- he was officially inaugurated on Monday evening -
by Sylene Argent
During its regular meeting on Monday, March 7, a majority Essex Council vote selected long-time Colchester resident, Jason Matyi, as the new Ward 3 Councillor for the Town.
He will fill the position for the remainder of this Term of Council, which will expire this fall.
Matyi said watching the nomination process, which involved two-rounds of voting, made for an exciting evening.
“I guess I was in shock at first,” he said of his reaction to learning he was appointed to the position. “Very quickly that wore off and I was so happy that Council heard the people out here.”
Through the nomination process for the Ward 3 position, Matyi said he heard a common theme from members of his community. “They wanted a Councillor they could talk to. They wanted a fresh face they could approach,” he said. “I want to be that Councillor. I want them to be able to reach out to me whenever they have a need.”
He said it was great to see 11 other people put their name forward for the position. “The ward is definitely engaged right now and I would really like to keep that engagement through the election and have another great turnout for the election.”
He hopes the 2022 Municipal Election will be transparent, and is looking forward to the conversation currently on the table, in regards to voting methods, which could include the addition of internet voting. He hopes to also raise the voter turnout.
Matyi was first introduced to municipal politics the summer after he moved to Colchester with his wife, Christina, 25-years ago. There ended up being four-feet of water in his backyard, and he was looking for direction and help.
“It was something I was totally unprepared for,” he said of the drainage issue. “I raised a whole bunch of questions on how that was possible. I went to the Town and found out about the Drainage Act,” he said, adding he learned how important municipal politics was in fixing the problem.
It took around 13-years to navigate the issue, and it continued to be a hot topic with the residents who lived along that section of the beach.
With more growth potentially to take place in the small cottage village, Matyi said he wonders how many people, just like him, will be moving in and will be looking for answers to concerns they may have.
“I would love to be able to help them out in a much quicker fashion than my story and make them much happier. In the end, my experience was positive, but if I had known a little more, it could have been a little faster and a little bit more positive.”
Being a part of the community has always been important to Matyi, as he has volunteered to help out at the Harrow Fair and the Military Muster. He also spent time volunteering with Scouts Canada, as a father of two boys, when they were younger.
“When you live in a community, you have to be part of the community,” he said, adding he wanted to, “Leave things a little bit better than I found them. If I can help in some way to make things a little bit better, I have to try.”
Over the pandemic, Matyi decided to upgrade his education and is finishing up his last course to get his Bachelor of Engineering.
His philosophy of turning lemon into lemonade led him to use the pandemic in a positive way and upgrade his skill set as learning became available online.
He works as a Machine Tool Builder Intergrader, which entails assembly of automated equipment on the shop floor, with the equipment disassembled to be shipped to the customer, where it is reassembled and the staff is trained to use it.
Through his career experience, Matyi said he works with a lot of people, including customers, contractors, coworkers, and all levels of government.
“I got used to being on a big team with a common goal,” he said.
He encourages anyone with concerns or comments to reach out to him.
“I’m approachable. I want to get their feedback,” he said.
Contact information for all Town of Essex Council reps can be found at www.essex.ca.
Looking ahead, Matyi is looking forward to being included in the conversation about the Short Term Rental policies and licensing program the Town is currently trying to develop. This matter greatly impacts Colchester, as the majority of these types of temporary accommodations are in his area.
Another issue he has heard is regarding the potential development that could take place in Colchester. Residents of the area are concerned with the number of potential homes that may be added, in addition to service-levels.
“The people in the village really seem to be concerned about losing their identity of a village, and all the extra infrastructure,” he said. Further west, residents have concerns about drainage and protection of wetlands.
Matyi was officially inaugurated on Monday evening. He thanked Council for the appointment and is looking forward to working with everyone to exchange ideas.
“I consider myself lucky to be a part of this great team, and I am looking forward to the rest of the term,” he added on Monday evening.
The rest of Council then had an opportunity to welcome Matyi to the team.
コメント