Tim Fryer switched things up at the last minute back in July, when, on deadline day for the Collingwood municipal election nomination, he opted to drop out of the deputy mayor race and take up the challenge to run for a councillor position instead.
Fryer says that while the decision wasn’t easy, it was necessary.
“Over the three months from the start of the nomination period, my work and family commitments did not materialize the way I had anticipated,” he says. “Most specifically, I had expected my workload to shrink some but if anything it has increased. It also didn’t appear that it would diminish to any noticeable degree in the near future.”
As a result, he didn’t think he should commit to the requirements of the deputy mayor position if he wasn’t sure he could give the effort required for that position, but doesn’t see it affecting his abilities to perform councillor duties.
“Since my ongoing workload should be similar to what I have encountered during this term on council, I am confident the requirements of a councillor position can be met,” he says. “Familiarity with exactly what those duties are helps.”
Both Fryer and his wife are from multi-generational Collingwood-area families. Fryer started his career as a summer labourer for the Collingwood Public Utilities Commission for more than three years while completing his economics degree at the University of Western Ontario in the 1970s. Fryer was the lead financial resource for the electric and water utilities for over 30 years. He retired in 2012. He ran successfully for council in 2014.
“At that point in time, I did not believe some of the decisions made in the past were in the best interest for Collingwood from a long-term perspective,” he says. “I felt 2014-18 was going to be a critically important period for Collingwood, to improve upon those past decisions.”
Fryer sees numerous attributes that make Collingwood a special place to live and work, including the town’s tenacity, culture, heritage, environmental features, diversity, municipal and community services and infrastructure. But Fryer believes that the greatest attribute in Collingwood is its citizens.
“Council needs to find more ways to focus on the opportunities that utilizing this untapped expertise can provide,” he says. “For council, providing good governance and strong communication is the best way to preserve and utilize the citizens of Collingwood.”
Next term, Fryer believes council has room for improvement, suggesting taking a look at the committee structure that is currently in place and possibly switching to a committee of the whole structure instead.
Fryer lists many challenges in the relationship between taxpayers and council, including minimizing financial burdens and managing intensification and growth, but the biggest challenge he sees is communication.
“Although policy and procedure are strongly adhered to, there are some cases where citizens feel they have not been fully informed and/or on a timely basis,” says Fryer, pointing to strides that have been made on this front such as live streaming of council meetings, increased social media involvement, reviewing feedback and enhancing policy.
Fryer is one of 19 candidates for councillor in the upcoming October municipal election. Voters may choose up to seven candidates on their ballots for councillor.
The Collingwood Chamber of Commerce is hosting a meet-the-candidates event for councillor candidates on Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. at the CollingwoodLegion. Doors open at 6 p.m. The last event was at capacity and some residents were turned away from the meeting.
The chamber will be posing questions received by members of the public to each of the candidates during the meeting. Click here if you have a question you’d like included.
