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Blake Ellis/Local Journalism Initiative

The need for more housing and more cash from the province were top of mind as the new Brooke-Alvinston Council was sworn in for service.

Brooke-Alvinston’s new Mayor David Ferguson was sworn in along with the new Council at its inaugural meeting on Tuesday. Frank Nemcek was – who received the most votes Oct. 24 – becomes deputy mayor with Councillors Don McCabe, Jenny Redick and Craig Sanders, all taking the oath of office and ushering in a new four-year term.

The need for new housing and dealing with the decline in funding from the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund over the last 10 years were concerns Ferguson cited for the new council to deal with in the next four years. He wants to see a grant writer hired in partnership with other municipalities to bring more funding into municipal coffers. 

Ferguson called the council “the face of the municipality” and encouraged members to work with staff for continued success.

“There is nothing but good things happening in the next four years,” predicted Nemcek. He hopes to have a new subdivision developed with 60 homes. He hopes that will attract new businesses, like a grocery or hardware store. Nemcek believes a new doctor will be attracted to the community as the medical centre was modernized and with the work that was done on the arena, the municipality has facilities for weddings and stag and does, which now rivals any community.

Redick wants to see the Council developing more activities for seniors, as she heard during

the election there are a lot of programs for youth, but not for the elderly.