By LYN TREMBLAY

Norfolk County Mayor Dennis Travale and councillors gathered at the Vittoria Community Centre this past Sunday from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. to meet with the public in the annual Mayor’s Levee.

Numbers were down according to Norfolk County General Manager Bill Allcock who stated that normally about 100 people come out for the afternoon event. By 3:30 p.m. approximately 60 had signed the guest book.

But for those who did come, they got to bend the ears of those who make the decisions of the day.

The concerns of Port Doverite Jennifer Francis echoed those of other Norfolk County residents. “Taxes,” she stated was her main issue. “Everybody’s in the same boat. The status quo would be nice.”

Councillor John Wells stated others expressed dissatisfaction about smart meters. “They can see they’re going to be on their bill and that means more money is going to be coming out of their pockets.” Street lights are often another complaint. “People find it very frustrating when they call in to have the bulb replaced and it takes so long. They don’t understand that repair work is done on a cycle and it might take six weeks before it gets repaired.”

The Ward 6 Councillor says budget talks will be challenging. “I’ve seen the Mayor’s new business plan and it calls for 15.51 new full time staff. We may need them, yes, but someone has to pay for them.”

The Maple Leaf questioned whether or not the members of council were going to be running for re-election.

Mayor Dennis Travale has already made it known he will run for another term. Councillor John Wells answered a definite ‘yes’ he will seek re-election.

Councillors Roger Geysens and Mike Columbus think it is “very likely” they will, and Councillor Jim Oliver says he’s “seriously thinking” about throwing his hat in the ring. “I’m really enjoying the job and I’ve been getting positive feedback.”

At the beginning of a conversation with Councillor Charlie Luke, he said he was still thinking about it. With the closing of Windham Central Public School, the school principal has been transferred to Langton so he’s been getting used to his new location. But by the end of the conversation, the Ward 5 Councillor came up with a definite answer to the question, stating, “I am going to run, as of this very moment, you are the first to know.” He added, “I enjoy it and my energy level is still good and I believe the county is moving ahead.”

Newbie councillors John Hunt and Heidy Van Dyk are less sure of themselves. “I don’t know,” stated Ward 1 Councillor Hunt. “I will have to see what transpires this summer. It’s not a part time job, it’s a full time effort and every issue is important to somebody. For municipal council it is important to address the little concerns. I tell people to give me 24 hours and I’ll get them an answer to their question. The big fires take care of themselves so it’s the little ones you’ve got to put out.”

Councillor Van Dyk has not made a firm decision as yet. “Right now I’m weighing out what’s going on for me. It’s a tough decision because I really like what I do (as councillor). I will make a decision soon, but regardless I am fully committed to working as hard this year as I have for the last three.” - Wednesday, January 13, 2010