Taking office
Posted Dec 7, 2010 03:34:05 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The next round of councillors in the city’s of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge have officially taken office.
Inauguration ceremonies were held at all three city hall’s last night.
In Kitchener, the K-W Symphony Youth Orchestra played processional music as each of the ten councillors found their seats around the horseshoe.
Mayor Carl Zehr,now in his fifth term in office, later read his inaugural address. He says this is history in the making, with the majority of Council made up of fresh faces. He also used his address to assure residents that their tax dollars will be used efficiently and effectively.
There are seven new faces on Kitchener council this year, including Yvonne Fernandes, who says she will offer a different perspective, being one of two women on Council. Councillor Frank Etherington says his celebration was met with uncertainty, since a recount will be held this month to determine if he did indeed win his seat at the table.
Further down King Street in Waterloo, Mayor Brenda Halloran addressed the standing-room only crowd by saying the future is bright in the city but won’t be without challenges. One of the first challenges the council faces is tackling the 2011 budget which she says will come in at or under 1.89%.
Unlike previous years, this council has experience. There are 5 returning councillors and a Mayor that achieved the very rare feat of winning re-election.
The only “fresh-faces” around the horseshoe are Melissa Durrell and Jeff Henry.
Durrell tells 570 News she believes in the city and is proud to help shape it’s future, while Henry says he’s been honoured by the outpouring of support.
In Cambridge, Mayor Doug Craig looked to the future as he delivered his speech at the city’s inaugural council meeting.
Craig told the gathering the city’s “future prosperity lies in high skill, highly productive, advanced manufacturing and design.”
He also issued another call for GO Train service to include Cambridge calling the decision to run a line from Toronto to Kitchener “GO-lite” train service.
As for the amalgamation debate leading up to October’s municipal elections, Craig declared the issue now dead – something he’s happy about although he admits it’s here to stay for the foreseeable future.
Craig says the current system is still too costly and he will continue to lobby for a system of joint service agreements among the three cities and the townships, without what he calls “the waste and expense.”
