Last Call to Vote

Monday, October 25th is election day. Many of you will have already completed and mailed in your ballots. If you have not yet done this, I encourage you to take the time to deliver your ballot personally to the Township office in Port Severn. As long as you deliver your ballot prior to 7:45 p.m. on Monday the 25th, your vote will be counted.

Note: There is a mail slot to the left of the main doors of the Township office if you decide to drop off your ballot over the weekend. Make sure to complete your hand delivered ballot in the same way you would had you mailed it in – a video tutorial can be found on the left hand side of this blog.

As my campaign wraps up, there are a few important acknowledgements that I would like to make. First, I must thank my family for their support throughout the campaign. A campaign takes some endurance and would have been difficult without, in particular, Anita’s amazing help. Also, along the way, I have been assisted by so many supportive constituents, neighbours and friends. I cannot thank you all enough.

As always, I have been impressed by the voters for their support, interest and commitment to their community. I appreciated having had the opportunity to meet many of you face-to-face and to respond to your thoughtful questions and concerns.

In a recent CBC radio documentary about the quality of great leadership, it was noted that when we speak about leadership we often focus on the “I.” However, the program went on to assert that a leader cannot lead without a group willing to follow. Hence, leadership is in actuality more about the “we.” Hopefully Monday will bring me the privilege of working for another four years as your Mayor. If this is the case, I am eager for us to be again working together to improve the quality of life in our township for all residents.

Leadership is the Issue

I recently reviewed one of my campaign posters from 2006. At that time I stated that “Leadership is the issue.” I believe that this is still the issue but it must be viewed from a parallel issue of change. I promised change and there has been positive and dramatic change to the benefit of the Township and its residents over the last four years.

Without an effective leader this would not have been accomplished.

I served in the military many years. I learned the importance of some fundamental qualities of leadership – its value and the responsibility it brings – responsibility not just for the welfare but the lives of people who depend on you. Principles of honour, trust, courage and fear are real. There is no room for fakes in the military and they do not last long. In my civilian career I found these same qualities were a key to success in business and I have reinforced my beliefs through my four years as your mayor.

To be a leader is to be optimistic, to consult with people, to feed back to people, to have a plan and to know how to execute that plan. In this campaign I have looked to the future and presented a plan as I believe it should be, at this time. For more information about where I hope to see our Township heading in the future, please visit the "Campaign Platform" page listed above.

As a leader I believe in focusing on the positive and I do not find it productive or helpful to engage in negative politics. I do not engage in “smear” campaigns nor do I respond to anonymous information.

I believe that each candidate should be judged on their record and evaluated on their own merit. I am not nor will I be part of a slate of candidates. I have too much respect for the voters and therefore believe they can make up their own minds based on their knowledge of the respective candidate.

Out and About in MacTier

This Thanksgiving weekend, Eleanor Pettit (District and Area Candidate for Wards 1 and 2) and I hosted a barbecue for constituents in MacTier. We were assisted by Councillor Tracey Fitchett, her husband Steve, Anita and Bill Pettit. The weather was grand, the dogs were delicious, and we were delighted with the turnout!

For more pictures from this event, please visit the "Portrait Gallery" listed above.

From left to right: Eleanor Pettit, Jim Walden, Anita Walden, Bill Pettit.

A Distinguished Leadership Record

This weekend Anita and I took a little time away from campaigning to go to London, Ontario, where I presented an award created in my honour. As always, it was very inspiring to meet with the vibrant young student leaders at the University of Western Ontario.

Presenting The Jim Walden Leadership Award to Andrew Beach.

Information about the award: The Jim Walden Leadership Award was established in 2001 on the occasion of Jim's retirement from the University Students' Council (USC). It was created to honour Jim's outstanding ten-year career with the USC. The ten Boards of Directors with whom Jim worked took the initiative to establish the award that is sponsored by the University Students' Council Alumni Chapter. The award is presented each year at Homecoming to a graduating student who has served the USC over at least three years but not in an executive capacity. The recipient will have shown leadership qualities and commitment to the mission of the University Students’ Council and is chosen by his/her peers, the outgoing Executive of the USC at the end of their term.

"Believe Half of What You See and Nothing of What You Hear"

This has been a fascinating four years as Mayor!  I have always worked in a corporate or senior government world. Yet I never imagined how turbulent and unethical the world of politics could be. One of my opponents has blamed me for everything from bad weather to the world economic down-turn. While the previous comment is, of course, tongue-in-cheek, there have been a number of instances where he has attacked my personal integrity. Here is how I responded to this kind of behaviour in a recent mail-out:

Dear Constituents,

My father always told me to take the high road. Over this four-year term of office I have seen so much “propaganda” written about alleged incidents at the Township. Previously, I have resisted responding to these uninformed, untruthful and often anonymous comments. I have been encouraged, however, with the election approaching, to speak out on a couple of matters.

First, I want to make a few general points:

• Council is elected by the voters of the Township. It makes decisions based on the principle of majority rule. There will often be a majority and a minority and it is a fundamental principle that the minority respect and support the majority decision.

