Editor's Note: We asked Tay Township council members for their take on the first two years of their mandate as well as how they see the future unfolding. A few didn't respond, but we're delighted to offer you some insight from those who did. Today, we hear from Ward 2 councillor Mary Warnock.
Question 1. What are you most proud of, personally as a councillor, that you/council have been able to accomplish in the first half of your mandate?
My major goals and reasons for seeking election were to make a difference in our community. Although I was involved as a volunteer, I hoped by having a seat at the Council table I could make changes at the municipal level & in a much broader sense.
I hoped to address the needs of our ever-growing senior population, address housing, transportation and internet gaps, address infrastructure needs, improve communication and therefore encourage the engagement of our residents, beautify and take pride in our homes and enhance the value of our properties and encourage investors and tourism, expand our parks and promote recreation programs for all ages.
Here is where we are on the list.
I wanted to implement a Community Policing Committee and I have done that. With the support of Councillor Bumstead we now have a great group of volunteers. We act as a liason between the OPP & our residents bringing up to date reports through public safety information sessions to our residents. Our first year in speaker/panel format & now in a zoom format.
The Simcoe County Affordable Senior housing project is now complete with a few landscaping touches to be complete in the spring.
This was done in partnership with the County Of Simcoe & the township of Tay. There is still much to do however to address the housing crisis & supply attainable housing.
The Linx bus route is scheduled to operate & serve Tay in January 2021 however the plan to omit Port McNicoll from the route has caused this Council to wonder why the County would allow an omission of such a large portion of Tay residents?
Council will continue to negotiate this decision as we do not approve. We will be having further talks in January on this matter. Although this bus route will help with some of our transportation needs, we still have a large rural population that is not being served.
We have in place a very ambitious roads program which will see the majority of them paved and repaired within a shorter time frame than the previous long term plan allowed.
We have done some park improvement, a new washroom at MacKenzie Park will be completed this spring, an expanded parking lot, new accessible walkways and a gazebo are planned for that site as well. Plans for Oakwood Park, we are hoping to have a multi-purpose hard surface completed by June of 2021 and the addition of walkways and benches.
We have just completed our Age Friendly Plan which I was very proud to be a part of and have a needs study to have as a template for action. We have in place many senior programs, recreation programs, a talk series with guest speakers and hosted many events.
Question 2. What is your biggest disappointment as it relates to a council decision/direction or issue?
A major disappointment in this term for me personally was the decision of Council not to allow the Senior Advisory Committee a committee of Council to apply for a Provincial grant that would have helped in the implementation of the Age Friendly plan. As one member of Council and a team player, I must accept the decision of the majority of its members and move forward for that is democracy.
Question 3. Nobody saw the pandemic coming. Specifically, as a councillor, what is the biggest challenge the pandemic has created and how have you tried to tackle that challenge?
We have had many challenges as a Council the first one being the sudden loss of our Deputy Mayor Jim Crawford two weeks into our term. His sudden passing & Council’s decision around the procedure & process to replace him caused a ripple effect early on in our term.
We then did an organizational review which changed our corporate structure, so many changes for our staff. Along with that, our CAO left for another position as did our clerk and recently our junior planner. Our Operations General Manager retired as well.
We were able to hire a communications officer and human resource person, which will be key to helping with the transition.
Our new CAO has had all of this to manage along with COVID. The challenges of dividing our staff between two buildings, Zoom Meetings and no more face-to-face discussions has made this past year a struggle to say the least.
Question 4. Access to Georgian Bay remains a concern for many. Do you feel council needs to address this issue? If so, how?
Council made a decision in regards to the boat launch this year to prioritize Tay residents for parking near the only free boat launch in Tay. I have advocated for this while campaigning for election and feel access to our waterfront for our residents is a top priority.
Question 5 and 6. Are you doing enough as a council to be transparent, to encourage public input and to listen? How so? How could that be improved during the second half of your mandate? What is the biggest challenge council faces in the second half of its mandate (ie. Staff retirements, promised tax freeze, capacity) and what are your top priorities?
I am very proud of our resilient staff and thankfully we have managed to serve the public while keeping staff & residents safe.I am hoping our new communication officer will help with communication between the Township and our residents. Our website is being updated for easier use and hopefully we can keep them updated on events and happenings.
I would like to see a more transparent model that encourages residents to come forward to express viable solutions and welcome them to volunteer to see their vision come to life. We have completed our strategic plan & continue to tick off the items brought forward by that study.
We have many challenges ahead and there is always room to improve & actions that have to happen to elicit change. Infrastructure, our water and waste/ water plants are expensive commodities that take taxpayers dollars to maintain but are essential & come with many regulations.
We must keep up with road and bridge repairs and there is only one taxpayer. Tay’s challenge is our small tax base. We need to support small business, solicit investors & encourage growth. Tourism is our asset and perhaps by working together with our neighbours we can see our Township grow and prosper.
Question 7: Lastly, do you intend to seek re-election? Why or why not?
You asked if I would be seeking re-election? I am one that has never closed the door on the future and it’s possibilities but if asked today, I would say definitely no. Although women have made great strides in our society, there still is a glass ceiling in politics at all levels. Women have to shout much louder to be heard even in this day and age. So I may go back to volunteering where I felt I could make a difference and where I felt my efforts were always appreciated.
I will continue to work hard for the remainder of my term to serve those who elected me and to bring about positive change to the community I love, the Township of Tay.
