By Mark Squibb/January 6, 2023
Keith O’Driscoll was the clear favourite in the 2021 municipal election, earning more votes than any of the other nine candidates, which included all five members of the former council.
O’Driscoll, who works full time at the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture, previously served on council in 2013, but had to step aside for personal reasons.
“It was always in the back of my mind to run again,” said O’Driscoll. “So, when the time came around in 2021, I actually had a lot of residents come to me and ask me if I was going to run, and I had it in my head to run anyway.”
O’Driscoll put his name forward for mayor following the election, but council favoured Neil O’Brien for the role.
But O’Driscoll would get a second shot at the mayor’s seat not many months later, when O’Brien resigned in August, 2022.
O’Driscoll said he had mixed feelings putting his name forward for the mayor’s chair following O’Brien’s resignation, but felt it was something that residents wanted.
Evidently, it was something that other members of council wanted as well, as O’Driscoll was acclaimed as mayor.
The council that O’Driscoll chairs boasts only five members, not the typical seven.
The former council sought ministerial approval to reduce the council complement following the resignation of councillor Evelyn Tucker. With a seat already vacant, Tucker’s resignation brought council down to five members. Prior to Tucker’s resignation, the Town had put forth no less than half-a-dozen calls for nomination over the previous two years, but the calls went unanswered.
In a strange twist, 10 residents actually put their names forward for nomination in the October 2021 municipal election, meaning the Town could have filled a full roster of seven seats. But the complement having already been changed to five members, the new council opted to stay with that number.
Back in February, O’Driscoll supported a motion put forward by his wife, councillor Shannon O’Driscoll, to request ministerial approval to increase council’s complement to seven seats. Both O’ Driscolls voted in favor of the motion, while then Mayor Neil O’Brien, Deputy Mayor Jason O’Brien, and councillor Jason Sullivan voted against it.
O’ Driscoll said it’s not likely council will pursue the matter this year, given the lack of interest shown in the seat that O’Brien vacated.
That seat was filled by Corey Ronayne during a recent by-election.
“I’m fine with sticking at a complement of five, and the main reason is that there doesn’t appear to be that much interest out there in the community to be on council,” said O’Driscoll. “And the proof of that was in the previous by-election. We put out the call for anybody interested, and councillor Ronayne was the only one who put his name forward. So, that was the writing on the wall for me. Had there been a large interest at the time, I think we would definitely pursue filling those two positions.”
O’Driscoll said he was surprised by the turnout — the lack of.
“I was anticipating a good list of candidates, and it ended up being just the one,” said O’Driscoll. “So, for that reason alone, I think it would be a lot of work for nothing if we were to look at filling those other two seats and end up with possibly no one putting their names forward.”
Council would have to seek permission from the provincial government to increase their complement back to seven once again before putting a call out for candidates to fill those two seats.
“We have a great group,” said O’Driscoll. “The five us are a very dynamic group. We have different expertise in various areas, and we’re working well together. So, I think our five is doing well. It means a little bit of extra work being involved in external committees, outside of council, but other than that, it’s good going.”
He contributed the lack of interest in running for council to the fact that a number of folks who live in Bay Bulls work elsewhere, including offshore, and so spend very little time actually in Bay Bulls, and also to the number of young families who are still working and raising small children and may not have the time to commit to council.
“I wanted to bring our resident’s questions, concerns, and ideas to the table,” said O’Driscoll, when asked why he himself decided to put his name forward for council. “I’m very active in recreation in our area, and I want to see our recreation strive and get better, and that was one of the reasons I ran. And we’ve done a lot of improvements with regards to our recreation program.”
He said that while on council back in 2013, he had brought forward the idea of putting a trail around Long Pond.
“At the time there was no appetite amongst council and staff, and it just didn’t work at that time,” said O’Driscoll. “But I applaud the previous council for initiating this. When we came on board, we took it over from the previous council, and it has become a great asset for, not only our town, but the region. The walking trail is completed at about two-and-a-half kilometres, with about another kilometre-and-a half to go. So, that’s one of one the big developments that have taken place over the last year that I’m quite happy with. And you can tell on your daily commute back and forth to work, there’s always a car, or two, or a dozen, hauled in on the side of Winnonish Drive. And that’s what we want to see.”
O’Driscoll said that council hopes to complete the trail in 2023.
“It’s been such a great asset to the town, and so we want to get it completed,” he said. “The Town has submitted a municipal capital works application for funding to hopefully close that loop. So, that would be done through a 60/40 split if we get the funding approved.”
In addition, he hopes the Town may offer new events in the coming year.
He noted council in 2022 approved two new subdivisions, approved three new business permits, worked with the Bay Bulls to Bauline Athletic Association to upgrade soccer and softball fields, and, with funding from the federal government, invested in upgrades to the Regional Lifestyle Centre.
Despite residential tax increases, which O’Driscoll says were forced on council by the provincial government’s Own Source Revenue requirements, he’s pleased with the budget council passed for 2023.
“We all want the best for our residents, tax-wise, and trying to achieve that with the cost of everything increasing is definitely a challenge for us,” said O’Driscoll. “But what we brought forward in our most recent budget is good for our residents, given the circumstances we have before us.”
Council had requested, twice, an exemption from, or reduction to, the ‘Own Source Revenue’ requirement, once in November, 2021, and again in October, 2022. Both requests were denied.
O’Driscoll said the Town will also continue to work with Witless Bay on regional fire services, despite a motion this past November to delay payment of $38,000 to the Regional Fire Department.
“We’re working with the town to iron out the details,” said O’Driscoll. “But the taxes our residents pay, we are accountable for those. Witless Bay Fire Department did increase fees, and all we’re looking for is to get clarification on the increase. So, we’re working with the Town of Witless Bay right now to iron out what those fees entail, what those increases entail. By no means are we looking to withhold any operating costs. We just want to be accountable to our residents for the increases.”
The next public meeting of council, the first of the new year, is scheduled to take place on Monday January 16.
