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6 stouffville suntribune thursday nov 13 2003 publisher f an proudfoot telephone 9056402612 fax 9056408778 email jmasonymgcom website wwwyorkregioncom editorial voters call for change throw out old guard a resounding message was sent to many local politicians on mondays elec tion day its time for a change few mayors received ringing endorse ments other than the imperial don cousensof markham elected with81 per cent of votes and one must assume acclaimed east gwillimbury mayor jamie young challengers with limited community profiles or local political experience man aged to gamer more than a third of the votes in most cases while other mayors such as whitchurchstouffvilles sue sherban and king incumbent margaret black battled fellow council members to ring in victory respectively at a nailbiting 41 per cent arid 56 per cent of the votes many councils saw the old guard tossed out or barely sneak batk into their seats with well under 50 per cent of votes in newmarket for instance with a council table populated in the majority by newcomers and led by a mayor who won with 53 per cent of votes its clear voters have reservations about the way things are going in their town without a doubt we are demanding greater accountability from our politi cians not only at the municipal level concerns about illconceived plans for development to the detriment of the quality of life and state of the environ ment in our communities are propelling residents to demand decisions be made in the public eye but now that the hoopla is over and the election signs torn down we hope will our ensconced politicians take heed last year alone freedom of informa- tion requests to municipalities jumped 25 per cent underlining the publics new found interest in knowing how decisions weremade not to mention the fact government is abusing the principles of information and privacy laws to keep informatiori from the public and too many councils are using legally mandated exceptions in the municipal act to undertake business that should be held in public councils are allowed to go into closed session only for issues such as legal proceedings land sales labour relations negotiations and personnel rnatters only increased accountability and transparency will assure citizens our politicians are operating within the boundaries of integrity letters to the editor nov 1 1 isnt celebration re stouffville says nov 6 is remembrance day important to you peo ple were asked in last weeks paper surely the young man who says we should not celebrate war was misquoted is that the mes sage schools and society in general are imparting remembering those whoput their lives on the line for others is certainly not a celebration it is pride mixed with sadness and grateful hearts bless all the veterans still with us chanson stouffville should town reviewxmniittee should the new whitchurchstouffville coun cil review the operations of the committee of adjustment s v this is a councilappointed committee that holds public hearings on land use issues across the municipality it does not report to council the committee operates under the provincial planning act by law only neighbouring property owners need to be notified council members can be appointed to the committee but this practice is not followed in whitchurchstoiiffville by law the committee does not require a plan ner as one of its members the town includes the planner or designate as the fifth regular member of the committee however a planner has only attended a few hearings since october 2001 is the committee in violation of its bylaw have its hearings been properly constituted and held the stouffviile suntribune welcomes your letters all submissions must be less than 400 words and must include a daytime telephone number name and addressthe stouffville suntribune reserves the right to publish or not publish and to edit for darity and space wrfteletters to the editor 34 qvic ave r06ox 154 stouffville l4a7z5 email jmasonymgcom without the planner or designate the committee has heavy responsibilities which require a working knowledge of provincial laws and municipal bylaws incluidmg dealing with minor variances since the planning act does not define minor this leaves power in the hands of the committee an example of the general intent and purpose of general zoning bylaw 8734 and desirability for the neighbourhood is a carport approved for an older residential area side yard setbacks for the properties are 1 1 5 feet i giving the houses an appearance of separation the committee approved a setback of two feet instead of 115 feet for the car port this reduces the- surface needed for the dissipation of water runoff on the owners property where will the water go what happens when a resident has started to build a structure or has completed it without a building permit and the structure does riot com ply with the general zoning bylaw can the committee approve a minor variance without reference to the safety standards of the ontario building code margaret l may stouffville stouffville suntnbune a metroland community newspaper 34 civic ave 3rd floor stouffville ontario l4a 7z5 phone 9056402612 fax9056408778 classified 18007433353 distribution 9052948244 website wwwyorkregioncom email jmasonyrngcom member ontario community newspapers association canadian community newspapers association ontario press council editor in chief debora kelly editor jim mason reporters joan ransberry hanrielore volpe retail sales manager steve kane sales representative susanberry production manager parri nichols office manager vivian 0neil business manager robert lazurko advertising director retail sates flyers nicole fletcher advertising director classified real estate events management gordpaolucd managing director real estate mikerogerson director of production johnfuthey distribution manager barrybiadc sales manager new business development distribution dawna andrews general manager york region printing bob dean director marketing 8i promotions debraweller shows manager stacey allen classified manager ann campbell off the top with jim mason new mayor rookie council jump on learning curve nine years ago this week waynes world came to the town without a cinema this was reality before reality tv wayne emmerson was elected to his first term as mayor of whitchurch- stouffville a lumber store clerk with a pen chant for playing slopitch and riding his twowheeler to work as mayor the election night critics scoffed somehow mr emmerson was re elected twice the town did not go to hell in its proverbial hand basket dur ing those nine years although many fear armageddon is just around the corner with the big pipe sewage sys tem and thousands of newcomers set to invade farewell waynes world now its sue sherbans turn like mr emmerson she did her time in the community and as a ward councillor earning a base of power and a rep for getting things done now she is mayor unless you still believe those premature reports on tv that gave steve pliakes the job there will be a large learning curve for this council with only mrs sherban and councillor harry bowes back five rookies including two acclaimed councillors fill the other seats in the fourthfloor council chamber starting dec 2 it will be a fresh look to local poli tics on sandiford drive mrs sherban can be blunt and feisty she sparred briefly with council critic dave probert in one of the liveli er moments on the election debate circuit this fall when council proposed building the indoor pool and library in her south stouffville ward in the late 1990s many a resident freaked out mrs sherban called a meeting on the proposal you knew it would be hot she went toetotoe sometimes loudly with constituents in the end the lebovic leisure centre and public library opened to mostly rave reviews mrs sherban was easily reelected three years ago on monday she became mayor jim mason is editor of the sun- tribune