Peter Kelley is looking forward to building on the work accomplished during his previous term.
According to the Muskoka Lakes mayor, a second term will allow council to maintain momentum and continue ongoing priorities, which include economic growth, affordable housing, and responsible spending of tax dollars.
“It’s kind of difficult to get big things done in just a single four-year term, and now I know I’m guaranteed eight years. We can pick up where we left off with the last term of council and continue to move forward with some of the good work that we’ve been doing,” Kelley said.
Kelley said that protecting the township’s environment also remains a top priority.
“We’re always trying to balance the pressures of growth with the pressures of our environment. We take our environment very seriously and we know that we need to protect it,” he said.
Kelley said one of council’s proudest accomplishments over the past four years is the approval of the township’s Official Plan through the District and provincial governments. The next step is turning that plan into a comprehensive zoning bylaw, which he expects to be close to completion within the first year of next term.
“We took some pretty big and bold steps to make sure that the environment was well protected from growth, particularly along the waterfront but also through the entire township,” Kelley said. “There have been some challenges but we now see the path forward to put it into place, but most importantly, start acting on it and start enforcing it.”
Growing the local economy is another priority, and Kelley emphasized the importance of attracting permanent, year-round employment opportunities while continuing to protect the environment.
He added that a growing economy brings the demand for housing, which is why developing affordable housing is also at the top of the priority list.
“We need to focus on making housing more affordable and growing the housing stock so we can attract new people to come and live here and put down roots and grow families,” he said. “Fill arenas, fill community centres, fill the parks and the trails. It’s a wonderful place to live. Adding more people is not something that needs to be feared, it needs to be celebrated,” Kelley said.
Responsible spending of tax dollars will also remain a major focus.
“If we’re going to ask our constituents to contribute to the tax base, they can expect that they’re going to see real value for the dollars that they invest in that,” he said.
Kelley also highlighted the importance of open communication with residents and ensuring their concerns are heard and considered in municipal decision-making.
He plans to continue hosting monthly open houses at community centres throughout the township, which he said has attracted significant turnouts and valuable feedback in recent months.
“Stand up in front of people, tell them what you’re doing, ask questions, take advice, take feedback, learn from the feedback, modify your approach based on what you’re hearing, and most importantly, make sure when you walk out the door that you’re a little bit smarter than you were when you walked in,” he said.
Kelley emphasized that overall, the success of a community lies in its residents’ ability to connect with and support one another.
“I would like people to understand that when you’re in a small town like this, you look out for each other,” Kelley said. “I want to live in a community where that kind of neighborliness that we might associate with fifty years ago still exists and people know everybody, people enjoy each other’s company.”
