KAWARTHA LAKES-At the December 14th council meeting Councillor Tracy Richardson was elected Deputy Mayor.
Councillor Pat O’Reilly closed out his time as Deputy Mayor with remarks about the last two years. Deputy Mayors are elected for a one-year term, however after the first year had limited opportunity for the Deputy Mayor due to the pandemic, O’Reilly was re-elected in 2020.
O’Reilly reflected on his time by thanking Council for the opportunity to serve for a second year, noting that he had hoped to serve while the City hosted the International Plowing Match, however it will not be hosted here until 2024. He thanked staff and fellow Council members for their support and provided a recap of the many growth opportunities across the municipality, from residential and commercial development to investments in roads, health care, parks and sports amenities. He closed by noting, “The last 19 months have been very challenging, but together we have persisted and we will continue to support residents in every way we can.”
Councillor Richardson, Ward 8, was elected as the Deputy Mayor of Kawartha Lakes for the 2022 term, effective January 1, 2022.
In her acceptance speech, Richardson noted:
“I am a lifetime resident of Kawartha Lakes. Growing up, my family was always involved and enjoyed volunteering. When I left Janetville and moved south to Pontypool I became a community volunteer with my sidekick Paul and I am proud to say our three sons are now doing the same. Becoming engaged in where you live and becoming invested in your community makes for better, stronger communities.
As a Council we just finished a budget; it a good budget with a big focus on community growth and projects that invest in our villages and towns.
The last few years we have all struggled with a world that is basically upside down. In recent weeks I have been joining in the festivities and seeing how our neighbourhoods want to become engaged again, how they are ready to find their community identity once again.
Thank you for electing me today and putting your confidence in me for this position. Customer service is a big part of everything we do daily as a Councillor. We are the customer representative between the resident and staff to help find solutions and provide communication. The municipality is moving in the right direction with our new customer service portal, and we will continue to help guide our residents with education and communication. This next year is about continuing to grow and foster engagement in our communities, recognize we are changing, and extending the welcome mat for new residents to Kawartha Lakes as a fabulous place to live, work and play.”Deputy Mayor
Richardson has served on Council since 2018 and in addition to sitting on several committees, is the environmental champion on Council. She can be reached by visiting the municipal website.
