I probably mentioned losing my mind a couple of times, getting elected and ending up in Parliament.

Wow, I thought as I first walked into that chamber. An MP. The national agenda. This is big.

The aura was reinforced one day as I wandered down a corridor and the prime minister — cocooned in his entourage — spotted me. He called me over to meet the former president of Russia, a bear of a man who had just stood on a tank outside the Kremlin to thwart a military coup and hasten the fall of the Soviet Union.

He pumped my hand thinking I must be important. And I felt so.

Then my office staff called with an urgent problem. Constituents back in the riding were calling that winter day to report a major problem: snow had not been adequately plowed from the north hill. So, what did I intend to do about it? My credibility hung in the balance.

It was a reminder of what matters to folks. Russia and foreign policy are irrelevant when your car’s stuck. The level of government that matters most is the one you live with every day.

This brings us to that election we just had.

It was a corker. The new mayor siphoned off 55 per cent of the votes, smoking the heir apparent who had been second-in-charge. All the reoffering councillors that had voted to erect that giant hotel in the middle of a residential ‘hood were punted.

The only candidate who had promised to hit the brakes on development won big. All the politicians running for re-election who had opposed the monstrous new build on the main street (the Royal George complex) were successful.

That was a clear message: stop. Two hulking tower cranes in this little place are two too many.

Well, what now? As lord mayor, Vaughn Goettler has a heap of expectations on his shoulders. Here are some of his answers to my direct post-ballot questions.

You promised people you’d hit the brakes on new development. Will you?

People want me to have a healthy pause on development. They think things are moving too quickly without regard for the consequences. For me, that’s problematic. And for the community.

Are you against the new hotel and condo development on the Rand Estate?

Absolutely. I just don’t know why we have to come back at it again. It just doesn’t make sense to me.

Airport expansion — a hard no?

Well, not on improving it, but a hard no on expansion, until residents of this town tell me they’re dying for an airport. So far I heard that from, literally, only three people.

Was it wrong for town staff, not elected people, to make basic decisions about the Parliament Oak hotel and Royal George projects? Was there enough oversight before approval?

The exiting council created a void, abdicating their responsibility. Staff filled that void. They assumed a role that was too big because council wasn’t doing it. This should not have been done.

What should happen to the old hospital site? A tourist parking garage or community space?

We have to save community space for the community. The economics of that parking garage will never work.

How will you stand up to the region and the province with its expansive Niagara Strategy to double tourism?

I’ll meet with all the mayors in the area to oppose amalgamation, and I plan to lead that fight. I’m not opposed to tourism, but if we try to squeeze too many more golden eggs out of it, we may just kill that goose. People come here for what it is, not for it to look like Mississauga. In fact, they’re leaving there to come here. We can’t forget it.

What do you say to those who feel we now have a rich, old guy from the Old Town in charge?

Yes, I’m well-off. I am old, and I can’t change that. But the town gave me a mandate and I’m here for everybody. I will prove to them there’s much more substance to me than being an old rich guy.

Are you concerned that unelected staff members who don’t live here are running the place? Do you agree with CAO Nick Ruller telling staff they can’t talk to me?

As I said, they filled the void left by the last council. Yes, that concerns me. Staff has to work for council, to make it the best it can be — they should help us make the best decisions, not make them for us. We have to get the game rules right, including freedom of information and transparency. We all need to be accountable. Without a healthy press we are at risk. We will become much more open and transparent.

There you go. We have a new sheriff. And you know who to call the next time the sewer backs up into your basement. He asked for it.

Garth Turner is a NOTL resident, journalist, author, wealth manager and former federal MP and minister. garth@garth.ca