‘Listen. Then Lead’
“This is the pledge I am making and taking to the community.”
Greg Burns is running for Mayor of Port Hope in the municipal election on October 24th.
Municipal administrator, educator, community leader, former Deputy Mayor, Greg says his decision to run reflects a “deep concern about the now-established pattern of Port Hope council ignoring the voice of the residents and ratepayers of Port Hope in every decision, large and small, they make.”
“We must get our voice back and re-establish community engagement as a normal, expected and healthy part of public discourse and municipal decision-making in Port Hope. This has been lost.
“As Mayor, my commitment is “to encourage and welcome an open and honest dialogue with the community and then to lead by taking action based on the input of the community.
“An effective leader understands that it is a sign of strength to welcome honest differences and new ways of thinking.
“We must rediscover the spirit and substance of listening to and hearing from each other, the satisfaction and joy of acting as a unified and informed community.
“Under the present leadership, this is now gone.”
In launching his candidacy for Mayor, Greg unveiled six foundational priorities:
· A Quality of Life agenda across all municipal policy areas;
· ‘Citizen Engagement’ through community roundtables and more convenient citizen participation in Council meetings;
· Land use planning that embraces environmental stewardship;
· Agricultural sustainability and a focus on preserving rural values and productive space.
· Affordable housing and containment of residential sprawl;
· Financial accountability at Town Hall, and a comprehensive review of municipal spending levels and cost structures.
Greg announced that “over the next few months, our campaign will roll-out position papers and a campaign strategy based, itself, on ‘Listen. Then Lead.’ The Greg Burns for Mayor web site (www.GregBurnsForMayor.ca) is up and running, Check it out. Or contact me directly at gregburnsformayor@gmail.com.”
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Greg brings substantial and relevant experience to his candidacy for mayor. He served on Port Hope Council from 2010-2018, the last four years as Deputy Mayor.
During his two terms on Council, he chaired the Port Hope Pubic Library Board and served as a member of the Port Hope Police Services Board, Rural Action Working Group, Centre of
Excellence for Environmental Sustainability, Tree Advisory Committee, Fire Services Master Plan Working Group, and the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority.
In 2020, Greg co-founded an environmental advocacy group – PHorests 4 R PHuture Community Association Inc., better known as Save Our Trees. This non-profit group is fighting the removal of 907 trees in the Penryn Woodland at the end of Victoria Street and 2700 trees at Lion’s Park.
Greg also initiated a campaign last December to pressure Council to include funds in the 2022 budget for a long overdue Community Climate Action Plan. Burns subsequently developed a Terms of Reference for the Action Plan, a 10-page roadmap for a community climate action plan.
Port Hope residents are already speaking out in support of Greg Burns for Mayor and the “Liste. Then Lead” pledge he is making and taking to the community.
“Greg was the only councillor that listened to the citizens regarding the incinerator that ENTECH-REM wanted to build on Wesleyville Road. He went to battle for us and we won. He is a man of great integrity, honesty and whole lot of common sense.”
(Sarah and Jim Sculthorpe)
“Greg cares deeply about short and long-term policies to ensure a sustainable community – environmentally, economically and socially. Most importantly, he walks the talk.”
(Bob Biffin – former chair – Climate Change Working Group)
“Greg has what we need right now in our mayor: relevant experience as our former Deputy Mayor, as an educator and as a compassionate leader of rock-solid integrity. Yes, we need Greg Burns as Mayor, and we need him now.”
(Bill Wilkerson)
“He possesses the character, the qualities and the work ethic deserving a mayoral candidate.”
(Trudy Lum)
Contact gregburnsformayor@gmail.com for further details
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
