Whitchurch-Stouffville mayoral race the one to watch

Who’s on the take in Whitchurch-Stouffville?
Two blog readers want to know.
While a loaded question, Tanis and Sandra are forgiven. Reading between the lines, the two Whitchurch-Stouffville voters simply want to know if local mayoralty candidates are accepting campaign donations from developers.
When I covered this topic in a previous blog, my main focus was on York Region’s northern municipalities.
My not covering the Whitchurch-Stouffville developer-candidate base is not tied to any monkey business. A personal message to Tanis: nobody controls me.
Still, since there’s interest in how Whitchurch-Stouffville mayor candidates bankroll their campaigns, here’s what I found out.
Whitchurch-Stouffville incumbent Sue Sherban and main contender and former mayor Wayne Emmerson are both accepting campaign money from developers.
By the rules of the election game, each candidate can spend about $20,000 getting elected in Whitchurch-Stouffville. “I couldn’t afford to wage a campaign without donations, including those from developers,” Mr. Emmerson said, but added, “Developers can’t buy a candidate for $500 or for $100.”
The reality is: Out of pocket campaign money has a limit, Mrs. Sherban stressed.
“You can only afford to take a certain amount out of your own pocket,”  she said. “Yes, I accept donations from developers.”
Pamela Courtot isn’t worried about how to handle developers.
“The developers don’t want to give me any money,” Ms Courtot said. “I will not accept a donation from a developer. For some reason, if you support the concept of environmental sustainability, the developers think you’re the bad guy.”
Randy Mole is running his campaign on a lick and a promise and his knack for performing well in all-candidate forums. Of course, Randy’s not cosying up to the developers. Instead, he’s collecting money in a jar. The only problem is: nobody can find the jar.
While Don Barker said he wants to do some “good old- fashioned bartering and horse-trading” to get the developers to do their fair share in the community,  it does not include him taking their campaign donations.
“I’m paying for my entire campaign out of my own pocket,”  Mr. Barker said.
Mayor candidates accepting campaign donations from developers has lost its flare in the northern part of York Region, while the practice still seems to be in vogue in the south.
I wonder why.
And finally, Jim from Stouffville asks why I pick Emmerson the winner in the mayor’s race.
Here’s my answer: Emmerson is not perfect, but he’s especially creditable, both as a politician and a person. Emmerson has an abundance of street smarts, works hard,  knows how to listen, respects democracy and understands the mayor’s job, including its limitations.
As well, Emmerson has an impressive track record at the regional government level. Some of his colleagues thought he had the makings of a regional chairman. Emmerson will win. It will not, however, be a landslide. Sue Sherban has tenacity and energy to burn. She’s running a flat-out campaign. In fact, Whitchurch-Stouffville is turning into the race to watch here in York. 

Comments

[Randy Mole]

so Joan why is it you can never get my information correct .All you have to do is read your company's newspaper to know I was the first person to state that I wouldn't be accepting developer dollars .Everybody just got on the bandwagon after me. And this is the second time (the last election)when I have publicly stated at the Beginning (not after someone else)that I wouldn't be accepting any money from big corporations that do business with the town. You read about the penny jars .You didn't see the headline?? "Candidate will not accept developer dollars?"

[Randy Mole]

Truth will out Joan you hate Sue and supported Steve last time around while doing a some what sanitized job of reporting the debates. Too bad you never understood what an insult Wayne was to the people who cared about their community but then you don't actually live in town do you.