New council installed, ‘we need to strive to do better,’ mayor

New Tecumseth Free Press Online December 2, 2010
New Tecumseth’s 8th new term of council was officially installed at a swearing-in ceremony last night in Alliston administered by Justice Jon-Jo A. Douglas.
The 10 councillors – mayor Mike MacEachern, deputy mayor Rick Milne, Ward 1 Bob Marrs, Ward 2 Jamie Smith, Ward 3 JJ Paul Whiteside, Ward 4 Fran Sainsbury, Ward 5 Donna Jebb, Ward 6 Richard Norcross, Ward 7 Bruce Haire, and Ward 8 Jim Stone – are now officially bound by the oath of office, and will hold their first meeting in committee Monday night.
Also in attendance were Adjala-Tosorontio mayor Tom Walsh, and newly elected mayor and deputy mayor of Essa, Terry Dowdall and Sandi MacDonald. Former New Tecumseth mayor Larry Keogh, and former deputy mayor and councillor Joan Sutherland, along with County CAO Mark Aitken and Nottawasaga OPP detachment commander Dirk Cockburn, among others.
Below is an excerpt from Mayor MacEachern’s inaugural speech he delivered last night:
“With an eye to the future for the Town of New Tecumseth, all of us have promised a progressive and positive approach to the tasks ahead. Some of us have pledged to help bring about changes. I recognize that I am part of a team of elected officials. We have a responsibility to work together, with honesty and transparency, to help make this great Town even greater.
To my fellow members of council I am proud to be on this team. Being part of team doesn’t mean always agreeing on a way forward but it does mean being respectful of one another’s opinions and trying to create a way forward that is in the interest of all of the Town.
I like to think that the staff is also a part of our team and we have some of the finest staff in the province. I know on Monday you were given a snap shot of each of the departments what they do and the challenges that lay ahead. They provided us with their expert advice but at the end of the day we are charged with making decisions and setting direction.
It is traditional, during the inaugural meeting that the mayor should comment on the term ahead and what can be expected within that time.
Value for tax dollars is neither unreachable nor unreasonable. It will be our role to work with staff to ensure our citizens’ needs are met.
We have been designated an urban growth node and as such we have major opportunity which we must continue to realize. Which will mean working co-operatively with the Provincial government. This co-operative approach has led to a great deal of respect from the province which we must continue to cultivate.
Improving communication with our business community and residents continues to be an area where I have seen progress but we need to strive to do better.
Supporting our downtown cores is vital as they are often seen as a reflection or a “window” of the overall health of the community.
We need to ensure that the downtowns of Alliston, Beeton and Tottenham are healthy and vibrant.
Supporting area small business owners is critical. We need to make it easy for those who want to invest in our community to do so easily and for those that have invested to be able to grow and expand ­ 99 percent of business growth and in turn job growth comes from existing small and large business but we spend a lot of time trying to get new business to come here. While that continues to be important
We need to focus effort on supporting our local businesses and business community.
Setting taxes that are fair and reasonable for the services provided ­ is the other constant challenge for the members of council. Together with our staff, we must strike the balance between what the Town needs and what it can afford. We cannot have everything on our wish list, but this vibrant and growing municipality must be able to meet the basic needs of its citizens in a fiscally responsible manner.
It will not be easy, but it can be done. With a united effort and some creative thought, I believe it will be done. If we ask the right questions, if we listen attentively and if we consult with our professional staff, I think we will find the answers we seek. Our final challenge is to build this sense of a collective responsibility that encompasses every citizen of the Town.”