It's Official - I am campaigning to be the Next Mayor of Ingersoll

The decision is made - The money is paid - I am in the running for Mayor of Ingersoll. Here are some questions that were posed to me in the lead up to my decision.

Why Mayor?

The Mayor has a unique role in municipal government, especially in Ingersoll. The Mayor automatically is the sole representative for Ingersoll on County council. The Mayor although not required to vote (Which has been quite evident) has the deciding vote in the event of a tie. This will be important considering the possible changes in the make-up of both councils in December.
The Mayor and County salary would allow me to devote full time hours to serve the needs of the town.
The current Mayor also sits on the board of ERTH that we own 44% of. There is no requirement that the Mayor is a director, the Mayor has access as representative of 44% of the corporation to documents and reports that may not be so publicly available.
I strongly believe that the new council will need a mayor who has the knowledge and experience to better research concerns of council and ratepayers.

Why not run for council and get your name recognized?

I think it is a sad state of affairs that politics at all levels is more about name recognition, and popularity. I think this fact is the largest contributor to voter apathy. I think people need to look at issues not how many lawn signs a candidate can install. I have been participating in local politics long before Garnet Elliot Park was even considered as a location for a school. I became more involved especially after the 1991 downtown fire when I got my first taste of what goes on behind the curtains at town hall. I am well known amongst the town decision makers and have regular conversations with regular folks, business people and folks from other communities.

Are you worried of a vote split between you and Ted Comiskey that could see Paul Holbrough back as Mayor?

The short answer is "No - I am in it to win it" - Curiously it is the Anti-Paul folks that ask this. I'm not Anti-Paul - I am Pro-Ingersoll. That's democracy!

Do you think your lack of political experience is a factor in being able to win?

Anybody that has been in business or a community organization deals with politics. Saying I lack political experience is a misnomer. Politics starts when 2 people enter a room. I have had to deal with many issues that are similar to what the new council will face and I have had many successes. One of my biggest strengths is being able to have an adult conversation on an issue, something I think is sorely lacking in politics today.

Where do you hope to find your support?

I would really like to attract the 4,000 folks that didn't vote in the last election. It is hard to gauge the split in the results in 2006. Paul obviously got the votes from his support base, but Ted's votes are harder to decipher. Ted would attract from his support base and those who did not want Paul to continue as Mayor.
The folks I hope to connect with are those who are tired of seeing their wallets get smaller and that is something that every resident of Ingersoll can understand.

Will you build an arena, dog park, playgrounds, etc.?

Part of my campaign will be Lean and Green. Stay tuned.


Thanks for listening

Tim Lobzun (Mit)