Queens Mayor John Leefe continues 30 years of public service

District 1 councillor, Darlene Norman and District 8 councillor and Deputy Mayor Douglas Adams were also acclaimed after nomination day passed Sept. 9 without any opposing candidates.

Mayor Leefe says, “We all put our names down and if there’s a race, we do our best to respond. In this instance, no other persons sought nominations for the mayor’s office and I’m deeply honoured to once again be able to serve in that position.”

He adds he ran for office once again because he loves the job.

In fact, he believes Sept. 19 represents 30 years – except for one short period - of public service to Queens Co. as both MLA and mayor.

“In a quiet kind of way, I think one of the most rewarding parts of public life is helping people who need a helping hand overcome some problems and get on with life. It’s always the big flashy stuff people see - water treatment plants, sewage treatment plants, capital works, all of which are very important - but the personal human side is an aspect that I find particularly satisfying. That’s the part of public life the general public doesn’t often see and it’s one of the most rewarding. Perhaps some people appreciated what I offered.”

He adds he has always felt positive about Queens Co.’s future during the past 30 years, even during bad times, and prefers action to fate to deal with situations that arise.

“I think we have two choices, either sit back and let the future unfold according to the wishes of other people or we can roll up our work sleeves and make decisions ourselves and have a real influence on our community.”

He says Queens Co. is a “tremendous community” with a strong volunteer base, and a “pretty strong” economy that he admits has its “ups and downs as everyone knows.

“Why we enjoy the upsides we have to face the downsides when they come along. We need to look for opportunities that fit well within the community.”

He says he has been lucky because residents have voted in progressive councils that have acted as team over the years because he is only one of 10 equal representatives. He adds although Queens Co. “is a relatively small community it none-the-less has a large budget,” including its large capital works budget.

‘When you have $16-$20-million budget, you’re in a big business. It’s important council understands it and manages the budget in a smart way to build for the future.”

He says he is confidence another good council will be elected by residents this year.

Of Queens Co., he says, “I’ve done a lot of traveling associated with both the municipal and provincial governments. Whenever I come home to the Region of Queens, it reinforced to me as a fact, not a belief that we have a really strong community that is vibrant and is a great place to live, a community that has many, many more positives than many rural communities I visited in Canada. We have a lot going for us.”