The Peterborough Examiner e-edition

David Gerow stepping away from township council after 12 years

BRENDAN BURKE BRENDAN BURKE IS A STAFF REPORTER AT THE EXAMINER. HIS REPORTING IS FUNDED BY THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT THROUGH ITS LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE. REACH HIM AT BBURKE@METROLAND.COM.

After serving three terms on Havelock-Belmont-Methuen Township council, David Gerow is stepping away from municipal politics.

The township’s deputy mayor will not be seeking re-election in the upcoming fall election.

“I put 12 years in for the municipality which I am respectfully grateful for,” he told The Examiner recently.

Gerow represented the Village Ward after first being elected to council in 2006.

He ran for councillor at large four years later but was defeated. In 2014, he ran again and won the seat. In 2018, he was voted in as deputy mayor.

“I’ve given 12 years to our community and it’s been wonderful. I’ve worked with different councillors and I had an opportunity to work firsthand as a Peterborough County councillor, and that’s been a great, great experience,” Gerow said.

“It’s a fantastic council and that’s been a wonderful experience for me — working with dedicated councillors in Peterborough and Havelock-Belmont-Methuen. It’s been really rewarding.”

Looking back on the past achievements of township councils he’s been a part of, Gerow said, “I think we’ve achieved a lot over the last 12 years.

“We’ve built a new wastewater treatment plant; we’ve beautified the downtown area; we’ve worked on improving access to affordable housing and we’re almost set to go with a new long-term care facility.”

He said he’s particularly proud of his work as the longtime chair of the board of directors for the Eastern Ontario Trails Alliance.

Despite progress, Gerow said the township, and all small municipalities, still face challenges.

“We have to follow some pretty strict guidelines. When it comes to building bylaws, etc. We have to follow the red tape, which can be pretty burdensome on small municipalities. So a lot is going to be a challenge, I think, in the future,” he said.

To address these issues, Gerow said lower-tier municipalities including Havelock-Belmont-Methuen must communicate with elected representatives at the provincial and federal level to streamline projects and cut through red tape.

When it comes to advice for his successor, he said the next deputy mayor will be well served by following a motto that he adhered to closely: always call back your constituents.

“They may not like what you have to say, but it’s our job to keep residents engaged and informed.”

Once his final term has wrapped us, Gerow plans on spending as much time with his family as he can.

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2022-05-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-05-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

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