Newmarket mayor Van Bynen no square when it comes to facing the people

Monthly opportunity to interact with citizens a worthy exercise

Yorkregion.com
October 1, 2018

The mayor has left the square.

With retirement from public office approaching, Newmarket Mayor Tony Van Bynen ended a unique interaction with citizens Sept. 29 when he held his final Mayor in the Square event.

Approximately 150 well-wishers showed up to bid farewell to the man who served Newmarket as a politician for 18 years, including the past dozen as its mayor. He retires from public office in October.

Since the beginning, Van Bynen has set aside one Saturday per month (except in December) to field questions and concerns from citizens in a most public setting, typically at Market Square or the Newmarket Public Library. His job is to listen.

Newmarket is invited to say farewell as Tony Van Bynen and Dave Kerwin retire
“There is no agenda, but it is amazing how many people come in with good ideas,” said Van Bynen, who also served as a town and regional councillor prior to becoming mayor.

“(Town staff) can’t be everywhere, so people are the ears and eyes of the community and 90 per cent of the time, feedback is positive.”

Van Bynen credits Terry Carter, a former editor-in-chief for the Newmarket Era newspaper and later a campaign team member, with the idea of getting into the trenches.

“Terry said the two things you need to have are transparency and to be approachable,” recalled Van Bynen, as his final episode wound down at nearby Riverwalk Common. “That you have to let people know you are there.

“One thing I’ve enjoyed is having conversations with people. It’s a chance to get back to the roots of what an elected official is all about.

“It’s a reason to have a conversation with somebody, and I’ve enjoyed it and being engaged in solutions. There are some contentious issues, but I would say it is probably a 5:1 ratio of positive opportunities for improvements.”

Van Bynen reasons the best place to locate areas for attention is at the source.

“Issues are issues and are always going to be present. Not being there won’t make them go away. You might as well know what concerns people.”

Not every Mayor in the Square has been attended by throngs of citizenry. Crowd size is not the point.

“It’s a good thing even if not many people are there,” said Van Bynen. “It’s still an opportunity to get a broader perspective.

“I don’t think I have left Market Square without learning of an opportunity to talk about something. I’ll send myself a message and on to someone’s attention on Monday.”

It remains to be seen if an incoming mayor will continue the trend of meeting the people in a wide-open concept. Van Bynen just knows he will miss it.

“It is kind of bittersweet, but I am happy to move on to other areas,” he said. “I think I’ve provided full measure to the community.

“Every organization needs to refresh at some point.”

The public access concept has caught the attention of other municipal officials, although Van Bynen is not so certain they have adopted it to the Newmarket extent.

“This has provided a genuine sense of community and toward building in a positive way,” said Van Bynen. “I think that positiveness permeates throughout the community.”