BWG council gets hip replacement

Letter to Simcoe.com November 4 2010
New deputy mayor encourages debate
Re: Voters break up mayor, deputy mayor teams, Oct. 28I, for one, think the cover story of your Oct. 28 issue, Voters break up mayor, deputy mayor teams, is something to cheer about.
You note Mayor Doug White speaks to “common ground for council to work from” and deputy mayor-elect Rob Keffer refers to “more discussion; more differing ideas will be floated around the council table”.
This is all healthy. 
During the campaign, some felt the mayoral and deputy mayoral races became bitter. I didn’t see it that way.
Issues were hotly debated, particularly the suggestion the mayor and deputy mayor candidates were “attached at the hip” and running on a ticket.
Fortunately, in our municipal system, we vote each position independent of the other, thus we have an incumbent mayor and a new deputy mayor who do not agree on many things.
That is healthy democracy and will provide a sober second thought to most discussions.
The new deputy mayor doesn’t need a warning from anyone that he has big shoes to fill; everyone in Bradford West Gwillimbury has the utmost respect for Dennis Roughley and his many years of dedicated service to the town, including Mr. Keffer.
If candidates were offended by candid letters to the editor, they should recognize these are one way the average voter can get the attention of the candidates and the voting public when they feel some reporting on the issues is skewed.
It’s an election; people who run for office need to put on their big boy pants and address the issues, not take things personally.
We now have a council that has had a hip replacement.
I suggest all the local media embrace that change and work at reporting the positive things that will come from such change.
Jennifer de Winter
Bond Head

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