Bancroft Mayor Paul Jenkins says he hopes the next town council will keep working on projects started by the outgoing one.
He delivered that message at the start of Tuesday’s council meeting. It was the final meeting of the term, before the municipal election voting period ends on Monday, Oct. 24.
“ My message moving forward to the next council is to follow the plans; the economic development plan, the community improvement plan, the asset management plan and the financial plan,” he said. “They’re all relative for the foreseeable future. Follow the plans and the results will continue to follow.”
Jenkins said that the town has made steady progress over the last four year, despite the hardships of the pandemic.
He said council’s decision to have a “no-development fee” policy has attracted new business growth.
But other challenges remain. He noted there’s still work to do to address many social issues.
“The job is not done. There are other projects in the planning stage. Plus, there’s a great need for government supported housing and a concrete program to deal with homelessness, mental health and addictions issues that many municipalities are facing.”
He said the current council’s work was driven by two key mandates; to improve the physical appearance of the town and to encourage more development to build a bigger tax base.
He said making sure people have access to services and facilities is part of the attractiveness piece.