East Gwillimbury council lists priorities for fall session amid COVID-19

Reopening facilities, services and 2021 budget top list of what town council working on

Yorkregion.com
Sept. 25, 2020

As fall nears, East Gwillimbury council has a busy few months ahead.

With the backdrop of the coronavirus lingering, members of East Gwillimbury council shared what they are focused on getting done this fall.

Mayor Virginia Hackson said it’s difficult because these are unprecedented times.

“We don’t know what the next few months will bring,” Hackson said.

While a lot of things were cancelled due to the pandemic, she is focused on resuming programs and services safely. Outdoor amenities have already reopened, with the library and the Holland Landing Community Centre and Ross Family Complex set to reopen Sept. 23.

The 2021 budget is also top of mind for Hackson going into budget season.

“I think this year of all years, it’s a budget process that minimizes any tax levy increase in 2021,” Hackson said. “We know that we are in good financial shape. We are one of the few municipalities that are debt free.”

A final item Hackson mentioned as a focus is the completion of the town’s new operations centre, which is scheduled to be finished in the first quarter of next year.

“Once the facility opens it will open up about six acres behind the sports complex,” Hackson said. There will be public outreach to see what to do with those lands once they are vacant. “I’m really excited about the opportunities the six acres behind the sports complex will provide East Gwillimbury,” she said.

Moving to Ward 1, Coun. Loralea Carruthers said she will continue to advocate for the revitalization of the downtown core of Holland Landing on Yonge Street from Mount Albert Road to the Community Centre.

“This spring we were able to get some great hanging baskets, and staff have been able to get the region to step up maintenance work,” she said. “We have also been pushing the region for a crosswalk between the skate park and the plaza to keep our kids safer as traffic increases with development.”

Fellow Ward 1 Coun. Terry Foster said he is focused on the COVID-19 recovery and gradual reopening of town facilities because residents expect and deserve that. Foster also mentioned the 2021 budget as a key item this fall. “This budget might be challenging as much of the deliberations may have to be done virtually and there is sure to be many questions about the ongoing costs of COVID-19,” he said.

Ward 2 Coun. Tara Roy-DiClemente said she will be monitoring the town’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with safe reopening and restoring some in-person services and programming. Other items on her radar in the fall include the budget, plans for the new recreation centre in Queensville and unauthorized cannabis production facilities.

Ward 3 Coun. Scott Crone has been busy working on the issues the town is having with cannabis facilities and said he will be continuing to focus on that along with community road safety. Ward 3 also encompasses the vast swath of rural residents in East Gwillimbury and Crone said that improving broadband service is always a focus.  

Councillors Cathy Morton and Joe Persechini did not respond by press time.