Midland Matters, You Matter and Your Vote Matters!
 
About a week ago, I sent a similar message to you about the upcoming election for Midland Town Council.  Your vote will help shape Midland's future for the next four years.  Your last chance to vote is Monday, October 22nd from 10:00am – 8:00pm at the North Simcoe Sports and Recreation Centre.  Every vote counts.  If you agree, please copy and paste to share this message with your own contacts via email or social media and encourage them to come out and vote.

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ELECTION 2018: OPEN LETTER TO MIDLANDCOMMUNITY.CA

While the decision to endorse some candidates over others is never an easy undertaking, I’ve had a steady stream of voters ask whom I believe will do the best job building a complete community and who will lead Midland to greater prosperity.
 
For this reason, I’ve completed a thorough assessment of all twenty-seven candidates and their platforms in order to provide recommendations for your consideration. I’m sharing this e-mail broadly so voters with busy lives and demanding jobs can hear from someone who dedicates a lot of time following events in this great town we call home.
 
I believe the recommended candidates for ‘Team Midland’, like the Toronto Maple Leafs, will be an improved line-up to start the next season. My picks build on a base of six current members of Council who have shown the ability to make Midland a better place through some tough decisions around talent, taxation, policing, and, public assets to name a few.
 
To this base of six proven candidates, I also recommend several new and diverse faces who have demonstrated grit, talent, integrity and experience in their personal and professional lives.  Here are my picks for ‘Team Midland 2018’:
 
MAYOR
Stewart Strathearn (current councillor for Ward 3)
 
DEPUTY MAYOR
Mike Ross (current deputy-mayor)
 
WARD 1  (elect 3)
George MacDonald (current councillor)        
Jonathan Main (current councillor)
Shannah Aube and Beth Prost BOTH warrant serious consideration
 
WARD 2  (elect 3)
Glen Canning (current councillor)
Cody Oschefski (current councillor)
Roberta Bald
 
WARD 3  (elect 1)
Cher Cunningham
 
I wish to recognize and thank all the candidates who are vying for a seat on Council and who participated in the many events hosted by several of Midland’s community partners. Running a serious campaign is hard work and this year there were truly more good candidates than positions available.

My general approach was to focus on the positive when trying to prepare a list of recommendations.  However for some candidates, it is impossible to avoid reasons why they DO NOT deserve your support even if you do not agree with my recommendations about those who do. 
 
For example, there is a group of former council members trying to make a comeback - people who taxed Midland into the financial mess we were in back in 2010 with tax increases four times the rate of inflation, stifling growth and placing enormous pressure on Midland’s ability to provide valued services needed to move forward. It makes no sense to let past leaders repeat past mistakes. 

In addition there is one candidate, namely Bill Gordon who many in the community describe as ‘toxic’. With the utmost of disdain, he has attacked and defamed current politicians, town staff and other folks in the community who choose not to share his view.

This is absolutely the right time to reject candidates who are angry and seeking revenge and the right time to celebrate Midland’s progress by electing a Council that embraces respect as a core value! Sincerely,
 
Roy Ellis
Founder of MidlandCommunity.ca
 
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