Six incumbents and five newbies is how the next Barrie city council will look when it meets next month.
But following Monday’s city election, how will it work with this mix?
“I’m a cup-half-full kind of person. I believe council will function just fine,” said Ward 5 Coun. Robert Thomson, who was acclaimed in the city vote. “Candidates have had the opportunity to meet with residents and hear their concerns. I believe that all returning members and the newly elected will have the greater good of the city in mind when taking their seat around the horseshoe (city council table).
“Having the opportunity to read a lot of the candidates' platforms, there were a lot of similarities in priorities.”
But the mix of people and personalities will undoubtedly be different.
Alex Nuttall is Barrie’s next mayor, replacing Mayor Jeff Lehman, who didn’t seek re-election after three terms.
Lehman did not respond to a request for comment from BarrieToday, but did post some thoughts on the local election results on his social media.
Some day-after thoughts and notables from the election...a few 🧵's
— Jeff Lehman (@jedi_lehman) October 25, 2022
First, this is the first @cityofbarrie election in at least 20 years where NONE of the incumbents were defeated, and two were acclaimed. There was no public mood for change, clearly - turnout was awful... pic.twitter.com/a3DsIBfK8M
Craig Nixon is Ward 2’s new councillor, Amy Courser won in Ward 4, Nigussie Nigussie in Ward 6, and Bryn Hamilton in Ward 10.
Returning are Ward 1 Coun. Clare Riepma, Ward 3 Coun. Ann-Marie Kungl, Thomson in Ward 5, Coun. Gary Harvey in Ward 7 (who was also acclaimed), Coun. Jim Harris in Ward 8, and Coun. Sergio Morales in Ward 9.
Ward 4 Coun. Barry Ward, also the deputy mayor, and Ward 10 Coun. Mike McCann, both ran for mayor and lost to Nuttall. Ward 2 Coun. Keenan Aylwin and Ward 6 Coun. Natalie Harris didn’t seek re-election after a single council term.
Thomson said he doesn’t believe it will take long for the new councillors to get up to speed.
The inaugural council meeting is Wednesday, Nov. 16. Meetings move to Wednesday nights in the coming term.
“I think it's a great asset that the mayor-elect (Nuttall) was a sitting member of council for two terms (2006-2014), so the workings of municipal government are not new to him,” Thomson said. “The other members, who this is brand new to, will need to learn on their feet and quite quickly … with the budget being presented shortly after being sworn in.
“It’s like being thrown in the deep end,” he said of the annual operating and capital budget. “It’s one of, if not the most important things, council deals with.
“I am confident in the ability of this council,” Thomson added. “We have a variety of skill sets around the table and with six returning members of council now having experience, helping new members navigate through these uncharted waters, will make the transition from last council to this council smooth.”
Upping the budget ante is that one of the most important pieces of Nuttall’s election platform was a property tax freeze, not counting the dedicated infrastructure fund, which is used to replace and renew Barrie’s roads, pipes and buildings. It could be one per cent more this year, in part to pay for road repairs, another plank of the next mayor’s election platform.
The annual budget sets both property taxes and service levels in Barrie. It is normally debated and passed late in the year or early in the next one.
