Lichty Ready To Learn The Ropes, As Higgins Moves On

Jeff Green | Nov 02, 2022

Ron Higgins walked into the North Frontenac Township office last Monday Night as a two term mayor, secure in his role in the township and in the building. The mayor is not the boss in that building, that is the role of the chief administrative officer, but is still integral to the way the place operates as its link to the community, and to other political levels, both municipal and provincial.

Minutes later, Higgins was no longer that link.

“It's the only job I've had that ended with no notice at all,” he said, adding “I didn't see it coming. It was a bit of a surprise.”

He said that he knew that there were people who were unhappy, “but I did not think it was a significant majority. I figured it was going to be a race, the way that Gerry was going about it, advertising and door knocking the way he was. I certainly wish him well, but no, I did not see it coming.”

In the past, the changeover to the new council took place in early December, and councils would meet in caretaker mode in late October and early November, but that has changed this year.

The new council will be installed in November, in order to choose a second Frontenac County representative to join Mayor-Elect Gerry Lichty in time for the county inauguration on November 30. There are no meetings scheduled in North Frontenac at this time, although that will change soon.

Ron Higgins went to a previously scheduled Kaladar-Barrie committee meeting last Friday, and he will preside over Remembrance Day Ceremonies on November 11 at the Cenotaph at the Clar-Mil Hall, but other than that, he is done.

He said that he was pretty well over his disappointment over losing within a day of the election, “I did find myself wondering, in the days after that, why I was not getting any emails. It was that sudden a change.”

But with work to do on his home, a full life with his wife Wendy, he expects to take a few months before looking for a new project.

“I need to be busy,” he said, adding that he might take on some short term consulting if an opportunity comes his way, “but I'm not going to do anything for a couple of months.”

His original plan had been to only serve two terms as mayor, and changed his mind about a year ago, after considering a run for provincial politics, and even though he lost this election, he leaves municipal politics without reservations.

“I was open and transparent throughout. I may have said some things that people did not want to hear at times, but I have no regrets about anything that I did.”

He said that bringing stability to the township fire department, presiding over the upgrades to the township office, and over a culture of support and mentorship among township staff, and the professionalism of North Frontenac Council are some of the achievements of his time in office.

His relationship with Frontenac County has not been as smooth, particularly over the last year or so, but he has no regrets on that score either.

“I haven't heard from anyone at Frontenac County since the election,” he said. “I guess that says something.”

For Gerry Lichty, it was a different week. The first order of business was to remove his election signs from across the township.

Then he began to consider who he was going to be sitting around the council table with for the next four years.

“It's going to be a different council. There are three new people, including myself, and the next month will be about orientation for those of us who are new,” he said.

He understands that there will be pressures on the council because he ran on a promise of change. “I have to live up to all of those expectations, based on my campaign,” he said.

But it will be baby steps at first.

“Orientation is first and then we will turn to strategic planning, and work on the capital budget. I want to canvas council to see what their priorities are, as well,” he said.

One bylaw he expects to redress is the Recreational Vehicle bylaw that was approved last year.

It is a very disliked piece, and needs to be changed,” he said.

But aside from that, he said he will take some time to see how the township staff is organised.

“As a council, we need to get a feel for the capacity of our organisation, because if we ask staff to do something, we need to know if the capacity is there, or if more staffing is required, and what those costs are. We can't just throw extra work at people.”

Over the course of the next few months he said that work on a short term rental bylaw, addressing lake association concerns, changes to the way the township treats private lanes from a land perspective, and working on the first budget of the new council, will be priorities.

“I think it is going to be different, and I want to make sure we are as progressive as we possibly can be,” he said.

He said that he has met with Mayor Higgins, and wants to assure voters that he does not intend to move backwards on the progress the township made over the last eight years.

“As I said in my campaign, I think we are a well run township. I intend to find out how it is run, and to make it better where I can.”