Municipal

Among a survey of current councillors, Pat Dunn, Doug Elmslie and Ron Ashmore are all considering a run for the mayor’s position next November.

High profile Lindsay lawyer Jason Ward has made it official — he will be running for mayor in next year’s municipal election.

Darryl James, a local entrepreneur and father of three who helped galvanize support to keep ORVs off Lindsay’s streets, says the fight is “not over.”

In a stunning about-face, Kawartha Lakes council voted down a motion by Mayor Andy Letham to prohibit ORVs from accessing local, collector or arterial roads in Lindsay.

Since the last round of municipal elections in Ontario in 2018, experts have been parsing the results and many say they are very concerned with what they have discovered. It is clear to many in the media, politics and academia that municipal councils do not reflect the people they govern.

Will city residents be facing a 45 per cent property tax increase over 10 years? Or maybe it will be the closure of arenas, libraries, and community halls? Perhaps limiting garbage pick-up to every other week?

Three deputations made by local citizens at the most recent city council committee of the whole meeting proved that with a little bit of research and the willingness to engage politicians, citizens can change decisions made by senior Kawartha Lakes staff about inclusion of properties on the heritage register.