Kincardine council

To Comment on this article Click Here

Kincardine mayor Larry Kraemer was decked out in a kilt as he was sworn in for his second consecutive four-year term on council at the inaugural meeting last night (Dec. 1).

Also reciting the declaration of office, under the watchful eye of clerk Donna MacDougall, were deputy mayor Anne Eadie and councillors Maureen Couture, Ron Coristine, Kenneth Craig, Jacqueline Faubert, Mike Leggett, Candy Hewitt and Randy Roppel.

The invocation was given by Rev. Don Harry of the Kincardine United Church.

In addressing the rest of council, Couture said she is looking forward to working with this group, and bringing positive things to the council table.

She reaffirmed her goals as a councillor - to make tax increases reasonable, to have reasonable spending, build up reserves, increase bylaw enforcement, and have regular financial reports so council is aware of the financial health of the municipality.

"I thank the volunteers of this municipality, and I look forward to working with the staff, and meeting and listening to the ratepayers."

Clerk Donna MacDougall (R) assists councillor Ron Coristine in taking the declaration of office

Coristine thanked the voters for their confidence in him and he promised to work hard on behalf of all the citizens of Kincardine.

Craig said it's a privilege to serve as a councillor and it's not to be taken lightly.

"We have an obligation to serve our community, to work together to the best of our ability, to work with staff co-operatively and with our volunteers," he said. "We have an obligation to take the leadership role in this municipality and make decisions with the best interests of the ratepayers in mind."

Councillor Jacqueline Faubert (L) takes the declaration of office under the watchful eye of clerk Donna MacDougall

Faubert said she will do her homework and come to council meetings prepared to work hard with dignity.

Leggett said the new council is a good group to work with and he is looking forward to the next four years.

Hewitt promised to work productively with council to make positive decisions, and to serve the community with honesty and integrity.

Roppel said it's important to listen to the people whom council represents, and communicate better as a council and with the public.

Eadie said she appreciates the warm welcome she has received in Kincardine and it's a privilege to serve the community.

"I believe all members of this council are up to the tasks ahead of us," she said. "We're going to have some challenges, but we can overcome them. I'm confident of that."

She expects there will be lively discussion and some debate but not too many quarrels. "In the end, we will get some good ideas for moving forward with this municipality," she said.

Kraemer said he is honoured to be the mayor of Kincardine and looks forward to working with the new council.

"We're lucky to have the municipality we have," he said. "I believe this council can disagree without being disagreeable, and find great success at this table."

^{for world news, books, sports, movies ...}

Wednesday, December 01, 2010