Hastings Highlands new mayor says he’ll have a team-first approach as he leads council.
Tony Fitzgerald was sworn in at a ceremony in Maynooth earlier this week, along with Deputy Mayor Tammy Davis and five councillors.
In a speech, Fitzgerald said he met with each member of council earlier to talk about ideas for the new term and the meetings went in a surprising direction.
“Each meeting became a discussion, a dialogue, a conversation between colleagues,” he said. “And that, I think more than anything else, sets the tone for this term of council. We’re colleagues. We’re a team.”
He also encouraged his councillors to work hard to help Hastings Highlands maintain its identity as a well-run municipality that always thinks long-term.
“We get to make reasonable, affordable and sustainable decisions that will ensure, as it says on the wall, an enviable community with a progressive vision and financial stability for our children and grandchildren. And I wouldn’t trade that opportunity for the world.”
Fitzgerald, a retired educator, has a long-list of priorities as he takes on the job. He has said he hopes to help the municipality capitalize on its population growth, and build a stronger tax base to improve services.