'Challenges and opportunities ahead': Newmarket mayor-elect John Taylor

Mulock Farm, Mulock GO station priorities for next term, Taylor says

YorkRegion.com
October 24, 2018
Lisa Queen

With a landslide victory behind him, Newmarket mayor-elect John Taylor said the town will push forward on a number of ongoing priorities.

“We’ve got, definitely, some big challenges and opportunities ahead in Newmarket immediately,” he said at his victory party at the Newmarket Legion on election night Oct. 22.

The town is planning the future Mulock Farm development, an 11.6-acre property on the northwest corner of Mulock Drive and Yonge Street that the town bought for $24 million.

There are ambitious plans to transform the space with walking trails, a one-kilometre skating trail, lights, fire pits, market vendors and an outdoor skating rink.

“That’s going to be, frankly, a cornerstone of the community for generations to come,” said Taylor, who has served as regional councillor for the last 12 years.

The town is pushing the provincial government to confirm the previous Liberal government’s commitment to build the new Mulock GO train station.

“We want to make sure that sticks,” said Taylor, who will assume the mayor’s seat 12 years after his father, Tom Taylor, retired from the town’s top political job.

“That’s very important from a transit perspective, solving the parking problem for transit users at Davis (Drive) and in terms of economic development. A new train station is a driver of economic development.”

The town and regional council will also pressure Queen’s Park to approve the Upper York Sewage System (UYSS), necessary to accommodate growth in Newmarket, Aurora and East Gwillimbury to 2031.

But former Georgina mayor Rob Grossi, who was elected the town’s regional councillor, said Monday night he will continue to fight the UYSS because it would dump 40 million litres of treated waste a day into Lake Simcoe.

Ward 1 Coun. Tom Vegh was elected as regional councillor.

“I think it’s going to be an exciting term on council,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to working with my council colleagues and moving forward with the agendas that I put forward, with the seniors’ centre, with the library, also having a greater focus on neighbourhoods and working closely with the ward councillors and helping them achieve their local objectives.”

Vegh accused challenger Chris Emanuel of running a negative “attack” campaign against him.

“I’m really proud of Newmarket residents of not buying into that,” he said.

The town’s first electronic voting system didn’t appear to have much, if any, impact on voter turnout.

This election saw 34.7 per cent of eligible voters cast ballots, compared to 36.78 in the 2014 election and 32. 6 per cent in 2010.

Taylor’s victory following his long service on Newmarket and regional councils show residents are happy with the direction in which the town is moving, retiring mayor Tony Van Bynen said.

He was in a jovial mood as he looks forward to retirement.

When asked if he had any parting thoughts as the mayor, he joked “It’s not my fault any more.”

Van Bynen said securing sewage allocation through the UYSS is one of the town’s top priorities.

Newmarket's council for 2018 to 2022:

Mayor: John Taylor

Regional councillor: Tom Vegh

Ward 1: Grace Simon

Ward 2: Victor Woodhouse

Ward 3: Jane Twinney

Ward 4: Trevor Morrison

Ward 5: Bob Kwapis

Ward 6: Kelly Broome

Ward 7: Christina Bisanz