DISTRICT CHAIR ‘DEBATE’ TODAY PITS 6 CANDIDATES WITH WIDE EXPERIENCE AND VIEWS ON MUSKOKA

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

MUSKOKA — As district councillors prepare for a secret vote Dec. 5 on a new district chair, the province is tabling legislation to appoint chairs in Peel, York, Durham, Halton, Niagara and Waterloo.

Will Muskoka be next in 2026?

Who knows? Premier Doug Ford back-tracked on an announced promise of a public vote for Muskoka’s chair after he was first elected.

This afternoon the 21 district councillors from its six municipalities will gather at the district office in Bracebridge to hear to six candidates with wide political experience making their pitches.

Applications closed Nov. 15.

Gravenhurst, Bracebridge, Huntsville each have four members on district council including their mayors; and Muskoka Lakes, Georgian Bay and Lake of Bays have three each including their mayors. Many are first time members of the district councillors.

  • Those in the running include two with municipal council experience who ran for mayor last month: Terry Pilger in Gravenhurst and Tim Withey in Huntsville.
  • Curry Clifford, also of Gravenhurst, is a real estate agent with a background as a municipal CAO.
  • Don Smith is a district councillor in Bracebridge.
  • Howard Rosenthal, of Lake of Bays, is a retiree with no political experience.
  • They’re running against a high-profile candidate Jeff Lehman, Barrie’s former mayor.

Lehman ran for the Ontario Liberals in 2022, losing to Conservative MPP Doug Downey by 296 votes in the riding of Barrie-Springwater-Oro/Medonte.

The 47-year-old Muskoka cottager and Huntsville home owner, was Barrie’s mayor from 2010 until not running last month.

Born in Toronto, he moved to Barrie in 1978 and in 2006 was elected a ward councillor.

His Wiki page says he began his career as an academic, teaching urban and housing economics at the London School of Economics. In 2002, Lehman co-founded MKI, a small economics advisory firm working with municipalities. His parents founded Lehman & Associates, a land use planning firm, in 1979 where their son worked.

Who will sit in this chair after Dec. 5. Tune in today as the six candidates vying to fill the seat will make their pitch to the 21 councillors who will decide.

The public can listen in at 3 p.m. Monday to a “meet the candidates” debate at the district office, which will be webcast for community viewing.

Bracebridge lawyer Jean Polak will moderate. She previously moderated when Stuart Morley challenged departing chair John Klinck.

Community members were invited to submit questions in advance for consideration.

The public can view Monday afternoon’s proceedings via the District’s webcast.

Here is the link: You can watch the event by clicking on the following link:

https://www.muskoka.on.ca/en/council/agendas-minutes-and-webcasts.aspx

Newly-elected district councillors will be sworn in at the first Muskoka council meeting Dec. 5, during which the 21 members will select their next chair via a secret ballot.

 

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