Monday night marked the beginning of a new era in the city of Timmins.
Mayor Steve Black was sworn in, and at 32 years old he officially becomes the youngest mayor in the city’s history.
Following the Declaration of Office and Oath of Allegiance, which was presided over by Judge Ralph Carr, Black made his inaugural address as mayor.
“Family, friends and residents of Timmins, welcome to the City of Timmins inaugural address for the incoming council who will serve from 2015 to 2018. Thank you to former mayors Vic Power and Tom Laughren for joining us tonight, along with Justice Ralph Carr and Pipe Major Tom Luke."
"It is an honour to be the mayor of our great city. Our city is known as ‘The city with the heart of gold’ and when I first heard this, I thought it was in reference to the vast wealth we have underground, but anyone who has visited Timmins soon realizes it’s in reference to our people, who are truly our greatest asset in the community,” said Black.
He also praised the outgoing council members.
“Although tonight is about the future, I want to also thank those who served on the council from 2011 to 2014. A lot of experience leaves this table with the four members (Tom Laughren, John Curley, Todd Lever, and Gary Scripnick) who are not returning. They put many years of service in and all played an important role in shaping our community.”
Black then elaborated on his vision for the near future.
“I pondered over the last month on what our mandate was, based on the election results. Was it a specific item I campaigned on, or items the councillor’s campaigned on? I decided the answer is no. I believe our mandate is to act and make decisions that put the residents of Timmins first. We must ask ourselves in every decision we make, what is the benefit to the residents of Timmins? It is our mandate and my challenge to council, to make smart, long-term decisions. We have to focus beyond this year and this term, and consider generations to come to ensure the long term health and sustainability of our community,” said Black.
The new mayor also calmly cautioned council about potential hurdles ahead.
“Timmins council needs to begin to plan and restructure in preparation of the closure of Kidd operations in 2021. While there will be other mining opportunities and companies within the region, the impact of losing one of our city’s largest employers and approximately three million dollars in assessment, cannot be underestimated. We must ensure the city and region builds towards 2021, to ensure we are not left making a knee-jerk reaction after the fact. We must ensure the provincial and federal governments know we need the tools to develop our region and bring new economic development forward prior to 2021,” stated Black.
He hinted that changes could be coming to municipal services to ensure city residents are getting the most from their tax dollars.
“It’s also no secret the province has a $12 billion deficit. It’s no secret that municipalities will likely absorb significant challenges as the province balances its budget. It is our job to review the services we provide. Determine the levels of service we should, and can afford to provide. I believe a detailed core service review should be completed to ensure we are operating as efficiently as possible, but to also look at what alternative service delivery methods are available. As municipalities continue to see services downloaded and funding cuts, we need to search for new ways to ensure the burden does not rest solely on the taxpayers of our community,” said Black.
The mayor finished his speech on a positive note, stating that while there may be obstacles ahead, there is a lot to look forward to.
“We will work together as a council, putting our residents’ interests first and ensuring we are mindful of all residents of Timmins when making decisions. We have finished celebrating 100 great years of history in our city. It’s time now to start building and investing for the next 100 years. It’s an honour to step into the role of mayor of Timmins, and I thank the residents who have given me this opportunity.”
(PHOTO: Mayor Steve Black speaks to reporters at Monday's inaugural council meeting. Andrew Autio for TimminsToday)