New council takes office

Inaugural meeting of Council held at the Regent Theatre

The Regent Theatre was the site of the inaugural meeting on of the newly elected council on Monday evening. Family and friends of the mayor-elect and councillors-elect were joined by Ontario Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell, representatives from the provincial government and neighbouring municipalities and 8 Wing from Trenton for the inaugural meeting of Council. The evening started with a bagpipe procession of the new council, followed by the formal entrance of Lt. Gov. Dowdeswell. Students from PECI led the singing of the national anthem before the meeting was called to order by Municipal Clerk Catalina Blumenberg. CAO Marcia Wallace read the municipality land acknowledgement and then introduced the newly elected council members, before asking Lt. Gov. Dowdeswell onto the stage to give her greetings to the new council.

The lieutenant governor said that municipal elections are an essential part of the democratic process, and that she was pleased to have the opportunity to bring greetings to the new council. “Democracy is so much more than a vote,” she said. “It’s really about how we choose to live our lives together in community. I’ve had the great privilege of travelling through this province and listening to Ontarians, to hear what’s on their minds, to hear how they are doing, and I’ve never been more committed to the level of municipal governments. It is municipal government that’s closest to people, and that’s what makes it so important. There’s never been a more important time for respectful conversations about how to move forward, and the first place to start is with your own municipal government. So I’m really here tonight to say a profound ‘thank you’ to the people who stood up to be counted, who decided they would volunteer their time and effort to make your community a better place, and I couldn’t be happier than to be here to say thank you and to wish you all well.” CAO Wallace than read a letter from MP Ryan Williams in which he pledged to collaborate with the new council in areas such as affordable housing, health care and economic development. Adam Bramburger extended congratulations and greetings from MPP Todd Smith, and said that Council now had the task to represent everyone in Prince Edward County. He praised Mayor Ferguson’s role as a leader over the past four years and he was confident that the new council would have the fuel to move Prince Edward County forward to meet the challenges and embrace the opportunities over the next four years. Representatives from Belleville, Hastings County, Greater Napanee and 8 Wing also offered their congratulations and desire to work together with the new council.

Each councillor-elect then made a solemn declaration to serve to the best of their ability and were sworn into office by Municipal Clerk Blumenberg.

The mayor-elect was then officially sworn in to his office, and formally invested with the Mayor’s gown and chain of office by his family members Mary Malone and Sara Ferguson Wetmore. The final symbolic piece was the presentation of the Mayor’s gavel to Mayor Ferguson by former councillor Jamie Forrester. With this, Mayor Ferguson took over as Chair of the inaugural meeting. His first order of business was to thank municipal staff and health care providers for their efforts to keep the community safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also thanked all the candidates who ran in the municipal election, as well as all the volunteers who helped with their campaign. He then spoke about working with the new team of councillors over the next four years. “There is a great potential within this group to make a difference in this County as we work together as a team. We won’t always agree, but by keeping an open mind and striving to build consensus, I am confident we can keep the momentum going and accomplish our goals over the next four years.” He said there are challenges ahead in the areas of affordable and attainable housing, health care, transportation, education, aging infrastructure, water management, the wise use of tax dollars, and ensuring everyone has enough to eat, and he pledged that the new council will do a better job of clearly communicating the issues and the facts. “I want to build our reputation as a community where you can get things done efficiently and well. The focus must be on finding creative ways to help [people] achieve their goals and their dreams,” he said. “I look forward to working with all of you in our stewardship of fiscal, economic, environmental and social issues in Prince Edward County.”