Lake_elected

Jeff Green | Jan 26, 2006

Feature Article

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Lake elected Frontenac County Warden

by Jeff Green

Mayor Bill Lake of South Frontenac accepted the nomination of Warden at a County Council meeting last week, offering his thanks for the vote of confidence from County Council. Warden Lake thanked past Warden Bill MacDonald for the excellent job he had done as Warden in 2005.

“It is an honour and pleasure to be appointed Warden for 2006. I am looking forward to working with the mayors and staff to serve the interests of the County and its residents in dealing with both challenges and opportunities for the County as a whole,” he said.

At the same meeting, Mayor Ron Maguire of North Frontenac was elected Deputy Warden of the County.

Mayor Lake told the News that he intends to carry on the activist role the county has had on both the regional and provincial levels. Immediately upon his election, he attended a two-day meeting with the Eastern Ontario Wardens Caucus.

He will also be carrying on former Warden Bill MacDonald’s efforts in trying to change the provincial regulations regarding lunch breaks for emergency personnel. A ruling by the Ontario Labour board last year regarding lunch breaks has led to increased ambulance costs for the County of Frontenac. It has also slowed plans for enhancements aimed at lowering response times for ambulance service, in both the rural and urban areas served by County of Frontenac Paramedics.

As the Mayor of South Frontenac, Bill Lake represents the entity that supplies 58% of the municipal levy to the County, and Bill Lake said that “even though I am Warden that won’t stop me from representing South Frontenac’s viewpoint to the County, particularly on the budget.”

Last year, Mayor Lake was instrumental in sending the budget back to staff on the day it was supposed to be passed, saying his Council would not accept an increase in excess of 10%.

Eventually, the budget was passed with an increase of 9.95%.

Mayor Lake also said he will heed the previously expressed intentions of South Frontenac regarding the way the County portion of the Federal gas tax rebate is divvied up, although he will listen to County staff recommendations regarding how some of the money can be used for specific county-wide projects.

South Frontenac passed a motion last fall asking that the County’s portion of the gas tax revenue be passed directly on to the townships on a population basis.