Norfolk mayor cites water infrastructure as council’s top priority in 2024

As Amy Martin moves beyond her first full year as mayor of Norfolk County, she is reflecting on a challenging and rewarding start to her term.

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“What a fantastic year it has been,” Martin said. “I take pride in the achievements of Norfolk County council and its staff. I’m particularly grateful for the support and active participation from the community throughout our journey.

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“The role comes with many intricate aspects that make it challenging to fully anticipate but it’s safe to say every step has been a valuable learning experience – and one I thoroughly enjoy.”

Martin, a lifelong Norfolk resident, unseated incumbent Kristal Chopp — who served one term in the county’s top election position — in the October 2022 municipal election. Martin had previously served one term as councilor for Ward 6.

She said experience as councilor and deputy mayor helped prepare her for leadership, “allowing me to be much more effective right from the start.” But she said it took some adjusting to take on a more strategic vision for Norfolk.

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“Your scope widens and is no longer restricted to ward boundaries. All decisions must be made through the lens of community benefit, county-wide priorities and corporate resources. I’ve also prioritized creating a team environment that aims to build consensus and relationships but respects the democratic principles of a vote.”

But Martin said there is no shortage of challenges as mayor of a cash-strapped municipality. In October, advisors tackled a daunting 10-year capital budget topping, for the first time, $1 billion, with huge investments related to water, wastewater, roads and bridges, and facility needs.

At the time, Amy Fanning, Norfolk’s director of financial management and planning, told advisors funding challenges for municipalities are aging infrastructure, asset management implications, skyrocketing construction costs, changing regulations, staffing issues, supply chain challenges, inflation, and interest rates remaining higher than anticipated.

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“Our financial position severely limits our ability to address the needs of all constituents in a creative and timely manner,” said Martin. “Currently, our focus is solely on critical infrastructure, leaving limited resources for other community priorities. We face competition in the public sector market and need to address the growing wage gap between Norfolk County and our neighboring municipalities. Closing this gap is crucial for recruiting and retaining employees who can serve our community for years to come.

“Additionally, we aim to expand the types of growth in Norfolk beyond residential development to ensure a range of employment opportunities and healthcare facilities for both current and future residents.”

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Martin said some of council’s major accomplishments over the past year include:

• Addressing the corporate culture with staff and making improvements to working relationships across all levels of government.
• Initiating the recruitment and retention “people plan” to bring continuity to services.
• Maintaining a commitment to financial sustainability by ensuring appropriate reserve contributions are made.
• Increasing water capacity at the Port Dover water treatment plant and the initiation of a new leak detection program for water loss prevention across Norfolk.
• Celebrating major development wins, including securing community benefits from developers despite new regulations from the province.
• Initiating discussions on green bin and compost options for urban residents.

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Looking ahead to 2024, Martin said council’s top priority will be addressing Norfolk’s water and wastewater infrastructure.

“Without support from higher levels of government, we will not be able to sustain our existing service level to the residents of Norfolk. This can’t be done in full without provincial and federal dollars.”

Martin said she looks forward to helping develop a plan for the retention and recruitment of county employees to “establish a more reliable and sustainable service delivery model for Norfolk County residents in the years ahead,” and to work toward making investments in healthcare infrastructure and physician recruitment over the next year.

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