October 2010 - The Bulletin Magazine

MARLENE JOHNSTON: seeking position of Councillor of East Gwillimbury
Yes.
It has been my pleasure to work on Council with many dedicated men and women who
reside in East Gwillimbury, but make their home in one or another of our villages. They
have all worked to bring our neighbourhoods together, to make all of us feel a sense of
community - One Town.
Each and every one has worked diligently to respond to the concerns of the individual,
no matter where they lived in town, while respecting the common good of the electorate
as a whole. Most issues brought to Council’s attention are in common with all other
residents – snow clearing, fire protection, growth, recreation programs, parks, bylaws, emergency services to
name just a few, and Council along with staff work as a team to resolve these issues.
The electorate has always been wise in choosing a diversity of representatives with varying backgrounds,
experience, interests, vocations, and platforms. Each member of Council, under the current system, is
accountable to all residents. Each resident has the benefit of tapping into the knowledge and experience that each
of the five members bring. The current system of electing four representatives and one Mayor also provides the
resident with the full spectrum of experiences symbolized by the collective group. I believe this is effective
representation for a town the size of East Gwillimbury.
When our town grows, the multitude of issues will grow and will create a workload for Councillors that may
indicate another system should be implemented. For now, with a population of 22,000 it would appear that
Council members are comfortable with the current workload.
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