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The Huron Expositor • November 28, 2007 Page 3
Bezaire and Kelly vying for Huron County warden
For first time in at least five years, two county councillors competing for position
Jennifer Hubbard
iiiiMEMEENEED
The race is on.
For the first time in at least five
years, two Huron County council-
lors are seeking the warden's chair
for the 2008 term.
"A little competition is always
healthy I think," current Warden
Deb Shewfelt said. "We'll just let the
chips fall as they may."
Central Huron 'Deputy Reeve
John Bezaire and Morris-Turnberry
Mayor Dorothy Kelly will be vying
for the warden's chair next
Wednesday, Dec. 5 during council's
inaugural meeting.
Bezaire, who announced his inten-
tions to run for warden last July, is
both excited and optimistic about
next week's vote.
"The county has a great vision of
where it wants to go and what it
wants to accomplish. I really enjoy
being a part of it and I'd like to take
on a more active role," he said dur-
ing the original announcement.
A long-time Clinton resident,
Bezaire is currently serving his sec-
ond term as Central Huron's deputy
reeve. He was the second youngest
person to sit on council for the Town
of Clinton in his early 20s, more
than a decade ago.
Bezaire has been a member of
county council for four years. He
was nominated for the position of
warden before, but declined in sup-
port of the other candidate, Rob
Morley (South Huron).
Kelly said she made the decision
to enter the race about three weeks
ago.
"I've always. wanted to be warden
and the time was right for me. I've
been there for four years now and if
I didn't put my name in this year I
definitely would have next year,"
she explained.
"I figured I'd get started this year
and if I don't make it I'll go for it
again."
Bezaire welcomed the challenge.
"I've been acting as if I was going
to be opposed from day one," he
said.
"It shows that democracy is strong
and healthy. Democracy is about the
exchange of ideas and when you
don't have opposition that exchange
doesn't happen."
As the clerk -treasurer for the
Township of Turnberry for 24 years,
Kelly found herself drawn to munic-
ipal council in retirement. She was
first elected to the head of Morris-
Turnberry in 2003 and was re-elect-
ed in 2006.
Looking forward to the upcoming
county vote, Kelly was optimistic
and noted "the only failure is the
failure to try."
"I have no particular agenda.
There's nothing that I'd really like
Seili complains about county
trying to pass 2008 budget
Susan Hundertmark
allEMEMOD
An attempt by Huron County
council to pass its 2008 consolidated
budget last week brought com-
plaints from Huron East council at
its Nov 20 meeting.
Mayor Joe Seili expressed anger
at the move telling council, "this is
the first warden with two budgets in
one year."
He said that if administration had
managed to bring the increase down
to five per cent - and not the pro-
posed 6.5 per cent, the county bud-
get would likely have passed .last
week.
"They're trying to do. the budget a
lot earlier. this year so they can ten-
der for projects eetflier but it seems
the budget is being forced through,"
he said.
Seili also complained . about plans
by the county to change county
council's structure to get rid of all of
the committees and just hold sever-
al day -long committee of the whole
meetings each month instead.
Seili said the day -long meetings
are going to eliminate anyone who's
working full-time from serving their
communities.
"Four of us are businessmen they
just eliminated. I've got nothing
against retirees but that's what
you'll have running the county," he
said.
Seili added that trying to have
discussions with the full 22 -member
council will slow down the process
at the committee level.
"It means a lot longer meetings,"
he said, adding that while there has
been discussion at the county's
strategic planning session in
September to reduce the size of
county council, those changes can't
be made until the next municipal
election.
Grey Coun. Alvin McLellan
expressed concern that such a
change be made at the county level
without consultation with the lower
tier municipalities.
"Are the other people there
asleep? You don't do stuff like that
without discussion from the local
councils," he said.
Brussels Coun. David Blaney
See COUNTY, Page 10
to change. I like the way the county
runs... we'll just have to see."
Shewfelt, mayor of the Town of
Goderich, confirmed on Monday
that he would not be seeking re-
election as warden.
"I've enjoyed every day of it, but
I've found that coupled with the
busyness of Goderich, it was almost
a little too much," he commented.
"I would have loved to do it again,
but I decided it was better to pass."
Shewfelt anticipated both candi-
dates — and any other member of
county council — would do well as
warden, with support from the
county's impressive administration
team.
"We've come a long way in the last
four or five years in getting a solid
administrative team built," he
added.
"I remember serving on county
council in the 70s and our budgets
have gone from $10-12 million to
$93 million because a lot of services
have been downloaded. It's a big
job."
The new warden may be looking
at a different council structure,
Shewfelt explained, noting an
upcoming motion to change the
existing committees.
If the motion is passed, the three
county committees will be reduced
to two. Both committees would
include all members of county coun-
cil.
"Everyone will be informed at the
same time, rather than making pre-
sentations twice," be said.
"We don't have enough time to
lobby the two other levels of govern-
ment for funding and that's some-
thing that needs to change in the
next few years."
The inaugural meeting and war-
den election will begin at 1 p.m. in
county council chambers at the
courthouse in- Goderich.
Following nominations, each can-
didate will be given five minutes to
speak. A public, recorded vote will
follow.
Acclamations in recent years
include Shewfelt, Morley, Doug
Layton (North Huron), Bill Dowson
(Bluewater) and Dave Urlin (South
Huron).
According to Shewfelt, Carol
Mitchell (Central Huron) — now the
MPP for Huron -Bruce — was the last
warden to be elected. Mitchell was
the Huron County warden in 1999
and 2000.
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