Message from the Mayor
I am humbled to stand before you once again as your Mayor, and I am honoured to be working alongside this wonderful Council team that you have elected to serve our Municipality for the next four years.
This evening we embark on the next stage of our proud Grey Highlands’ tradition. As YOUR elected representatives we understand that we bear a mantel of great responsibility.
You have put your faith in us to represent Grey Highlands and make decisions on your behalf with honour, integrity and in the best interests of this community.
Grey Highlands is positioned for unprecedented growth during the next term of Council.
As your representatives we realize that the decisions we make are not just for today, but are decisions that may greatly impact our future.
Our goal is to build a “future friendly community” – one that is strong, resilient and sustainable for generations to come.
We want to respect the proud traditions of Grey Highlands history while ensuring that we leave a legacy that serves our citizens proudly into the future.
As we work together over the next four years, we realize that every motion we debate, every request or decision that we deliberate on, every bylaw or rule that we pass, must be considered through a lens to the future.
Not all decisions will be easy ones, but I am confident that the members of your newly elected Council will be prepared to study and discuss issues in an open and transparent manner and govern with vision.
The new 2018 Council has committed to governing as a team; a team that will respect each other’s views and will respect the office to which we’ve been elected.
By working collectively, I believe we will make the both the right and the best decisions – ones that will serve Grey Highlands well today and into the future.
Over the course of the election campaign this year, each of us had the opportunity to meet and engage with so many members of our community. We heard you and we listened to your feedback, your concerns and your priorities.
During the coming term of Council, I look forward to working with the rest of Council to create a strategic path for moving forward, but I think we can all agree that there are many priority items for consideration including:
- Revitalizing our downtowns and village cores, along with the introduction of the Municipality’s first Community Improvement Plan;
- Developing and implementing a strategy for affordable and attainable housing;
- Managing growth in the Municipality, and ensuring that our infrastructure and support services are ready for the future;
- Building a strong economic base in our community, including supporting business retention and expansion;
- Implementing a tourism strategy that positions the region as an outdoor adventure destination;
- Showcasing the Municipality of Grey Highlands as a market leader and innovator in rural municipal government;
- Delivering world-class customer service to our residents and stakeholders;
- Respecting our citizenry and providing open and transparent government and communication.
I am excited about what the future holds for Grey Highlands.
- We have engaged and passionate citizens, who care about this place we all call home.
- We have dedicated and committed staff who will help us deliver on our vision to become Ontario’s leader in rural municipal innovation on behalf of our residents and businesses.
- And we have a truly exceptional Council team who will work every day to represent this great Municipality of Grey Highlands with the integrity that you deserve.
Serving community is a noble calling, and on behalf of our newly elected Council, we want to thank you for the trust you have placed in each of us.
I’m truly excited about the future for Grey Highlands, and know that together, we’re going to make great things happen!
Sincerely,
Mayor Paul McQueen
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