three years that the Levee has been held, as a consequence of the still ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Prior to the official start of the Levee, re-elected Mayor Steve Ferguson and councillors formed a reception line to greet members of the audience and offer their best wishes for the new year. The Levee officially started with piper Steve Sprigings leading the mayor and councillors into the meeting room, where Mayor Ferguson officially introduced the new Council for 2022 to 2026. “There is potential within this Council to make a great difference in our community because we work together as a team. We won’t always agree, but by keeping an open mind and striving to build consensus, I’m confident we can maintain the momentum and accomplish our goals over the next four years,” said Ferguson. He thanked the audience members for coming out to celebrate the new term of council, and welcomed elected officials from neighbouring communities, including Mayor Neil Ellis of Belleville, Mayor Jim Harrison of Quinte West, Mayor Brian Ostrander of Brighton and Mayor Bob Miller of Stirling-Rawdon. Bay of Quinte MPP Todd Smith was also present to offer his well wishes to the new Council. Mayor Ferguson said that the County had formed strong relationships with neighbouring municipalities and the provincial and federal governments and he anticipated that these bonds will continue to strengthen.

Mayor Ferguson extended his thanks to municipal staff for the work over the previous term of council, noting that it had been an exceptionally challenging four years. “The previous four-year term was rewarding in a lot of ways, but was interrupted by the unexpected challenges of flooding and the lingering pandemic,” he said. “A great deal of credit must go to the municipal staff who adjusted to changing responsibilities and working conditions and performed magnificently in the face of unprecedented circumstances.” He said that the new council has completed its orientation session, including a review of municipal bylaws and the relevant federal and provincial regulations, and he outlined what lies ahead in the short term. “Early this year we will identify and communicate our priorities and the criteria for measuring our success over the four years of our term. Many initiatives—the new hospital build, physician recruitment, the Affordable Housing Corporation focused on affordable and attainable housing, Internet and transportation, and attracting external sources of funding—are well underway and will continue. Further deliberations will involve tourism management, our aging infrastructure, water management, and stewardship of our community,” he said.

He pledged to do this in a financially prudent manner, noting that rising interest rates and inflation is putting a strain on County residents. “We owe it to everyone that their hard-earned tax dollars is invested wisely in areas that matter the most.” He noted that the young council has already weathered one quite literal storm in the form of the late December blizzard, and thanked the operations department staff for their exceptional work in safely clearing the roads, helped in part by the loan of snow-clearing equipment from Belleville.

(L-R): Bay of Quinte MPP Todd Smith extends his congratulations to newly elected Athol councillor Sam Branderhorst at the Mayor’s Levee on Sunday.

Mayor Ferguson said there will be unprecedented growth in the County over the next decade or so, and that there is an urgent need to plan for the future. “It is critical to have this conversation now. We are rekindling the Strategic Planning Process from 2021, during the previous term of council. There are five conversations: fostering meaningful public engagement and effective local government; ensuring a thriving inclusive economy; aligning priority infrastructure renewal with responsible fiscal policy; balancing tourism and housing; and thinking global and acting local on climate change.” He said these conversations will serve to guide the County over the next 10 years, and will involve Town Hall meetings as well as smaller focus group meetings with stakeholders, where people from all walks of life can come together and share their vision of the County. “As a community, we need to figure out what works best for Prince Edward County. We need to do this in ways that are transparent and ensure the residents have meaning opportunities to share their feedback,” he said. “As a Council, we are ready to face 2023 as a stable, strategic organization able to deliver quality service that County residents and businesses require. The focus must be on finding creative ways to help people achieve their goals and dreams. We have an extraordinary municipality, unlike any other, and I am excited, motivated and proud and honoured to be your mayor.”

The mayor then officially adjourned the meeting, and invited the audience to partake in refreshments and to meet their elected councillors. Sam Branderhorst is the councillor for Athol, and this is her first time in municipal government. She said she was thrilled to be elected, but within a day or so came to realize the enormous burden of responsibility that comes with making decisions on the behalf of her constituents. “That realization shifted for me, and it made me extremely nervous,” she said. Her first council meeting was a little bit of a baptism by fire, as she had to make a decision about the newly installed speed bumps in Cherry Valley. “I know some people thought it was a small decision, but it still felt like it weighed heavily,” she said. She has received a lot of support from her fellow councillors and municipal staff, as well as from former Athol councillor Jamie Forrester. As a young mother with two children she said it will be a balancing act between working on her farm, family life, and serving her constituents as their councillor. “Growing up in this area, this has always been such a close-knit community. This is something I want to keep and really move forward with. I love that sense of community where everybody knows each other. I want to give my all to council, to listen to my constituents, figure out what their needs are and make decisions that will benefit them.”