Guergis re-elected warden

The County of Simcoe held its 166th inaugural meeting of council today and witnessed the election of its 146th warden.

Tony Guergis, mayor of Springwater Township was re-elected as warden.

County Council is comprised of 32 members, the second largest municipal council in Ontario. The mayors and deputy mayors of the county's 16 member municipalities sit on council and elect the warden annually from amongst their peers. Currently, the warden sits for a one-year term but may stand for re-election.

"I am both honoured and humbled to receive this continued vote of confidence from my peers to sit again as warden," said Guergis. "The county is an incredible place, that's no secret as this region braces for change over the coming years. Obviously people are recognizing the county as a tremendous place to raise their families and they clearly find a true sense of community. I am privileged to serve the residents.

Simcoe County Council will begin the 2008 fiscal year in January with a new budget.

The County's proactive business and budget planning allows its member municipalities to develop their local budgets in a timely fashion. Guergis indicated that the County is in an enviable position having delivered on a number of successful planning initiatives in 2007.

"I believe we have achieved a great number of milestones in 2007 but our work is not done," added Guergis. "We have built on past successes and continued to raise the bar. Our residents are learning about the challenges that growth brings but also about how county council is responsibly meeting these challenges and working with all our partners.

"The province is an important partner in how this region is shaped in the future and we want to ensure that our residents have their voices heard as we build a stronger and better Simcoe community."