With the new year right around the corner, CollingwoodToday asked elected representatives in the Town of The Blue Mountains to look forward to the coming year and tell us about their top priorities and how they would like to see their community progress in the coming year.
Their answers are included below, and you can find part one of this two-part series here.
The answers have been published verbatim, with the only corrections being for spelling and grammar. We have published the answers in the order we received them. Not all members of council responded to the questions.
What would you like to see as priorities for council/the municipality in 2025?
Deputy Mayor Peter Bordignon: Honestly, moving and working more efficiently with council and projects is a top priority for me in 2025. Municipal government needs to be more proactive and less reactive on projects. I would like to see positive steps forward with a collaborative approach with all items and files. Priority items include housing, recreational opportunities, securing a location for the long-term care facility and overall fiscal accountability.
Councillor Paula Hope: First, I would like to see the continued successful implementation of the above-mentioned plans and projects that the town has developed over the last few years, while also ensuring that residents are well-served in all areas, including its desire for a local long-term care facility. Secondly, I look forward to working with, and supporting, the development of the town’s new and current members of the town’s leadership team. I would also like to see the town focus on the delivery of affordable/attainable housing, with comprehensive help from Grey County. As per the housing needs study that the town requested, 215+ units will address the residents’ immediate needs for affordable/attainable housing. It is my fond hope that the town will be able to assist many members of the community in this most critical area of concern for all taxpayers in 2025/26. Trees are of paramount importance to the town’s taxpayers. I hope that council and staff can develop policies that will further protect our wonderful trees while also meeting the concerns of our hard-working agricultural community. I also look forward to the ongoing flourishing of the Blue Mountains Public Library, along with its quest to preserve and protect the town’s cultural character and heritage. Finally, I am looking forward to the development of a comprehensive code of conduct for council, staff and the public in 2025. With well-thought-out policies for the management of relationships within the town hall, the Town of The Blue Mountains will ensure a nurturing and safe environment for all who enter its hallowed halls.
Councillor Alex Maxwell: 1) Helping address affordability, be it through food security or housing.
2) Maintaining our rural agricultural lands and our small town character.
3) Economic development and in particular the diversification of our local economy.
4) The preservation of our natural environment and our local built and natural history.
5) To work more closely with our service clubs, not-for-profits and individuals who are working to help serve the community.
Councillor June Porter: Accountability and transparency being my mantra, I would like to see council governance increase trust and accountability through enhanced reporting which would include financial key performance indicators to monitor and govern the town’s fiscal health and operational effectiveness during 2025. I would like to see the 2025 budget accompanied by a comprehensive work plan to serve to prioritize and sequence projects within the available resources and tracking of deliverables.
Councillor Gail Ardiel: For priorities, there are a few. First, budget forecasting for the next five years for core and non-core services. This budget is going to be very challenging and there is only one taxpayer, and we need to manage the taxpayer’s money well and spend wisely. Also, having the budget completed in early December 2025 so there are no surprises and residents can also budget for the year 2026.
- Work with developers in getting affordable housing built that is truly affordable and not market-based housing as these are two different types.
- Updating the procedural by-law i.e. the employee whistleblower policy, and the employee code of conduct. The provincial government has concluded its code of conduct that would allow for the creation of a standard code of conduct for all municipalities, this has been an initiative that I have been advocating for for many years with the province, hopefully now under new provincial legislation this will address workplace harassment. These are just a few of my priorities.
You are now two years into this term of council, what do you think is the most surprising part of the job as an elected member of The Blue Mountains council?
Deputy Mayor Peter Bordignon: Going into my second term, it continues to surprise me the time it takes to move priorities and projects forward. We truly need to work together to be more actionable on many fronts. I trust 2025 will bring a united path towards town priorities for both staff and especially our residents.
Councillor Paula Hope: Serving the Town of The Blue Mountains as town councillor continues to be an engaging and fulfilling experience for me. I enjoy helping our taxpayers and making a difference in their daily lives, whenever possible. After four years of service as councillor, I continue to be surprised by the amount of time, expertise, research, preparation, reading, and interface with residents and staff is required to develop excellent solutions to difficult challenges. While I thoroughly enjoy the process of creating answers with a well-motivated team such as my council colleagues, town staff and community members, I am astonished that the town councillor role continues to be considered part-time. Being a town councillor is a responsibility, and a worthy pursuit, that really does involve full-time focus, and concentration, to best serve its mandate and constituents. I hope that the day comes soon that the town councillor role is given its full due as a vital, full-time leadership contributor to the survival and strategic growth of every municipality. Thank you for the opportunity to celebrate another year of being your town councillor. Please accept my best wishes for a wonderful holiday season and a happy New Year to every member of our beloved community!
Councillor Alex Maxwell: What surprised me the most was how some federal policies, provincial polices and non-governmental bodies ended up directly and indirectly affecting our local taxpayers, plus how accustomed we have become to relying on outside expertise for the management of the municipality and our reliance on additional forms of taxation to manage the Town of The Blue Mountains.
Councillor June Porter: Perhaps the expectations of others, however, my approach is always taking the time to listen, learn and ask questions of our very engaged residents, key stakeholders and town staff with a focus on being accountable and transparent in my interactions and decision making.
Councillor Gail Ardiel: There are no surprises for myself, I knew what I was getting into. The new members of council probably didn’t realize the long hours. This is a full-time position and “is not for the faint of heart”. Having to consider conflicting interests and making informed decisions that will not be popular with everyone. The most important point and this should not be surprising; is working as a team and, if we don’t, nothing will be completed.
