It is an honour and a privilege to run as a candidate for council for the Municipality of Meaford. Citizenship brings both rights, and responsibilities. For me, those responsibilities guide me in allowing my name to stand for council.

Both my husband Mark and I were born and raised in the Municipality of Meaford. Our families have lived in the Bothwell's Corner to Annan to Balaclava to Vail's Point and Mountain Lake area since the early 1840s. Many family members and friends were forced to leave their farms when the Meaford Tank Range property was expropriated in the summer of 1942. They had two months to relocate. They were able to do so in the former Township of Sydenham. We currently live on a farm in the Irish Block area where we raise Hereford cattle.

Our professions have afforded us the opportunity to work in other municipalities in Ontario. We are grateful that an opportunity arose for us to return home. It is here that we have raised our children. It is here that we hope they will someday return to raise their children.

The Municipality of Meaford has incredible untapped potential. While significant strides have been made in fiscal accountability, policy development, and transparent local governance, there is much more to be done. With competent, intelligent and responsive leadership, we can become a model municipality in the province of Ontario, where people are proud to live, and where people, business and industry strive to locate.

Let me share with you who I am and what I stand for: Cynthia is a leader who….

· Understands the pivotal role taxation plays in the lives of our citizens and will work to ensure effective, quality and responsible use of our tax dollars.

· Understands that a positive relationship with its citizens is vital to the health and well-being of our Municipality and will work to build relationships founded on mutual respect.

· Appreciates the challenges faced by our citizens on a daily basis through the different ages and stages of their lives and will ensure that the Municipality provides timely, creative and proactive supports.

· Will work tirelessly within our Municipality and beyond to build positive networks positioning Meaford as a place for families, business and industry to locate.

· Has the political skill and networks, the vision, the determination and the focus to analyze the risks we face, to identify and build on our assets, and to chart a strategy to transform challenges into opportunities.

Cynthia has experience. She…

* Was a Vice-President in the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario, an organization representing 65 000 members where she:
-Participated in the strategic planning and management of a $55 million dollar budget;
-Participated in organizational policy development;
-Worked with and lobbied MPPs regarding issues of concern to the teacher membership;
-Created public relations campaigns;
-Developed political action campaigns;
-Chaired numerous committees and task forces;
-And spoke across the province to various stake holder groups.
* Participated in fundraising initiatives for the Women's Legal and Education Action Fund.
* Has held various elected positions in political executives, including president, allowing her to build a number of political networks.
* Has extensive experience in building positive and proactive interpersonal relationships.
* Is a trained facilitator in Stephen Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.

A final word…

It is my sincere hope that I can work with and for you as a member of the Municipality of Meaford Council. If we work together effectively, and with a vision for our Municipality, we can engage our citizens, strengthen our public profile, and become a model for effective and proactive governance across the province. I seek your support.
Cynthia Lemon
lemondale@bmts.com
519-376-1013