Elgin County Council Elects Councillor Tom Marks as 2021 Warden

December 8, 2020

For Immediate Release

Central Elgin, ON – Councillor Tom Marks was elected Elgin County Warden for 2021 at a meeting held on December 8, 2020. Councillors participated both in-person and electronically, and for the first time in
the history of the Elgin County Warden’s Election, voted for Warden using an electronic poll.

Marks was selected in his bid for the one-year position over Sally Martyn, Mayor of the Municipality of Central Elgin. This will be Marks’ first time serving as Warden.

Immediate past Warden Dave Mennill, Mayor of the Township of Malahide, will serve as the 2021 Deputy Warden. After an unprecedented year as 2020 Warden, Mennill congratulated Marks and handed over the Chain of Office, Gavel and Lord Elgin Watch – important symbols of the Office of the Elgin County Warden.

In his inaugural address, Marks spoke of the importance of the role of Warden, particularly during times of uncertainty. “The decisions we make as a Council leave a lasting legacy for our communities and I am
humbled and grateful to have been chosen to lead County Council in 2021. In 2020 the County faced
many unexpected challenges but I am proud of the amount of work we were able to accomplish despite
the COVID-19 pandemic. I am excited to keep these initiatives moving forward while continuing to protect the safety of our residents” said Marks.

“Elgin County will continue to face challenges related to the pandemic in 2021,” he said, “The environment in which we govern is rapidly changing and we must be ready to adapt quickly as new challenges arise. Council will position the County for success by aligning the services we provide with community need, positioning ourselves for growth in the future and practicing fiscally responsible decision making”.

Marks highlighted a number of exciting initiatives that the County will be undertaking in 2021 as guided by the County’s 2020-2022 Strategic Plan. These initiatives include among other things, beginning construction on the Terrace Lodge Redevelopment, working towards solving the internet connectivity issues in rural Elgin County and investigating and strategically implementing recommendations from the Municipal Service Delivery Review.

“On behalf of all County staff, I extend my sincere congratulations to Warden Marks”, says Chief Administrative Officer Julie Gonyou. “We look forward to working with him in the year ahead”.

Marks is a retired Dairy Farmer who lives with his wife Janet in Central Elgin. He has an extensive history of public service both on Central Elgin and Elgin County Council. He currently sits on the Elgin Connectivity Committee, the Joint Elgin-Central Elgin Accessibility Advisory Committee, the Terrace Lodge Redevelopment Steering Committee, is Elgin County’s representative on the SWIFT Network Board of Directors and is a Member of the Southwestern Public Health Board of Directors.

The Warden sits on a number of boards, represents Elgin on the Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus (WOWC), represents the County at community events and in meetings with the provincial and federal governments.

The first County Council meeting chaired by Warden Marks will be held on Thursday December 10th, 2020 at 9:00 a.m.

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For additional information, please contact:
Katherine Thompson Supervisor of Legislative Services kthompson@elgin.ca