PARIS Brant Mayor David Bailey had to wait until the final year of his four-year term for his inaugural mayor’s luncheon.
“It’s the first annual, so I’m hoping I’ll be here for a couple of them,” said Bailey, who so far is unopposed in seeking a second term in the Oct. 24 municipal election.
The Paris and District Chamber of Commerce presented the event at the Dominion Telegraph Center in downtown Paris on Monday. About 80 people attended.
Bailey said he approaches his job from a “social place,” not a political one.
“I pride myself on the ability to listen, make good decisions and be inclusive of everyone.”
Bailey said he is surrounded by a “wonderful” council and staff that together have a good understanding of the right things to do.
“I have a very easy job being the mayor of the County of Brant. It’s a very saleable product right now.”
He reminded those in attendance that, while many of Brant’s communities have been around a long time, the county itself only came into being 21 years ago.
“People are protective of their own areas, and as an effective mayor you have to be respectful of every single component of the county,” he said. “And then you have to worry about your neighbours.”
Bailey was referring to the City of Brantford’s desire to explore amalgamation with the county, only a few months after he was elected mayor.
“When you are something worth having or worth owning, people want to own it and be part of a good news story.”
The mayor noted that he was lucky to be elected mayor at a prosperous time.
“We’re growing and that’s a good thing for some people, and a horrible thing for other people. We need to control the quality of the product we receive.”
While thousands of new homes are coming, Bailey said he wants to ensure the development is right for the municipality.
“I hope my next term, if I’m granted one, that I will be the voice of reason for something I can control right from day one.”
Bailey said that a great number of people are moving to Brant from other areas, bringing diversity to the county.
“We’re going to have a temple, mosques, restaurants and cultural festivals,” he said.
“That’s a good news story for me,” said Bailey, adding that he is “wired” to have Brant be the “most exciting and interesting place to live.”