This is a municipal election year in the Township of Georgian Bay as well as all other municipalities in Ontario. The last municipal election was held in 2006.

We would like to encourage all Six Mile Lake residents to become informed about the candidates and their positions in the upcoming election. We particularly would like all eligible residents to vote. The mail in voting process, explained below, is quite simple.

We often hear how residents are angry with property tax increases and with changes to services such as garbage disposal. The best way to have your voice heard on these issues is to vote!

Previous Election Statistics

The 2006 election was a vote by mail ballot. Despite the relative ease of the vote by mail system, the voter turnout in 2006 was 35.58%. Unfortunately, 35% is the average voter turnout for municipal elections in Canada.

In 2006 there were 9695 registered eligible voters in the township. Only 3449 managed to return a ballot. Baxter Ward, which encompasses the majority of Six Mile Lake, had 5994 eligible voters. Of these, 2105 or 35.12% cast a ballot.

The Township of Georgian Bay has a unique population distribution. There are 2500 permanent residents and 15,000 seasonal residents. The seasonal residents make up 86.4% of the population.

Six Mile Lake has approximately 1200 registered voters. This represents 20% of the eligible voters in Baxter Ward and 12.4% of eligible voters in the Township.

The Six Mile Lake community represents a powerful portion of the electorate if we get out and vote.

Township Political Organization

In Muskoka, we have a two-tiered system consisting of an upper level, the District of Muskoka and a lower level, the Township of Georgian Bay. The District of Muskoka consists of three Towns, Bracebridge, Gravenhurst and Huntsville, and three Townships, Georgian Bay, Lake of Bays and Muskoka Lakes.

The Township of Georgian Bay is divided into three electoral wards, Baxter, Gibson, and Freeman.  Baxter Ward runs from Port Severn to the McDonald River, Gibson Ward up to the Twelve Mile Bay Road and Freeman Ward runs up to MacTier. On the Georgian Bay side, Honey Harbour is in Baxter Ward, Cognashene and most of Madawaska /Go Home Bay are in Gibson and Wah Wah Taysee is in Freeman Ward.

The Township provides services such as tax collection, fire, basic planning services, building permits/inspections, road maintenance, recreation and libraries. The District provides major planning services, policing, community housing, garbage service, ambulance, some major road maintenance and other community services that are mandated by the Province.

Township and District Council is comprised of one Mayor, two Area and District Councilors (one representing both Freeman and Gibson Wards and one representing Baxter Ward) and three Area Councilors (one representing each of the three Wards). Council Chambers are in Port Severn. The two Area and District Councilors, along with the Mayor, also sit on the District of Muskoka Council. This Council meets in Bracebridge and has a total of 22 councilors from all the major Towns and Townships and 1 Chair.

Who Can Vote

In each municipal election, Canadian citizens who own property in the Township of Georgian Bay and their spouses (even if the spouse’s name is not on the title) are entitled to vote. Families that have their property in Trust cannot vote. Residents and tenants with long term leases are also entitled to vote.

The Township has a web address where you can check if you are on the voter’s list. You will need to enter your full name and your property’s 911 address. If you are an island resident, your Island Number is your street name.

If you are not on the voter’s list, the Township has information here on how to get your name added.

How to Vote

A tutorial that explains the mail in voting process is available here.

The Current Landscape

From 2006 to 2010 the property taxes on an typical waterfront property increased 27.94% while the assessed property value increased 28.78%.

• The Township portion increased 36.32%
• The District of Muskoka portion increased 29.71%
• The Education portion increased 17.56%
• and the Waste Management portion increased 37.61%.

In the 2006 fall Echoes, all the candidates were given equal opportunity to get their message out in an election pamphlet. You can download that election pamphlet here and use it to compare promises and results.

Several rate payers associations and cottagers associations are unhappy with the decisions and performance of the current council. Notably:

• In 2006, budgeted Township taxes were $3,180,258, in 2010 budgeted Township taxes are $4,265,546, a 34.13% increase.
• A 50% increase in staffing and a corresponding $1 million increase in salary costs.
• Construction of a new building, at a cost of $1 million, to house the increased staff.
• Slashing of funding for water quality testing. In one year the testing was eliminated. It has subsequently been partially restored.
• Allegations of financial improprieties between certain council members and township staff.
• Allegations that elected council members have been undermined by portions of the current administration.
• Lack of transparency in the township budget. You can view the 2010 township budget here.You can compare this with the Lake of Bays Township Budget available here or
  The Town of Gravenhurst budget available here.

There have also been allegations of misconduct as detailed in this article, this article and this article in The Huntsville Forester and this article in Muskoka Today.

There is also a website www.citizeninfo2010.webs.com, written anonymously, that monitors the activities of the current council.

Candidates Information

A citizens group called Georgian Bay Vote 2010 developed a series of questions for all candidates for the 2010 election and then scheduled the candidates for interviews. The SMLCA participated in the question preparation and the interview process.

The Georgian Bay Vote 2010 group disbanded, as was their intention, after the interview process. As such, candidates who declared after the interview process are not included in the responses below.

A table comparing the candidates’ responses for the Baxter Ward is available here.

A table comparing the candidates’ responses for the Freeman/Gibson Ward is available here.

Mayoral Candidates

Councillor Ward 3 (Baxter)

District and Councillor Ward 3 (Baxter)

Councillor Ward 1 (Freeman)

Councillor Ward 2 (Gibson)

District and Councillor Wards 1 and 2