Minden Hills councillor Bob Carter will soon make the shift to mayor, leading a council of mostly new faces.
Carter and Deputy Mayor Lisa Schell, both acclaimed, as well as Ward 2 councillor Pam Sayne return to the council table alongside four newcomers. Tammy McKelvey was elected as councillor at large, Ivan Ingram and Shirley Johannessen for Ward 1, and Bob Sisson acclaimed for Ward 3.
“There’s always the apprehension of making sure that everybody fits together,” says Carter. “But I think we’ve got some really good people. It’s just now we have to start working together as a team to handle all the issues.”
Carter says his two biggest priorities of the next four years have remained the same as his last term on council.
“Really two priorities, which were housing, and the environment, the protection of the lakes,” says Carter. “The reason that Haliburton County thrives, and Minden Hills thrives, is because people want to come up and utilize our lakes. So that’s the gem that we need to keep polished.”
Given the past couple of years, Carter says healthcare is another top-of-mind issue.
“We are a growing community, and most of our growth is in people who are older than the provincial average and actually need more healthcare,” says Carter. “That’s another issue I think is important at the municipal level, and at the county level.”
He adds that although we’re still in the midst of COVID-19, helping small businesses recover is a major focus, to get them back to providing what residents need.
“I think everybody on council is looking forward to working for the community, and we don’t do it alone,” says Carter. “We have to work together, and we’re going to need people to serve on committees and work with us, to allow us to thrive as a community.”
Carter and the rest of council will be sworn in Nov. 15.