Just One Vote

Every vote matters in elections, and now that is true in Niagara on a whole other level.

The Province of Ontario has finally shared what the rules will be for weighted voting at a new Niagara Region Council in the next political term, and it isn’t good news for Niagara-on-the-Lake.

In their proposed new regulations, which you can view and comment on until November 5, Niagara-on-the-Lake will receive just one single vote in the new Regional system.

We used to have two votes: one from the Lord Mayor, and one from our Regional Councillor, whose role has been eliminated.   

In the last four years, Gary Zalepa and his Deputy Lord Mayor, who is running against me, moved to give $900,000 of public funds to a wealthy developer.  He supported taxes going up by 27 per cent in four years, mostly for Regional services, not Niagara-on-the-Lake’s.  And when Niagara-on-the-Lake’s future was at stake during discussions about amalgamation this February, our Regional Councillor, who is also running, sat quiet through that entire debate.

These changes and proposed voting rules make it clear that we need a Lord Mayor who speaks up for Niagara-on-the-Lake in the new, downsized Regional Council.

Otherwise our Town will be lost. The Province of Ontario is upending governance in Niagara.  The old rules and old ways of doing things no longer apply. 

In a new structure where Niagara-on-the-Lake will only have one vote, it is critical that we stand up and work together with other communities. Only with a strong voice and working together can we bring  change to the Region. My plans for this level of service are:

·       Cancelling the St. Davids Roundabout once and for all.  And I don’t mean deferring, or putting off until a later time: I mean cancelling it, and redirecting those public funds to traffic safety for pedestrians in a historic village centre.

·       Increasing child care spaces for local families.

·       Resisting expansion of the Niagara District Airport that would alter life for residents of Virgil and nearby rural areas

·       Increasing long term care options so people can age in place, close to home.

·       Enhancing Emergency Services to increase public safety across our community.

·       Drawing on economic development expertise to diversify our small business economy.

We need a great relationship builder, negotiator and consensus-maker at the Region as Lord Mayor, not someone who tries to bully people or keeps silent when our voice needs to be heard. Otherwise, Niagara-on-the-Lake will be overpowered by St. Catharines, Niagara Falls and Welland. They all get more votes than we do under the new system imposed by the Province.

Weighted voting appears to be a terrible first step toward amalgamation. If want to stop amalgamation, we have to start now to make sure that our one vote matters at the new Niagara Region. And we can't reward the people who were there for the last four years, and did nothing to stop this process, with having another four years to steer us off course.

As your next Lord Mayor and Niagara Region representative, I will voice our community’s opposition to weighted voting during the comment period. 

I will call for including other metrics, like assessment value, to determine how many votes we should get. Votes should be allocated based on other factors than population data alone. 

And I will demand that the voting weights be updated as soon as 2026 census data is released early next year.

My opponents insist they have experience, but the record shows differently.  If Erwin Wiens had such great relationships at Queen’s Park, why has the Province dealt such a damaging blow to Niagara-on-the-Lake in this new structure? 

And if Andrea Kaiser really cared about the future of this Town, instead of the future of her own role as Regional Councillor, why did she sit so quietly when amalgamation was on the table in February?

Ontario’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing says that “this is getting politicians out of the way.” If we don’t choose the right Lord Mayor this month, it might be getting Niagara-on-the-Lake out of the way too.

When you vote online, in advance polls October 17 or on Election Day October 26, think about who will stand up for our Town at the newly reformed Niagara Region table.

Out of all the candidates you can choose from in the Lord Mayor’s race, I am the only one who brings a new set of skills from the real world.  And I am the only one who is ready to stand up for Niagara-on-the-Lake, at home and at Regional Headquarters, full time.

Online voting is open NOW until October 25 at 10pm.

Advance Polls run October 17 at the Community Centre from 10am to 6pm.

Vote on Election Day October 26 at any one of five polling places, 10am to 8pm.

Visit vaughngoettlerforlordmayor.com to learn more.