William Reilly, Ward 3, West Lincoln 2022

William Reilly, Ward 3, West Lincoln 2022

Thank you to everyone who supported me in 2018! It’s been an absolute privilege and honour to represent West Lincoln over the past four years. Whether it’s in the council chambers, acting as vice-chair/chair of the Planning Building & Environmental Committee, sitting on the board of directors of both the Niagara Peninsula Energy Inc and the Inaugural Niagara Transit Commission, or being Council Liaison at both the West Lincoln Santa Claus Parade and The Niagara Regional Rd 12 Landfill Site Citizen Liaison Committee, it’s been an incredible opportunity to serve this community. I feel truly blessed and cannot thank you all enough for the trust and responsibility.­­­

One of my goals in my first term was to improve the way information was shared with our community by advocating for better accessibility to that information. Some of the issues prior to 2018 included the complicated complaint reporting process, as well as learning about information long after Council had approved it. Now, reporting a concern to the township has never been easier due to our improved township website. Additionally, the township now utilizes social media to keep you up-to-date and informed on what’s happening at council and throughout our community.

Another successful improvement this term was the approval of an online voting feature which will now give residents, especially those with limited accessibility or with prior commitments/obligations, the ability to vote online before the election date during the designated advance voting periods. This will ensure that community members’ voices will be heard at the most important time of the term and from the comfort of their own homes.

One of the many reasons I ran for office in 2018 was because I often felt that I was left in the dark about most of the things that previous councils dealt with. I wanted to improve the way that the Township and Council shared information, and I wanted to include the community into the decision making process. One of my goals and successes this term was my engagement with our community. From social media to public events, it’s always been important to me to hear your input and ensure your voice is heard. I have always shared your concerns directly with staff and I have provided guidance and information to residents who brought their local issues or concerns to my attention.

Utilizing my social media was just one of the many platforms I used to increase community engagement (www.williamreilly.ca). I created dozens of informative polls and social media posts to generate discussions around important matters that could have very easily gone unnoticed. This was just the first step in my attempt at improving council and community relations. The second step was to push for a rebuild of a more modern, user-friendly website that helped make information more accessible to the public. The third step was to modernize West Lincoln’s social media presence by the creation of its own social media accounts to help engage residents on township and community matters.

Again, it’s been an absolute privilege and honour to serve, and I hope I can count on your vote and support in the upcoming municipal election to serve another four years.