Taking The Reins
Stephen Douglas chats with new Mayor, Frank Scarpitti
Municipal politics is an interesting game. Players come and players go. Speeches and appearances flourish while candidates strive to get their points across. Scorecards get tallied and re-tallied. And, as the final buzzer sounds, the winners celebrate while the “also-rans” promise to unite and re-double their efforts… and the playing field shifts.
The recent municipal elections ushered in several changes. Perhaps the most noticeable is the new occupant of the Mayor’s office on the third floor of the Town office building. Newly elected but long-time councillor, Mayor Frank Scarpitti was preparing to move into his new office when he and the magazine’s publisher and I sat down to chat.
I asked Frank what he was most excited about. It turned out Frank was excited by a lot of things.
“I’m excited about plans to do things even better than the way we’re doing things now. As good as we are, I think we can be even better. Some of the processes could be streamlined and some of the back-office frustrations could be tidied up. That’s where the new auditor general’s position will fit in. That office will identify and clarify some of our corporate processes that might be improved to serve our community faster and better.”
“I’m also really excited about planning great communities. Yes, our area has been targeted by the province for growth and I’m excited about instituting a ‘green print’ to work with the pending growth and increased development.”
As Frank and I chatted, we talked about growing up in Markham. Frank is a “Markham-ite” from way back. He remembers playing outside, fishing in the creek behind his family’s home and spending long hours climbing trees and avoiding the calls to come in for dinner.
“Perhaps that’s where I get my ‘green’ bend. I really want Markham to be a beautiful place… road medians with trees and flowers, beautiful streetscapes, bike trails, walking and hiking trails along the Rouge River and interesting, unique communities. That includes buildings that are nice to look at and use different kinds of materials that are environmentally friendly. And, I’m pledging that during the next four years, we will plant more trees than we have planted in the last decade, making Markham a greener and better place to live and work.”
Frank’s goals are clearly flagged.
• Growth and how it can be harnessed and sustained.
• Taxes and how we can ensure every tax dollar is safeguarded.
• The Environment and the high standards we must achieve.
• The diversity of our residents and how we respond to their needs.
Frank’s eagerness was reflected in his inaugural speech.
“Tonight is a new beginning, a new chapter in our history. While we must be vigilant about our past and protect our heritage, we must now embrace the dramatic changes within our community. Markham is changing and our way of governing must change with it. With new challenges, we require new solutions.”
The Mayor’s office welcomes Frank’s fresh outlook and new ideas. The playing field at the Town has shifted. And the game will continue with a new quarterback and a solid, energized team.
2600 John Street, Unit 207, Markham, ON L3R 3W3 T: 905.475.5222 F: 905.475.6369
