Thank You, Voters of Cambridge
Campaigning throughout Cambridge for the past few months has been my personal and joyful journey of discovery. I’ve met residents who have poured their hearts out to me, who have shared my vision and optimism for this community, who have expressed their deep concerns at the deterioration of safety and services, and their hopes for improvements in the way decisions are made.
I commit to LISTENING because I believe it’s a sign of strength to welcome honest differences and new ways of thinking. I commit to LEARNING about the root causes of different problems in our community, assemble and analyze all possible solutions, and weigh options based on sound evidence to address collective concerns. And I commit to LEADING by taking action based on meaningful dialogue.
I will especially stand by my beliefs in the face of pressure to abandon them.
Congratulations to the members of council who have been re-elected and welcome to those who will be new faces around the horseshoe in the council chambers. I look forward to working with you. To Mayor McGarry, Councillor Adshade, and Councillor Mann, thank you for your service to the community. Together, the council from my first term and the current one achieved many things, much overlapping — new recreational facilities, new affordable housing stock, and a merger of our hydro corporation with the neighbouring Brant Hydro. Working together in the face of adversity we came out the other side with positive outcomes that we can all be proud of.
There are many people I’d like to thank, starting with my family. Without them, I’d never have become a candidate for mayor. My campaign team and many volunteers have buoyed me at every turn, especially when temporarily sidelined by a broken foot. Countless community and cultural organizations have welcomed me to present my platform, and I’ve loved speaking one-on-one in my campaign office when people dropped by.
My biggest thank you is to you - the voters of Cambridge. It’s a great honour and I appreciate the trust you’ve placed in me based on my past representation, hard work, willingness to listen, and my desire to affect future change. My vision for our city is one of optimism and renewed spirit, and I’m enthusiastic about working together with the citizens to decide what’s best for Cambridge. Just as you do, I love this city and am passionate about bringing about peace by the end of the next term.
— Jan Liggett, Mayor-elect