Your vote in Georgina can shape town direction, services, for next 4 years

Efforts to make voting easier than ever should prompt 32,913 eligible voters to cast ballot in the Oct. 22 municipal election

Yorkregion.com
October 17, 2018
Heidi Riedner

Taxes, escalating town budgets, staff and salaries, controversial MURC and Civic Centre projects capping off close to $80 million in capital projects in the queue, economic development, a waterfront strategy to address issues such as crowded beaches and lack of public lake access, and safe, sustainable and affordable communities are just some of the issues that should prompt Georgina’s 32,913 eligible voters to cast a ballot in the Oct. 22 municipal election.

Your municipal government makes decisions that affect your daily life --everything from roads, to garbage pick-up to recreational programs to water and sewer rates.

Despite that fact, Georgina’s voter turnout usually hovers just below the provincial average of 40 per cent.

A few changes this year may, hopefully, boost those numbers to ensure as many people as possible exercise their democratic right to vote --and presumably shape the future of their community for the next four years.

Voters used to assigned polling locations may cast a ballot this year at any location under the town’s Vote Anywhere system.

Instead of the individual voting cards mailed out in the past, each household was mailed an information pamphlet detailing voting dates, times and locations.

Turnout at four advance polls, the last of which occurs Thursday, Oct. 18, have been encouraging, with the votes cast so far --1,811 --exceeding the three initial advance voting events held in 2010 and 2014, town clerk, John Espinosa, confirmed.

“We are ahead by about 12 per cent,” he said, adding he is encouraged by the numbers given the fact incumbents have been acclaimed in four positions.

While councillors Dan Fellini, Dave Neeson and Dave Harding have been acclaimed in wards 2, 3 and 5 respectively, and Cynthia Cordova has been acclaimed to the position of trustee in the York Region District School Board, you still need to cast your vote for the mayor and regional councillor positions.

Incumbent Margaret Quirk, Boris Godzinevski and Susan Jagminas are running for mayor.

The race for regional councillor includes incumbent Naomi Davison, former mayor Rob Grossi and Keswick resident Lee Dale.

If you live in Ward 1, incumbent Charlene Biggerstaf, Mike Waddington and Glenn Wittenberg are vying for your vote.

Wayne Phillips, incumbent Frank Sebo and Greta Zink are running in Ward 4.

School board trustee candidates include Shawn Gaudet and Theresa McNicol for the York Catholic District School Board; Francois Guerin and Karine Ricard for Conseil scolaire Viamonde; and Kathleen Beal and Maxime Papillon for Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir.

If you still haven’t had a candidate knock at your door, there are plenty of ways to find out where they stand on the issues, what they hope to accomplish and how.

You can check out their profiles at

RogersTV Georgina is running all of its candidate debates up until Oct. 22. If an issue important to you hasn't been addressed, call candidates and ask them about it.

Voting is your opportunity to voice your opinion on the direction of your community. The greater the number of votes cast, the more likely elected officials will speak on behalf of residents and truly represent the will of the people.