Four community leaders look forward to 2025 with different goals in mind

On the final day of 2024, the Beacon Herald spoke to a few community leaders about their New Year’s resolutions and what they hope to accomplish in 2025.

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Cody Sebben, Stratford city councilor

For city councilor Cody Sebben, his biggest priority for 2025 is the city’s budget, which is set to be finalized some time early in the new year.

“That’ll be the first thing we are turning to — just really being able to keep the (tax) increase low and looking out for all citizens because I think that is the goal. That’s definitely just not my goal; I think that’s a shared goal from everyone (on council),” he said.

The municipal budget sets the tone for the rest of the year, Sebben added.

“Everything comes from the budget – every project, every initiative, they all need money – and so the budget really sets the tone for that. And I think if we can do the best we can with the budget, then that’ll be the best for residents too. And that’s what I’m hopeful for,” he said.

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“There’s always a lot of things on the go, but I’m always not looking too far ahead. One thing at a time.”

Aaron Martin, general manager of the Stratford & District Chamber of Commerce

While Aaron Martin, who was appointed as the general manager of the chamber of commerce in August, said he “has the internal” side of his new role down, he will be looking for a way to engage business owners more in 2025 while also promoting their companies.

“I really want to push out, engage the members more and really have a value-add to them, because I really want to showcase the membership and show what they are and who they are,” he said.

Martin is getting set to work on a video series that, using a drone, will showcase different Stratford-area business in 30- to 60-second clips.

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“Essentially, when you’re driving through town, you see buildings and you go, ‘what’s in there, what’s manufactured there, or what are the services that are done in there?’ So basically, I want to . . . highlight the companies that are there so that people know what’s being manufactured or what services are offered to their local community. . . . I think it will just be a fun way to highlight what’s done here,” he said.

Adrienne Tuling, spokesperson for Get Concerned Perth County

For Sebringville resident Adrienne Tuling and the group Get Concerned Perth County, the main goal in 2025 is continuing to push for transparency in local governance while raising awareness, particularly about a 302-unit housing development proposed for the Perth County community. This development, which proposes 92 single detached dwellings, 168 apartment units and 42 townhouses, experienced a lot of push-back in 2024, including from one resident who has owned a home near the site for roughly 50 years.

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“It’s such a complex thing, and we really do genuinely feel that council feels they’re working in our best interest, and that there are a lot of considerations, and all of them are important. But at the end of the day, we have policies in place and the Planning Act and are expected to follow these because they’re informed by experts and research,” Tuling said.

“We are going to continue to raise awareness. That’s all we can do, really, is raise awareness and make people aware of the considerations that are very important to the people who live in the area and the broader implications for rest of the rest of the township and (Perth) County because some of the decisions that have been proposed could set precedents for other villages as well, not just in Perth County, but even in Ontario,” she said.

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Jamie Pritchard, general manager of the Downtown Stratford Business Improvement Area

The leader of Stratford’s Business Improvement Area gave a slightly different answer, noting he chooses not to make resolutions but instead makes changes when they need to be implemented.

“If you’re going to do something to make a change in your life, change. . . (when) it needs to be done, not on New Year’s Day,” he said.

The BIA, though, finished in a strong position after a very successful 2024, he added.

“We had 32 new businesses open in 2024. There’s a few more that are set to open in 2025, (so) I’m very happy with ’24 and I’m looking very optimistically forward to 2025,” he said.

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