With no competition, Thomson and Harvey heading back to council

Couns. Robert Thomson (left) and Gary Harvey have been acclaimed in Wards 5 and 7, respectively. Images supplied

From BarrieToday, August 19, 2022
By Bob Bruton

Better the Barrie councillor you know.

Ward 5 Coun. Robert Thomson and Ward 7 Coun. Gary Harvey have been acclaimed.

When nominations closed Friday at 2 p.m. for the Oct. 24 city election, Harvey and Thomson were the only candidates in their wards.

“It’s something I would never take for granted. I’ve worked hard at it,” said Thomson, who said he was grateful to be acclaimed for a second term in Ward 5. “I was prepared to run an election. I was the first person to put my name forward when nominations opened.”

Thomson filed his paperwork on May 2 at 8:30 a.m.

Harvey also said he never expected to be acclaimed.

“Ward 7 usually has at least four candidates running and I’ve seen as many as 13 in the 2016 byelection,” said Harvey, who is also moving into his second term. “I will definitely not take this acclamation for granted.

“I will now use this time to continue to door-knock, speaking to my residents, listening to what their priorities and concerns are for the next four years,” he added.

And it will be a different council composition for Thomson and Harvey, as Mayor Jeff Lehman is not seeking re-election, nor are Couns. Keenan Aylwin (Ward 2) and Natalie Harris (Ward 6).

Barry Ward is running for mayor, so Ward 4 will have its first new councillor in 22 years.

Mike McCann is also running for mayor after eight years as Ward 10 councillor.

Also running for mayor are Alex Nuttall, Rob Haverson, Gerry Marshall, Andrew Gordon, and Weldon Hachey.

Thomson said he hopes Ward 5 and 7 residents still get out and vote because there’s still a mayoral election that requires their attention.

But he said there is a message when a councillor is acclaimed.

“I’ve come to realize that we kind of vote people out, so you can look at it one way that people felt that I’ve done what they’ve asked me for the last four years,” Thomson said. “This job is all about the residents, so if you serve the people you’re their voice. Is this the reward for it? I don’t know.

“On the other hand, if you run in an election then everything you’ve done in your previous term is the litmus test,” he added. “Is it working? Are you resonating with your residents? Are you doing the right things? Are you their voice? And you learn that really quick.

“It’s basically a job interview every four years. On performance.”

Nevertheless, Thomson said he has mixed feelings about being acclaimed. Like Harvey, he said he will continue to knock on doors.

“I’ll be out tonight door-knocking, as I’ve been since the middle of May,” Thomson said. “I’ve done probably over 1,500 doors already. I want to know what matters to my residents.”

For more information on the city vote, which will elect a new mayor and now eight councillors, plus school board trustees, visit barrie.ca.

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