Councillor Tina Comi has announced she is resigning from council in a letter addressed "Dear Collingwood."
Comi sent the letter via email to CollingwoodToday this afternoon (Jan. 21), referring to it as her statement to the community regarding her resignation from town council.
The letter praises Collingwood for "bringing light" into darkness, with Comi listing examples of community spirit, help for people in need, and support for local organizations.
"It has been my sincere pleasure to serve you," she wrote. "At this time I must leave my position as councillor."
She signed off wishing the community all the best.
This was Comi's first term on council. She ran and was elected in the 2018 municipal election.
Comi's seat could be one of three council positions that will need to be filled this year.
Deputy Mayor Keith Hull has been on a leave of absence from his council seat since the end of November. Mayor Brian Saunderson is running in the June 2022 provincial election for the Conservatives and will be required to vacate his council seat if elected as an MPP.
The next municipal election will take place Oct. 24, 2022.
The full text of Comi's letter is as follows:
Dear Collingwood,
It has been my sincere pleasure to serve you. You have humbled me with your passion and commitment to the betterment of the place we call home. As a community, we have come together to move many important issues forward and demonstrated that an empowered, engaged electorate is capable of making lasting change.
To me, the spirit of Collingwood is felt in the words of St. Francis, “Where there is darkness, let there be light,” because Collingwood, you bring your light every time.
You bring people out of the cold. You donate to jacket and backpack drives. You plant flowers and trees and turn us into a Bee City. You band together to save our historic grain terminals. You dedicate your time to our beautiful trail system. You volunteer at our wonderful Hospital and Hospice.
I stood strong on the issues I was elected for and upheld my duty to ensure your tax dollars were spent responsibly. Traffic calming is now in our school zones and along Findlay Drive. The Hamilton Drain trail is fully lit. After much advocating (and a couple yellow cards) we will celebrate the opening of the long awaited washrooms at Fisher Field. I’m proud to have initiated the recognition of International Women’s Day which is now an annual sold-out town event.
I marched in the street with you in solidarity against hatred and racism and supported the brave people who ultimately took down a flag and raised our collective voice.
When our beloved Sunset Point playground was vandalized we joined together and orchestrated the Love Bomb, mobilizing our community in a day of action that will long live in our hearts.
At this time I must leave my position as councillor.
I wish all of you the very best in health and well-being and look forward to continuing to shine right alongside you.
Sincerely,
Tina Comi
