Niagara-on-the-Lake’s new deputy lord mayor, Gary Burroughs, says residents have voted to be heard — and the incoming council needs to listen and explain its decisions clearly.
Burroughs, who earned the most votes among council candidates, said he is excited to work with incoming lord mayor Vaughn Goettler and the newly elected councillors, while warning the town faces challenges protecting its interests at the regional level.
“It was a long haul, but I’m very excited and I’m looking forward to working with Vaughn and the team,” he said in an election-night interview at the Sandtrap Pub & Grill after the results came in.
Burroughs said he previously served as deputy lord mayor in 1989. Returning to the role, he sees an opportunity for council to work together and respond to residents who feel their voices have been missing from town decisions.
“We have issues in our town, and the residents need to be heard,” he said. “And so I think that’s what the message was. They just feel they haven’t been.”
For Burroughs, that means more than giving people an opportunity to speak.
“People are voting to be heard, and also much more than just be heard, have things explained to them in a proper way,” he said.
He described himself as “very optimistic” about the incoming council, pointing to Goettler’s business background and the importance of bringing people together.
“To me, what I’m looking forward to is this group will be an outstanding team,” he said.
While some candidates he had hoped to see elected did not win seats, Burroughs praised the councillors who will form the new council.
“I’m sorry some of them that I really like didn’t make it, but the group that are there should be outstanding,” he said.
He planned to meet with Goettler the following day to exchange ideas.
“I think we’re going to get together and work very hard as a team,” he said.
Asked whether he expected the incoming lord mayor to use strong mayor powers to push through votes, Burroughs said he did not.
That emphasis on teamwork also shapes his outlook on regional government, where he worries Niagara-on-the-Lake will struggle to secure support for local priorities.
Asked about the town having only one voice on regional council, Burroughs said it would have less of a say.
“Two of my concerns are both heritage and the Greenbelt,” he said.
He worries those issues will not receive the same attention from other Niagara mayors.
“The other 11 mayors aren’t really that concerned about heritage or the Greenbelt,” he said. “So when issues come up for us, it’s going to be hard to get support.”
With changes to how the region operates, Burroughs said a united town council will be important in supporting Goettler’s work at the regional table.
“I think that we’re going to need a team, and Vaughn’s going to need a strong voice with him when he’s going forward,” he said.
For all his optimism, Burroughs acknowledged the work of turning the election result into action is still ahead.
“So I’m excited,” he said. “We haven’t done anything yet.”
editor@niagaranow.com
