The first of two byelection debates to fill the vacant Ward 4 council seat in Ramara Township took place Monday evening.
Nearly 100 residents gathered at the Hayloft in Bayshore Village to ask questions and hear the platforms of Marg Sharpe, Joe Gough, and Richard Black, all of whom are vying for the vacant seat. Each failed to secure a position on council in the 2022 municipal election.
The Ward 4 hopefuls’ opportunity arises following former Coun. Gary Hetherington’s resignation in December of 2023, and council’s subsequent January decision to host a byelection for the position.
Both Sharpe and Gough have previous experience on township council, with Sharpe previously serving as the Ward 2 councillor from 2014-2018, which was followed up by two close, but unsuccessful, campaigns for the mayor position.
Gough was elected as Ward 2 councillor in 2018, and was appointed deputy mayor for the remainder of the term in 2020 — a position he failed to hold onto in 2022.
Black, the relative newcomer, finished third and last in Ward 4 voting in 2022, and called on council to appoint him to the vacant position in lieu of holding a byelection earlier this year.
Each candidate was given time to introduce themselves Monday evening before the floor was opened to questions from the audience.
Sharpe, a Ramara resident of 18 years, highlighted her commitment to the community through her previous roles on numerous committees, and said she hopes to protect the local environment and bring development to the township.
“We don't seem to be getting new development in this township. We need affordable housing to bring revenue into our township, to support taxes and our water and sewer infrastructure,” she said.
“I am committed to execute the duties and responsibilities as your Ward 4 councillor in representing you and the township with transparency, integrity, honesty, and good old-fashioned concepts.”
Sharpe also said she hopes to foster healthy dialogue with her constituents, if elected.
“I've heard repeatedly that communication with residents is a concern. We need to do better,” she said. “It will be my responsibility to be accessible and respond to phone calls and emails. If I don't have the answer, I will get it and respond in a timely manner.”
For Ramara native Joe Gough, building a positive relationship between Bayshore Village residents and the township was an issue he said he worked on during his first term on council, and vowed to work hard and be honest with his constituents if elected.
“When I got on council, I knew that … the relationship between Bayshore Village and the Township of Ramara was very fractured and strained,” he said. “I made it a priority for me to actually build a relationship with the Bayshore executive and the people in here. I championed many causes.”
He said he would be honest, if elected.
“It would be an honour and privilege to be your voice back on council,” he said. “I work hard. I'm a very no-BS kind of guy. There'll be times where you ask me something … you may not like the answer, but it's going to be the truth.”
Among other reasons, Black said he hopes to be elected to bring meaningful progress on issues large and small for Ward 4 residents.
“People asked me to run because they want things done. They want communication; they want somebody that they can follow and know that they're going to get a phone call back,” he said. “It doesn't matter what the situation is. Whether it's a smaller list issue, if there’s something wrong with your road or your water sewer bill, whatever it may be.”
During his introductory remarks, and throughout the evening, Black distanced himself from the existing council and his two competitors.
“I've got no connections with anybody on council. I'm not related to anybody. I've never been on there. People that have been on there have some bad history with each other,” he said, “I want to go and be unified.”
During discussion, Black repeatedly raised the question of whether his competitors could solve long-standing problems in the township given their apparent failure to do so in their previous terms on council.
When asked about the Boundary Road Swing Bridge shutdown several years ago, and the delayed replacement by Parks Canada, Black suggested his competitors are partially to blame.
“These two have been on council before and they've really done nothing," he said of Gough and Sharpe.
Residents raised questions about a wide range of issues, both large and small, during Monday’s debate, ranging from the possibility of public transit, a new library branch for Brechin, and more.
Regarding public transit, each candidate supported working towards some type of service for the community, with Gough suggesting the possibility of $5, flat-fee Uber service similar to Innisfil. Both Gough and Sharpe said they supported the expansion of Simcoe County’s Linx bus service into the township.
Each candidate also hoped to find a speedy solution for a new library branch in Brechin, after the previous building was permanently closed last year due to mould issues.
When asked how they would improve communication with residents, Sharpe expressed interest in putting together a newsletter to keep residents informed, while Gough said he would be willing to write a quarterly newsletter for a local magazine, and also post updates on local happenings to a Facebook page.
Black said some residents have expressed concern they only learn about council matters after decisions are made, and said he would be willing to hold quarterly meetings, post communications online, and create newsletters on local issues.
The second debate between the Ward 4 hopefuls is tentatively scheduled for May 6 at the Brechin Legion – though it has yet to be confirmed.
The byelection is set for May 13, with online, telephone, and in-person voting opening on May 6. More may be found about how to vote here.
