Editorial
Experience and the track record are key

Once again, King Township voters have clear choices to make when it comes to picking a mayor.

This time, it's shaping up as a case of political experience versus political opportunism. You will have to make the final decision. And in between it all, there's Mark Healy, who as of this writing has evidently put his name forward for no pressing reason. That leaves us with incumbent Margaret Black and challenger Steve Pellegrini.

The campaign thus far, as is the case in any hardfought campaign, has seen a lot of issues debated, mixed up with a certain amount of rhetoric.

There have been charges individually made that both candidates are tied in, to some extent, with developers. Both accusations have been emphatically denied. It stands to the credit of both Black and Pellegrini that these charges have come from the floor at all-candidates'

meetings, and not the podium. Those who take the time to seriously consider these allegations will quickly realize they are both lacking in validity.

There have been other side issues to cloud the political scene.

When you get down to bare facts, one comes to a realization that both Pellegrini and Black are either offering pretty much the same thing, or have demonstrated a similar commitment to the same things.

Pellegrini is opposed to runaway growth destroying the rural character of King. So is Black, as demonstrated by her promotion of the various community plans aimed at limiting growth.

Pellegrini calls for financial responsibility in local government. So does Black, as demonstrated by positive reports from auditors and the financial review indicator of the municipal affairs ministry. Incidentally, the financially conscious

Pellegrini has never satisfactorily explained why, in his first term on council, he advocated shelling out thousands and thousands of taxpayers' dollars in sewer litigation that quite clearly didn't have a much of a hope of succeeding, especially when the plan had received endorsements from such like the Ontario Municipal Board, the courts, the peer review conducted by Conestoga-Rovers and Associates and by Hardy Stevenson and Associates Limited, the consulting firm that helped the Township bring its planning documents into conformity with the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan.

Pellegrini wants more done for seniors. So does Black, as demonstrated by the establishment of a seniors' advisory committee, an idea which grew out of the King Summit, which she initiated.

Pellegrini stands for strong representation when

it comes to dealing with other levels of government. So does Black. Funds for culverts, the Ansnorveldt water supply, acquisition of lands from Slokker Canada, etc., didn't just materialize. Someone, like Black, went after them.

Pellegrini wants a new tone at council, and fair and transparent process for decision making. So does Black. Pellegrini may argue that Black went to the Region behind council's back to facilitate the sewers coming into King City, but that happened after Pellegrini and three allies on council in those days had clearly indicated their unwillingness to publicly debate the issue. And they responded to Black's action by establishing some committee that never even held a meeting. And how many times did Pellegrini sign a petition calling for a special council meeting without courteously consulting the mayor ahead of time and first asking her to call one?

Pellegrini has been running under the slogan, "It's time." Time for what, since much of what he's calling for is either being delivered or actively pursued?

Black's slogan is, "Always there," and she's spent the last term in office demonstrating that, all over King.

And speaking of "always there," Pellegrini has been making much of his perfect attendance record at council and committee meetings. That's both laudable and impressive, but in reality it doesn't mean a whole lot. A student can attend class every day and still flunk. It's what goes on after attendance is taken that really counts.

What you have just read is but one opinion. The opinion that really counts is yours, expressed in the voting booth Nov. 13.

King Township voters, it's your turn. Let's hear what you have to say.