After sleeping on the municipal election results, I have some thoughts about what the local results mean and the possible impact of changes at the county level.
On Trent Hills council we have changes in generation, gender and personality that are likely to mean a more activist approach than we have seen for a decade.
Current Mayor Bob Crate has called the consensus and collegial approach followed by the council his biggest accomplishment. It’s true the current councillors did get along, certainly in public, but that’s in part because they didn’t push to do much.
Taking action, which I think the new council will try to do on several fronts, may lead to disagreements and livelier discussions. The current council’s passive approach kept any differences under control.
For example, last spring, I asked one councillor what had become of the long-delayed plan for a policy on short-term rentals. I had naively assumed that after a couple years of back and forth and apparent staff action, a policy would be in place by the summer season to regulate such rentals.
“We’re complaints driven and the number of complaints has dropped, so there’s no urgency,” he responded.
Based on their comments, personalities and promises, I don’t expect the new crew to be sitting back awaiting complaints before acting. I think staff will face more questions and more pressure to act.
That short-term rental policy is finally coming soon, new mayor Mike Metcalf said last week. Expect it to be in place by next summer.
What else might we see action on?
Metcalf has acknowledged the need for a levy to fund the new hospital, something the current council has shrugged off. If they are smart, the new council will start the levy in 2027 and have it in place for at least a decade. There is no reason to delay action now.
Also, expect action on the water and wastewater systems for the new campus of care sooner rather than later. Once the hospital sets out what it needs, things need to move quickly in order to accommodate the new long-term care facility that hopes to start construction next year and the hospital.
Given new councillor Ethan Armit’s comments about the Hastings ball diamond site, I expect him to push quickly for action to start working on park improvements there. That’s likely to trigger a push for action on the hillside park in Campbellford too.
Mayor Metcalf will have his work cut out for him at Northumberland council. We need county action on the new Campbellford bridge, if it’s to be built or not, and support for our new hospital.
But getting money from Northumberland will be a challenge. The bridge was last discussed in public more than a year ago at council and Cobourg Mayor Lucas Cleveland, who easily won re-election on Monday, expressed amazement that the county was spending money in the northern reaches when he needed help in his town.
At that point, Crate didn’t speak for or against the new bridge and the topic has been ignored, even as the county has spent several million dollars on the project again this year.
The province has consistently refused to support the bridge, so conservatives will need to urge Premier Doug Ford to act.
Metcalf will have to push the county to either build a new bridge or develop a backup plan. Then county chief administrative officer Jennifer Moore said more than a year ago that county council would soon need to make a decision on whether or not to proceed.
As I reported yesterday, the county also dragged its feet on two road construction projects that were planned for the Hastings area this summer. I’m betting Armit and Metcalf will be pushing to ensure that doesn’t happen again.
Metcalf will also have his work cut out for him getting hospital funding from the county. Pushed by Port Hope Mayor Olena Hankivsky, last year the county slashed its annual funding for both Campbellford Memorial and Northumberland Hills hospitals and redirected that money to a walk-in clinic in Port Hope.
Hankivsky was defeated on Monday, but it’s doubtful that new Port Hope Mayor Todd Attridge will be any more disposed to helping us, especially given the infrastructure pressures his community faces as the province moves ahead with plans for a huge nuclear facility on its western edge.
Elsewhere in the county, Brian Ostrander was re-elected mayor of Brighton, newcomer Sherry Gibson was elected mayor of Alnwick/Haldimand, Sandra Arthur is the new mayor of Cramhe township, while Scott Jibb was acclaimed as mayor of Hamilton township.
At the last county council meeting, Cleveland said that being a new mayor and new to the county had been a steep learning curve four years ago. In fact, he said, it was more like climbing a cliff.
Now that he’s been re-elected and is more comfortable in his position, he’s likely to push even harder to reduce the number of municipalities and to focus spending in his area.
One place we are likely to see action is increased communication by the municipality and councillors to let people know what’s going on. The lack of information was a constant refrain at each election meeting and for candidates at front doors. Expect some low-cost initiatives to start early in the new year.
Very interesting and well thought out assessment. Should be interesting!