Leamington Mayor John Paterson, left, looks on as Kingsville Mayor Nelson Santos speaks during Breakfast With the Mayors in Kingsville, January 18, 2018. Photo by Mark Brown/Blackburn News.Leamington Mayor John Paterson, left, looks on as Kingsville Mayor Nelson Santos speaks during Breakfast With the Mayors in Kingsville, January 18, 2018. Photo by Mark Brown/Blackburn News.
Windsor

Santos, Paterson Present Visions For 2018

Two Essex County mayors say the state of the county is stable.

Kingsville Mayor Nelson Santos and Leamington Mayor John Paterson presented their progress reports for their communities to the 11th annual Breakfast With the Mayors event Thursday at Colasanti's in Kingsville. A record 150 people representing area businesses, including Blackburn Radio, attended the event which is put together by the Leamington District Chamber of Commerce.

Both mayors focused on the accomplishments each has made in their municipality, particularly in business growth and infrastructure.

Santos began his presentation by praising the efforts of both communities and Pelee Island to further growth in the region. With southern Essex County already a hotbed of agricultural production, Santos says 2017 taught them a lot, giving them a platform to push forward.

"We, the south, are growing," says Santos. "We are learning. We are getting stronger, smarter, and based on the trends from our two towns, Kingsville and Leamington, represents the 'new sexy' where many are looking to call home."

Santos pointed out that new home growth in Kingsville went up 35% in 2017, with an overall construction value of about $93-million. He says the town is expected to improve on that trend in 2018, and he took a veiled jab at the White House when discussing Kingsville's willingness to be open for business.

"If you want to kill your community, keep building walls," says Santos.

Paterson followed with his presentation. He says Leamington takes pride in the fact that it has budgeted responsibility and been able to keep the lid on property taxes with the prospect of grant money coming their way.

"Looking forward it is possible that Leamington could receive grants totalling around $4-million per year, each year, for the next ten years," says Paterson. "So the upside to this is that our various departments can do some long-term planning."

Paterson also says $30-million has been budgeted for capital improvement spending in 2018. He says residents can expect to see development across the municipality this year, particularly along the lakefront and in Uptown Leamington.

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