It was standing room only at the Aron Theatre Co-op on Thursday night as about 150 residents came out to watch democracy in action.

Well, not really watch, to actually take part, as 17 candidates in the municipal election fielded questions from the audience.

Aron General Manager Russ Christianson was an effective moderator who insisted people actually asked questions, not gave speeches or just complained. He was aided by timekeeper Wes Szudy who flashed large signs to alert candidates as their time for answers zipped by.

Only Dennis Savery, who is seeking re-election in Ward 5 (Hastings), and newcomer Nader Eid, who is running in Ward 3 (Campbellford), didn’t attend the meeting.

The first hour had candidates for wards one to three on stage. After a short break, candidates for wards four, five and the mayoral race had their time on the hotseats.

The candidates largely agreed on most topics with several answering — “Ditto” — as the microphone was passed to them.

The biggest news of the night was Mike Metcalf’s assurance that as mayor he would not use the strong mayor powers that the province has put in place.

“The short answer is no. The mayor is the leader of the team, but it is a team.”

Metcalf said he would work with the new council. If there are problems getting things done, it’s probably a sign of ineffective leadership, he said.

His opponent, Steven Haylestrom, said he would use the extra powers in order to get things done. The current council “voted to abdicate those powers to council,” he said.

Later he said, “I believe in conciliatory leadership. I’m not a Mussolini leader.”

In an interview after the session, Haylestrom insisted he would need the powers so he could have a say over staffing and hiring, since council isn’t normally involved in these matters. “Otherwise, we have no say over staffing,” he said.

The Ford government has extended strong mayor powers to 216 of the 444 municipalities in the province, saying the leaders needed the ability to move forward without council interference so they could meet home-construction targets. But Trent Hills and many other municipalities that received the powers don’t have provincial housing targets.

Last spring, Mayor Bob Crate rejected the powers and delegated decisions to council, leaving the control much as it had been before.

In the first session, there was general support for the idea of an environmental committee of residents that would explore ways the municipality could promote sustainability.

In response to questions, the candidates agreed that the municipality should find a way to organize volunteers to help residents when the Trent River floods and that the Crowe River conservation area should be more available to residents, while outsiders should pay more.

One question about why speed limits across the municipality are 50 km/h when in many places roads could handle higher speeds took a turn as the candidates mostly favoured lower limits.

“Speeding is a concern because of accidents,” said Viv Smallwood, candidate in Ward 3.

Jana Reid, candidate in Ward 1, suggested speed cameras with the fines going to the municipality. (Good idea but unlikely in Doug Ford’s Ontario.)

The difficulty of finding out what council is doing was the focus of discussion in the first session, as it had been at a candidates’ meeting in Hastings. Smallwood suggested perhaps high school students could prepare a regular newsletter. Adam Briggs, candidate in Ward 2, encouraged greater use of online sources. Reid called for the municipal website to be revamped and updated more regularly.

Ethan Armit, candidate in Hastings, has promised a monthly newsletter if he’s elected.

One question asked what the councillors would do to rein in taxes. Rob Pope, who is seeking re-election in Ward 2, said: “There are a lot of cost pressures. We need to look at everything, but there will be no decrease in taxes.”

Karen Ulrich, candidate in Ward 2, said while campaigning door-to-door several residents have expressed fears that they will be forced to sell as property taxes keep rising.

Russ Christianson with candidates for Wards 1, 2, and 3.

Asked what they would do to ensure the hospital gets built, Haylestrom insisted the planning process is too slow and he’d speed things up.

Metcalf pointed out that the province is building several hospitals and has a proscribed approach that must be followed.

No one asked how much the municipality will offer for the hospital’s capital funding. Metcalf has said he would prefer a separate levy that can be identified on the tax bill so residents will know where the money is going.

Discussing growth and housing, candidates agreed that things are moving slowly as approved projects sit idle, while developers await the prospect of higher profits.

Leslie Mahoney, candidate in Ward 4, said she supports “appropriate housing” for Warkworth.

On the topic of short-term rentals, Metcalf said the municipality is looking at a licensing system similar to the approach taken by other areas and a revised policy should be before council this spring.

Ken Tully, candidate in Ward 4, agreed the sector needs to be regulated, and the municipality needs to ensure someone accountable can be reached quickly if there are problems.

Mahoney said there need to be guidelines that can be enforced to protect neighbours.

Candidates in the second session were asked about the status of a second bridge in Campbellford. Everyone supported the idea. Armit noted that a few years ago Hastings’ residents suffered when their only bridge was closed down and Campbellford residents don’t want to face that prospect.

Crate, who is seeking a council seat in Ward 5, said the current bridge needs repairs, so a second bridge is essential.

Metcalf promised to urge the county to build the bridge and to push the province and federal governments for funding.

“We need to move forward,” Mahoney agreed. “To stop now would be a waste of what we have done until now.”

Metcalf rejects strong mayor powers