Kathleen Seymour-Fagan looking to keep Kawartha Lakes on the right track

DAN CEARNS, The Standard

KAWARTHA LAKES: After serving eight years as a ward councillor, Kathleen Seymour-Fagan feels she is ready for a new challenge, being Kawartha Lakes’ Mayor.

“I decided, I still have a lot to give, and I still have things I’d like to see done in the municipality. I’ve worked for the last eight years as a councillor in the area, and there are still a lot of things [which] we need to do. The current council, and the previous council I was on, were on a great trajectory, and I think we need to continue [that],” Mrs. Seymour-Fagan told The Standard. “I have the energy, I have a business background, and I have the passion for it.”

She mentioned “responsible development” as one of the things she’d like to see the municipality continue with next term. Infrastructure overall will also be one of her focuses if elected.

“We have to put more money into our roads, which we have been doing. I think people need to understand the past two councils have put more money than any other council into our roads. We have to [continue to] catch up. We have to continue what we are doing but do it a little bit better. I think we need to continue with development because if we have the development, that [increases] our tax base, so we don’t have such a heavy tax burden on our current residents.”

Mrs. Seymour-Fagan mentioned, if elected, she could get right to work, as she already has the experience of being a part of the council.

“The experience I’ve had, working with staff and working with council; I have the background [for the job]. So, it’s not going to take a learning curve,” she explained. “You can hit the ground running if you’re already a current councillor.”

She stated, her experience adapting and being creative as a business owner is an asset she could bring to the job.

“I own a restaurant. This was the hardest hit industry during the pandemic times, and it still is,” she said, adding, she has kept her business afloat while some other restaurants have ended up closing permanently.

Mrs. Seymour-Fagan wants the municipality to attract new young families, so businesses in the area can find new employees.

“We need to have a vibrant community while protecting our existing community,” she said.

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