Puslinch council grateful and confident during swearing in

PUSLINCH — The only new member of Puslinch council, Russel Hurst, says he looks forward to working with other councillors to have positive impact on the Township of Puslinch.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity here. This is a community my wife and I, and our children, call home and look to for the long term,” Hurst said while addressing council and others at the new council's inaugural meeting Tuesday morning.

“So I’m excited for the opportunity to work with my colleagues here really to make this the best community we can,” Hurst continued.

Mayor James Seeley and each councillor were sworn in and later each member of council made a statement to begin the term with.

The council is largely the same as last term. Although Matthew Bulmer left the Puslinch council to become a county councillor, replaced by Hurst.

Councillor Jessica Goyda expressed her gratitude to past Puslinch councillor Matthew Bulmer for his service and her eagerness to work with the current Puslinch council.

"I did just want to take one quick second to thank former Bulmer, whose also here today, for your contributions to Puslinch over the past many years, and to mayor Seeley, councillor Bailey, councillor Sepulis and councillor Hurst, welcome. I look forward to working with you," said Goyda.

Goyda spoke of the need for the council to work as a team.

"I'm really honoured to be standing up here to have the opportunity to do this again. But I want to acknowledge that none of us got up here on our own, alone. It's definitely a team effort," said Goyda.

Seeley expressed his gratitude at being mayor and confidence in the current council.

"It's my pleasure to serve as your mayor for the next term. I look forward to working with this team to look out for the interests of Puslinch as a whole," Seeley said.

Seeley noted several challenges will need to be addressed, including development, growth and the bypass. "But we have a wonderful team here.They're all engaged."

Jesse Gault is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.