• I have seldom, if ever, made any significant decision without the approval of Council. I also vote as a member of Council, but I have only one vote out of six.

• A certain Councillor has continuously taken the liberty of blaming the “Mayor” for particular decisions. He seems unable to acknowledge that Council has arrived at its own majority decision.

In 2007, Councillor Bowden took an action against me for an alleged conflict of interest.  He was simply wrong and tried to settle two times “out of court” prior to a court hearing. On his third attempt he agreed to withdraw all the significant allegations, and I agreed to apologize in regard to a possible third party claim, and a possible monetary interest, and to be aware of potential monetary interests in the future.  In short, none of this was real and no money was involved - but, it cost the Township or its insurers over $50,000 for Councillor Bowden's frivolous actions. It was widely reported that Bowden lodged a complaint with the Ombudsman but no investigation ever took place.

The second incident in which rumours and speculation have widely circulated concerned allegations of Purchasing Policy violations involving a senior employee and a Councillor. I was the first to be informed of these matters by a Township employee. I took immediate action to confirm the validity of the reports. In spite of interference by Councillor Bowden in open Council, the situation was dealt with as quickly as possible in consultation with our solicitor and at the direction of Council. I had absolutely nothing to do with the improper conduct by the senior employee and the Councillor. The senior employee was hired by the previous Council. She is no longer an employee with the Township. Other legal actions may ensue. Lastly, there has not been an OPP investigation as reported by Councillors Bowden and Braid, nor did I interfere with such an investigation.

I hope this clarifies the many rumours that abound.

Sincerely,

Jim Walden

Mayor

To read Muskoka Today's article about the outcomes of the Bowden vs. Walden suit, please click here.

Mail-in Voting Instructions

This year all voting for the municipal elections will be done by mail-in ballot. You will receive your ballot by mail, but you have the option of returning it by mail or by delivering it to the Township offices in Port Severn. In either case, the ballot must be completed in exactly the same way. Be sure to follow the instructions carefully so as not to make a mistake and accidentally spoil your ballot.

Ballots will be mailed out to voters starting on September 27th. If you do not receive your ballot shortly thereafter, be sure to contact the Township offices at 705-538-2337.

If you click the following link you can access a helpful video tutorial about how to properly complete your ballot. This link will always be available on the “Contact & Links” page (found above) and on the left hand side of every page of this blog.

Click Here to Access the Video Tutorial

In addition, election staff will be offering assistance to voters at the following locations and times:

• MacTier Public Library

6 – 8 pm on Tuesday 12, October 2010

10 am – 4 pm on Thursday 14, October 2010

• Honey Harbour Public Library 

10 am – 4 pm on Tuesday 12, October 2010

6 - 8 pm on Thursday 14, October 2010

At the above times, you will be able to add your name to the voters list, replace lost or destroyed voters kits, get answers about voting procedures, and deposit completed voting kits.

"Change for the Better"?

Finally, this past week-end, my opponent, Larry Braid posted some campaign signs. Noteworthy is his slogan “change for the better”.

“Change” is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as “make or become different” and “better” is defined as “more desirable, satisfactory or effective.”

Braid is not new to municipal government. He has been an area and District councillor for the last seven years. But what is his record? The previous Council built the current Administration Building amidst much controversy – its cost was 50% over the budget of $1.95 million – a total of $2.95 million. The previous Council also announced a Port Severn Bridge widening during its last few weeks in office. Only later did we learn that the Township had an obligation to pay 40% of the cost (approximately $575,000). In addition, we still do not know how this commitment was approved.

During the life of this Council, Braid was chair of the District Community Services Committee. We have yet to see one community service programme in the Township, even though we pay for a broad range of services through our District taxes. On the other hand, the current Council has sponsored significant infrastructure improvements. In response to these changes, Braid has been a notable detractor on Council. Furthermore, although Braid is advocating for accountability and transparency, he simultaneously supports an anonymous web-site defaming this Council.

In sum, Braid’s actions do not instil much confidence in his commitment to his own slogan “change for the better”. The past is often a good predictor for the future. Thus, it is worthy to note Braid’s regressive record on change and be wary of his vague promises for the future.

Walden's Campaign Goes Digital

It is beginning to feel like fall is around the corner. Along with the first changing leaves, by now you will have started to notice other changes emerging in our community, the familiar signs of an election campaign - signs, candidates making their way from door-to-door, newspaper advertisements.

Sunrise with fall leaves in Georgian Bay Township

Along with these elements, I am pleased to welcome you to the newest addition to my election campaign - Jim Walden's 2010 Campaign Blog.

This blog represents a new feature I have added to my campaign since the last elections, and my campaign manager/Anita and I are excited about keeping you updated here as my campaign moves along.

This new digital home offers me a dynamic way of communicating with you. Here, among the many offerings, you can reacquaint yourself with some of our achievements from the last four years, refamiliarize yourself with the governing principles and personal values I believe in, and learn about the directions I would like to keep taking this community in the next four years.

I am excited to bring you elements of my campaign in this digital format. However, ultimately, in the lead up to the election, I am still the kind of person who most looks forward to meeting you face-to-face!