Whitehead to seek his eighth term on Caledon Town council

August 6, 2014 · 0 Comments

Veteran Caledon councillor Richard Whitehead will be seeking his eighth term in this fall’s municipal elections.
He is seeking to return as Peel Regional representative for Wards 3 and 4 (Caledon East and the former Township of Albion).
Whitehead is currently Audit Chair for both the Region and Town, and the chair of the Management Section of Peel council. In addition, he is a member of several special purpose committees related to fiscal management, economic development, traffic and transportation, growth management, community living, housing and the environment. As well, he is a member of the board and executive of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and is a founding member of the Humber Watershed Alliance.
“Elections are about setting new priorities and the selection of strong leadership in our community,” he said.
“Caledon is under pressure to grow as dictated by provincial policy,” he observed. “At the same time, we continue to strengthen our commitment to protect our own splendid environment and fragile ecosystem. Provincial policy, for all of its contradictions and anomalies, does not necessarily represent good community planning or reinforce effective, efficient and affordable local government.”
Whitehead stressed the need for the Town to set its own objectives and manage the future in a way that’s beneficial for the community.
“Like many, I’m concerned about the rate of growth and lament the loss of prime farmland,” he stated. “I remain absolutely committed to protecting and enhancing our water, habitats and watersheds.”
He pointed out that there will be a comprehensive provincial review of urban growth lands, existing communities, rural areas and protected greenspace next year.
“Rather than leaving our future in the hands of those with special and vested interests and unreasonable provincial policy demands, we must insist on managing our own future and determining what’s best for our community,” he said. “This is still our home and our precious legacy to protect.
He also pointed out Caledon will have a new mayor after the election, and the Region will have a new Chair, as he said many people have asked him to run again to bring his experience and knowledge back to the table.
“With my experience and your support, I look forward to the challenge ahead,” he said.