Today is a very special day because believe it or not, the municipal elections this fall in Quinte and right across Ontario will spend more time being discussed today than a famous meme line from N’Sync.
The nomination period for this year opens today with at least one local Mayor and several Council hopefuls ready to put their names forward.
It’s a special moment that marks the official run up to some of the most important elections we shall ever see.
While federal and provincial elections get most of the attention, it is the hard working women and men who sit around municipal Council tables who make many of the decisions that affect our day-to-day lives.
Municipalities make sure we have safe and clean drinking water, the roads are paved, garbage and recycling are picked up, snow is cleared, arrange for the funding, maintenance and integration of everything from parks and building permits to emergency response, libraries and Transit.
They promote economic development, assist in the recruitment and retention of medical personnel and grapple with issues like homelessness.
It’s a big job, far bigger than most realize, and they are paid the much less than their provincial and federal counterparts.
The first nomination papers are being filed today, and the future of all our local communities hang in the balance.
So thank you in advance to everyone who steps up and puts their name on the ballot this fall. The election is months away, but the choices we make only happen because you put your name forward to try and help out your friends and neighbours – so thank you
I’m Paul Martin and that’s what I see looking Beyond the Headlines.
