The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

At inaugural regional council meeting New chairman Carr vows consultation with the public MELANIE HENNESSEY Special to The IFP Former Halton MP and Oakville MPP Gary Carr has officially moved into the chair vacated by longtime Regional Chairman Joyce Savoline. Carr and the 20 other politicians from across Halton that make up regional council were sworn into office for a four-year term at Wednesday morning's inaugural meeting. The session, which started off with a show from the Halton Regional Police Service colour guard and greetings from members of Halton's interfaith community, saw Carr give his first public address as regional chair. "I feel like I'm being welcomed amongst friends here," he told his fellow council members, referring to the fact he knows most of them already from his days as a provincial, and later, federal politician. He pledged that as the chair, he will always listen and respect the decisions that council makes. "I think if we listen and we respect each other, at the end of the day we'll make the right decisions," he said. He emphasized the importance of consulting with the public on issues council deals with and vowed to continue doing so during his term. And as council moves forward, he said it needs to make sure taxes are kept fair and reasonable, that services are provided in a timely manner and Halton remains a safe and healthy community. Carr also addressed the issues and challenges the Region is facing, such as managing growth. He noted that the joint Halton Regional Campus plan will have to be looked at again. And when it comes to the proposed energy-from-waste facility, he said he wants the Region to be "creative and innovative" as it moves forward in the process. Carrying on Savoline's tradition of tooting Halton's horn whenever possible, Carr emphasized that the region has a beautiful blend of urban and rural communities, but what really makes it great are the wonderful people. In summary, he said, "I truly believe what we all want is to continue to make Halton a great place to live, work and raise a family." Several other new faces were welcomed to regional council as well, including Milton Councillor Colin Best, Oakville Mayor Rob Burton and councillors Tom Adams and Alan Johnston and Burlington Mayor Cam Jackson and councillors Peter Thoem and Rick Goldring.