Bradford mayor elect Rob Keffer promises inclusive government

Newly elected Bradford West Gwillimbury Mayor Rob Keffer says a good council has been elected that will be ready to listen to the needs of the people when its term begins in December.

Keffer received 4,741 votes (54 per cent) to defeat two-term incumbent Doug White (3,764 votes) for the mayor’s position. Hernan Burgos received 254 votes.

“It is good feeling that people were ready for a change and they were looking for a feeling that their voices are being heard and they can have input into the issues that are affecting them as the town moves forward,” Keffer said.

He said the people want to be able to easily communicate with their councillors, who will pass on their concerns to the town staff. He believes the new councillors are the right people for the job.

“I think we have a good group that has been elected and they’re going to work hard. They all worked hard to get elected and they all talked to an awful lot of people and they’ll want to carry on and follow up on the message that they got from the residents.”

The incoming mayor said his first priority will be to sit down with councillors to find out what they each heard from residents when they were going door-to-door, to create an action plan that will carry this town forward for the next four years.

The new council will also need to tackle the 2015 budget right from the get-go.

Keffer said he intends to treat people’s tax dollars with respect and wants council to return to line-by-line budgeting. He admits that may not happen in the first year, as there will be time constraints to get next year’s budget approved quickly, but he hopes council will return to this process in the years ahead.

“We’ll be diligent as a council to see where the tax dollars go and to spend wisely and we’ll move the town forward,” he said.

Keffer thanked White for his work during two terms as mayor and a previous term as a councillor. Keffer was the deputy mayor the last four years.

“Doug has given 11 years to this town and the commitment, the hours that Doug has put in for the betterment of this town, we have to recognize and appreciate that, so thanks so much, Doug,” Keffer said on election night when White came to his campaign headquarters to offer congratulations.

The new mayor thanked his campaign team and all his volunteers and said the support he received has been humbling and he’s honoured to serve the people of Bradford.