Bud Clayton: Looking back at a Politcal Career

Jeff Green | Sep 03, 2014

North Frontenac Mayor and Frontenac County Warden, Bud Clayton, died on Labour Day Monday.

Clayton took ill while attending a conference of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario in London, Ontario on August 17. Kelly Pender, Chief Administrative Officer of Frontenac County, was attending the meeting with Clayton. He stayed with him in hospital as it became clear that the illness was serious, and Jackie Clayton, Bud's wife, rushed to London.

After ruling out a heart attack or stroke, the doctors at the London Health Centre began treatment for viral meningitis. However, his condition did not improve and he remained in intensive care in London until he died.

North Frontenac Township had a meeting scheduled for Tuesday morning at the Snow Road Hall.

Deputy Mayor Fred Perry, who was a fellow councilor with Clayton between 2004 and 2006, has been deputy mayor under him for the past four years, and he read out a short prepared statement.

He described Bud Clayton as “an extraordinary man” and said that Council and staff struggled with whether or not to go ahead with the meeting, but, “We all know Bud would say 'take care of business'”.

(The statement is reprinted in full at the end of this article)

During Bud Clayton’s tenure as mayor, North Frontenac has focused on long-term planning, one of his major concerns. He often talked with concern about prospects for the future given the size of the township's population and the demands being made on municipal governments.

He also had a gently ironic viewpoint about the relationship between township councils and staff. He would say that it is staff who make all the decisions and they let Council express their opinion once in a while, just to humour the politicians.

During his tenure as North Frontenac mayor he developed a close working relationship with CAO Cheryl Robson, Clerk Jenny Duhamel and the rest of the senior staff, and this was in evidence at the Tuesday morning meeting, as Duhamel had difficulty starting the business of Council and getting the meeting underway after Fred Perry read his statement.

Clayton took on the warden’s role at Frontenac County last December, after the controversial two-year term of Central Frontenac Mayor Janet Gutowski. He was involved in the hiring process of current County CAO Pender.

While never short of opinions, he had considerable political skills, and exerted a calming influence on both his own council and Frontenac County Council, managing to ride just slightly above the rifts between different members of Council.

This was particularly noticeable at Frontenac County Council over the past nine months.

Bud Clayton was also instrumental in the redevelopment plans for Pine Meadow Nursing Home, which are now over 50% complete, and he remained in the role of chair of the management board for the home until his death.

He was registered to run for a second term as mayor in the upcoming municipal election, and his death leaves Claudio Valentini as the only candidate in the race with just over a week remaining until the close of registration on September 12, although that will likely change.

Bud was a member of North Frontenac Council from 2001 until 2006, and ran for mayor in 2006, as the incumbent, Ron Maguire, had indicated he was not running again. On the day of the deadline, Maguire reversed course and put his name in. He won the election with a 400-vote advantage over Clayton. Betty Hunter, also a sitting member of Council, finished third.

After that, Clayton turned his back on municipal politics and threw himself into the Pine Meadow rebuilding project. That is, until September of 2010.

With only days remaining before the registration deadline for that year's election, Jim Beam was the only declared candidate for mayor. That's when Bud Clayton decided to try for a political comeback by throwing his hat into the ring.

When interviewed during the 2010 campaign, he explained why he was seeking office again.

“Leadership roles are ones that I've taken my whole life. All of my jobs have been in leadership or leadership training roles so I am comfortable seeking this position. I also felt that acclamation is not the way to go for a position where someone has to lead Council and represent the township to other levels of government, and I was in a position to step up to the plate.”

During that campaign, he said that mending fences with Frontenac County would be one of his priorities if elected, along with promoting long-term planning in North Frontenac. It's fair to say both of those goals have been advanced considerably over the last four years, and the opening of the Robertsville ambulance base in early August of this year is a fitting symbol of an improved relationship between the township and the county.

The statement that Deputy Mayor Fred Perry read out at the Sept. 2 council meeting follows:

In Loving Memory of Mayor/Warden Bud Clayton

We are very saddened to hear of our recent loss of our friend and colleague Mayor/Warden, Bud Clayton, and we would like to express our sincere condolences to his family.

Bud was an extraordinary man.

He loved people and was a committed husband and father.

He was dedicated, realistic, community-orientated and he touched so many hearts.

Bud was a forward thinker and for the betterment of our community, he initiated North Frontenac Council's first documented Strategic Directions.

He valued our beautiful area and he loved to fish and hunt.

While we struggled with whether or not to go ahead with this meeting, we all know Bud would say "Take care of business".

He made people smile and brought laughter to their lives.

He was always there to give a helping hand to anyone and he had such a positive attitude.

He made sure everyone knew they were special and how much they were appreciated.

Could everyone please stand and join me in a moment of silence in loving memory of Bud.

Words cannot express how sorry we all are.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Jackie and their family during this difficult time.

He will be greatly missed by his family, friends and his community.

Thanks, Bud, for everything - you were our great Leader!!!