By Doug Draper
This reporter first met Gary Burroughs about 30 years ago when he was at a meeting for Operation Clean, a citizens group in his hometown of Niagara-on-the-Lake that was fighting toxic chemical pollution in the Niagara River.
Gary Burroughs runs for regional chair's job
That is as much to say that he cares about environmental issues. If he didn’t, the late Margherita Howe, then chair of Operation Clean, would not have him in the room without giving him the kind of dressing down she was famous for giving significant others who sat on their duffs on the green file.
I later met Burroughs as chair of the Niagara Parks Commission when he fought an unsuccessful fight to keep the hotelling industry in Niagara Falls from doing those high-rises we see above the falls today. He tried to fight those hotels rising up above the so-called “sight lines” above the trees along the little escarpment lining the table rock area of the falls. Suffice to say, he lost that battle with the hoteliers and it may have had something to do with him losing his job as the commission’s chair.
Then Burroughs ran and won his bid to serve as Niagara-on-the-Lake’s lord mayor, even while losing a race as a Liberal candidate, against Conservative Rob Nicholson, to serve as the MP in the federal riding of Niagara Falls.
Now he sits as a newly elected regional councillor for Niagara-on-the-Lake who is running for the top regional chair job. He is in a contest with Brian Baty, a regional councillor from Pelham, Bruce Timms, a regional councillor from St. Catharines, Bart Maves, a regional councillor from Niagara Falls, and Thorold’s outgoing mayor Henry D’Angela, who just announced. Damian Goulbourge, a recently defeated regional council candidate who was a two-term mayor for Welland, is reportedly also planning to put his name in the running.
What follows for our NAL readers is Gary Burroughs’ media release on his candidacy for regional chair. At the bottom of that, feel free to weigh in with your comments.
Burroughs runs for Regional Chair
NIAGARA (December 1, 2010) – Regional Councillor Gary Burroughs announced today that he will be seeking the role of Regional Chair on December 9th.
Waiting to make his announcement until his tenure as Lord Mayor of Niagara-on-the-Lake ended on November 30th, Burroughs sees lots of opportunity to bring improvements to the way regional government works and communicates with residents for the benefit of everyone in Niagara .
“The residents of Niagara have elected a strong team to represent them at Regional Council,” he said. “I’m tremendously excited by this new team, both new Councillors and returning Councillors. It is an energizing new mix.“
“Region staff, too, at all levels is a very talented group,” Burroughs went on to say. “Council needs to work more effectively with staff to bring innovative ideas and solutions to the challenges and opportunities we in Niagara face. There is no doubt we have the team who can deliver.” Burroughs believes in inclusive meetings and decision-making, and a process that utilizes the expertise and experience of the 30 Councillors around the Regional Council table.
“My platform is based on integrity and respect,” Burroughs went on the say. “Respect for the process of a Council meeting, respect for fellow Councillors, respect for staff, as well as for the residents and community groups interested in the decisions of Council, and most importantly respect for our taxpayers that have put their trust in us.”
“There are a lot of difficult decisions ahead for this term of Council, it will be challenging, and it will require the strength, energy and commitment of every Councillor to continue building Niagara in these challenging times.”
The key for Council to deal effectively with all these issues is more thorough, innovative and timely information from staff before Council debates the issue.
“We have a lot of really great staff at all levels of the Region,” Burroughs said, “Council needs to provide staff with clearer directions about Council’s expectations from staff and then hold them accountable for both the information Council receives and for the implementation of Council’s directions.”
“The goal of the Council I hope to bring to the Region is one where Councillors are provided with the best information, innovative as well as conventional ideas, and are prepared to debate this issues and opportunities in the spirit of what best for Niagara,” Burroughs said.
About Gary Burroughs
Gary Burroughs is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants (FCA). He was a owner/operator in the hotel business for 30-years in Niagara-on-the-Lake and Lewiston. He is a past-Chair of the Shaw Festival has been a member of that Board for 25-years; and a past-Chair of the Niagara Parks Commission.
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