Editor's note: BarrieToday is running profile stories on candidates for city council in each of the city's 10 wards. For more election coverage, visit our 2022 municipal election page by clicking here, where you can also find mayoral profiles and other election news.
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Adam Wilcox says he will listen, then act, if elected Ward 9 councillor in the Oct. 24 city election.
“I hear other people talk about what they want to see and I’m like, well, let’s see if we can, you know, accomplish something,” said the 21-year-old civil engineering student at Georgian College. “Let’s see if I can go through it and see if I can make a good change for my neighbours, for my friends, for the families.
“I’ll listen to them and I’ll see what I can do to put that together for them.”
Wilcox has never run for political office, but he has some experience with elections — having worked at Elections Canada for about four months as a service agent, and then as a poll supervisor in the Barrie-Innisfil riding during the last federal election.
Wilcox says his priorities are affordable housing, transportation within Barrie and tourism, but he’s also concerned about smaller issues, such as vehicles parked on the road have an adverse effect on proper street cleaning.
“So you know, big issues, small issues, but they’re all fun to work on, you know, find the solutions for and get to the bottom of things,” he said.
Wilson says he would bring a good skill-set to the next Barrie city council.
“I grew up pretty fast and I’ve had a lot of jobs leading up to now, so I have many different experiences with that sort of thing,” he said. “As well as just being able to communicate with people no matter their age — if they’re old, if they’re young.
“I’m easy to communicate with and I’m not scared to have a conversation at all. Also to come up with plans and solutions, and implement them.”
Wilcox says the next city council, with a new mayor and at least four new councillors, will be a challenge but not a body he can’t be part of or work with.
“It’s going to be a little different, but that’s not something I’m scared of,” he said.
Wilcox said he has no preference who’s the next mayor, replacing Jeff Lehman, who isn’t running for re-election after almost 12 years on the job.
“I’d like to look into each person before I make that decision,” Wilcox said. “Before I go to vote, I do look at everything… before going and seeing what everyone brings to the table.
“If everything meets the criteria of what I’m looking for… that would be the person I’m going for.”
Wilcox’s opponents for Ward 9 councillor are Norm Costello, incumbent Sergio Morales, and William Rowe.
For more information on the city election, visit barrie.ca.
