New Stouffville mayor unsure who he is backing for York chair

YorkRegion.com
Dec. 3, 2014
Sandra Bolan

A week tomorrow, Justin Altmann, along with the other York Region mayors will elect a new regional chairperson.

Vying for the seat is former Whitchurch-Stouffville mayor Wayne Emmerson, Newmarket Regional Councillor John Taylor and Markham Regional Councillor Jim Jones.

“No decision has been made” regarding who he will vote for, Altmann told The Sun-Tribune just minutes after he adjourned his first official council meeting with three strikes of the gavel last night.

“Our focus right now is on our council this week,” Altmann told The Sun-Tribune today, adding he’ll think about the regional chair vote next week.

All three candidates were at Tuesday’s meeting.

Altmann’s indecision does not concern Ward 4 Councillor Rick Upton.

“Whatever is the best for the region and for Stouffville. I feel he will make the right decision, no question,” he told The Sun-Tribune yesterday.

The mayor’s inability to definitively say I am voting for this person or that person, does, however, bother Hugo Kroon, councillor for Ward 3.

“He needs to make that decision and he needs to make it public as soon as possible. Any leader cannot afford to be indecisive,” he told The Sun-Tribune today.

“I have not heard any convincing reason why Wayne Emmerson should not sit in that chair,” he said.