Newmarket Ward 6 candidate Kelly Broome has seen some major projects advanced in her ward over the last four years.
The Mulock park is going ahead after years of development and the town expects to finish it within the next term of council. The town will also be dealing with a new private residential development called Shining Hill on formerly protected lands, meant to meet high environmental standards and include a variety of public benefits.
“I came to an area that was a little underrepresented and needed to be caught up, and I spent the last eight years delivering results,” she said. “I’ve worked really hard to do that, and I have several major projects here in Ward 6 that I need to finish.”
Broome is seeking a third consecutive term on council. After getting acclaimed in 2018, she will be up against newcomer candidate Lukas Fuina.
Broome, who is the vice-president of philanthropy and communications for Community and Home Assistance to Seniors, has served on several boards, including the Newmarket Chamber of Commerce and Women’s Centre of York Region.
She said she feels excellent about how the last term of council went.
“We have had a very busy four years, we’ve accomplished a lot,” she said. “We did a lot more in these four years than our first four years, but I think that’s common … It takes a little bit to start to compete with everyone else’s priorities.”
The incumbent wants to move automated speed enforcement forward in the first 100 days of the term. York Region has piloted the concept, and the next Newmarket council is scheduled to hold a workshop on it in January.
“We recently were able to get through some red tape with different levels, so that we can properly move forward with a ticketing system that will work better,” she said.
Managing the next budget is also important, Broome said, adding they have to be mindful of what residents are going through financially.
She said she also hopes to make green space a priority and encourage more developments like Shining Hill. That development was approved after the the developer made commitments to meeting high environmental standards, pushed by local environmental advocacy organization Drawdown.
“You want to do a gold standard. You want to be out there, and you want the houses to come in retrofitted with the ability to have solar panels,” she said. “There is not a lot of building space left in our town and others, and I think we all reserve the right to be picky.”
After getting acclaimed in the 2018 election, Broome said, “It’s fantastic to run opposed.” She said she was door-knocking before her opponent filed and feels the campaign offers a better chance to keep doing that.
“You hear so much (when) knocking on the doors,” she said. “It’s just made it that much better.”
The incumbent said she believes in her record and her chances of re-election.
“I think residents are very happy with the results that we’ve brought together,” she said. “I have trusted leadership.”
