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Collins, French seek big chair

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In Springwater
Sep 16th, 2010
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By RAYMOND BOWE BARRIE EXAMINER September 16 2010
SPRINGWATER TWP. — A veteran councillor and a political newcomer are battling incumbent mayor Tony Guergis for the chain of office.
The three-way race includes two-term councillor and Midhurst resident Linda Collins and Grenfel-based businessman Bill French.
Collins, a retired elementary school principal and former teacher who’s in her 60’s, says she wants to be mayor because she has the experience and wants to take on additional leadership responsibilities.
“It’s just like in the school system — I came in as a teacher and worked my way up through the system to become a principal,” said the Ward 3 councillor. “This is the logical next step — I feel I’m ready for that and I’ve got the skill set to do it.”
Collins has also helped run a beef feed lot south of Stayner for the last 20 years.
French, whose 40-year business career has included teaching business courses at Georgian College for the last five years, says his business acumen would help township residents. He believes he can get “more blast for the buck” from taxes.
“I’m not suggesting I’m going to come in and lower taxes, but I certainly know from my practical business experience that we can get a lot more for the dollars we are spending,” he said.
French says there are only two options: the status quo or a new approach.
“I don’t think mediocrity is the way to go,” he said. “I learned that in business.”
French says his three biggest issues in the township are concerns over council transparency and providing a more open forum on the issues, and the need for “orderly” residential development. But the “key” issue, says the 64-year-old, is the rebuilding of Elmvale District High School in the village — its closure would “destroy our economic centre,” he said. “The village and the high school go hand in hand.”
The township needs to have a vision, French said, one which he believes is lacking.
“Quite frankly, I don’t care what the vision is,” he said. “I just haven’t seen any vision. With the current mayor, it just seems to be going with whatever the popular thing may be. I know that happens a lot in politics, but I haven’t seen where we want to be in five years, 10 years, 20 years.
“We need to establish a vision, because the only vision right now is driven by big developers.”
French said he got into the mayoral race “accidentally,” after being involved in community projects and municipal committees. But his eyes have been opened after seeing decisions he believes were not in keeping with the township’s character.
“I know it’s easy to confuse us, because we border on Wasaga Beach and Barrie, but we are a rural commu n i t y , rich in agriculture,” French said. “We have these small settlement areas and people move here because they like that. That could change dramatically (with plans for future residential growth).
“We’d just become an extension of Barrie, and I’m not sure that’s conducive to what we’re doing,” he added.
Collins says there are many issues facing the township, including managing future growth, such as Hillsdale and Midhurst.
“With the residential growth must come employment lands to develop complete communities,” she said. “We have to make sure that if the growth comes along, we bring in the new and we have to sustain the old. It’s not just the new houses coming in, but also the employment lands.
“But I think the No. 1 issue within Springwater is building trust and teamwork with the council,” Collins added. “We need to be more unified … which will also build trust with the public.”
Thirdly, Collins said the township’s character must be retained.
“We need to encourage and recognize our volunteers,” she said, “and maintain that rural atmosphere, the reason for which people move to Springwater.”
Collins says personal characteristics that would make her a good mayor include honesty, hard work and integrity.
“I respond to constituents’ requests,” she said. “I don’t always give the answer they want, but I get back to them. I’m responsive and I’m very reliable and conscientious. It wouldn’t be an ‘I’ council, it would be ‘we’.”
Having experience around the council table is helpful, she added.
“You can be a manager, but you won’t understand Ground Zero,” Collins said. “As we grow older, experience counts a lot, and you can’t underestimate that.”
French says traits he possesses that would bode well in the mayor’s position include leadership qualities, consensus-building, task-orientation and listening skills, “but I’m not good with people who don’t want to do their job,” he said. “I don’t have much time for people who are just giving me lip service.”
French says it’s not the mayor’s job to dictate to councillors, but rather guide discussions around the council table.
“There’s probably a lack of experience in leadership roles,” he said. “Unfortunately, you don’t have to have any of those qualities to be a politician.”

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