On Saturday, October 8, the BRA hosted a candidates meeting for the position of Deputy Mayor. Following the meeting, your Board met to review the candidates' responses to BRA and attendees questions and to their introductions and summary. The Board also debated where it would be appropriate to recommend a candidate to the membership.
Both candidates seeking election to become Bluewater’s Deputy Mayor should be commended for expressing their willingness to serve our community in this position. Each candidate has demonstrated strengths, including desirable personal qualities and a variety of previous experiences. The position of Deputy Mayor is a key leadership role, both within the Bluewater Council and as one of two Bluewater representatives on the Huron County Council. Expectations for an individual holding this leadership position would include an awareness of the various issues, evidence of strategic long-term thinking, an ability to critically analyze the implications of various arguments, the ability to influence their elected colleagues, and an empathy for the effects of decisions on the ratepayers of our Municipality.
First-hand observation of the performance of both candidates throughout their entire term of office as Ward Councillors on the Bluewater Council, plus consideration of the relevance of their background experiences for this position of added leadership, provide data upon which the above expectations can be assessed. It is the opinion of the BRA Board of Directors that one of these candidates better meets these expectations. Accordingly, this assessment leads the BRA Board to conclude that the interests of the ratepayers of the Ward of Bayfield, the Municipality of Bluewater, and the County of Huron are better served by the election of Alwyn Vanden Berg to the position of Deputy Mayor for the upcoming 4-year term.