As voters in Springwater Township head to the polls, two familiar names will appear at the top of the ballot: George Cabral and Jennifer Coughlin, both vying for the mayor’s seat. Both candidates have council experience; Cabral has served two terms, one as a councillor and most recently as deputy mayor. Coughlin has served three terms, one as a councillor, one as deputy mayor and most recently as the mayor of Springwater. Cabral said throughout the race he heard from residents and about the challenges they are facing. “I’m going to tell you right now there’s a lot of hidden poverty out there, people who manage great and are really struggling right now, and we don’t see it,” said Cabral. “So affordability was a big concern.” Coughlin added that while out on her campaign, she heard that residents were looking forward to the next term. “Throughout the campaign, the focus is really just listening to the residents and listening to how excited they are about the next term,” said Coughlin. “We’ve got some really great projects coming forward.” Some people are also now in a new ward with the township altering their boundaries. You can see the new wards here. Boundary adjustments and the use of strong mayor powers dominated local headlines over the last year, something that Cabral has spoken out against during the last term. “My commitment is that I will not use strong mayoral powers. I think everybody who has a representative at the ward level deserves their voice to be heard, and that representative needs to be heard every time at every meeting of council,” said Cabral. “And that’s what I propose to do going forward.” Coughlin said she wants to utilize the uniqueness of what Springwater has to offer. “What’s going to be most important is balancing our growth while protecting our rural roots,” said Coughlin. “We’re very unique here in Springwater, where we get to have the urban amenities and the rural character and the rural values that make it home.” In 2022, Coughlin won 62 per cent of the vote with voter turnout at just under 33 per cent. Both candidates said they want to bring council together and do what’s best for their constituents. “I’m very much interested in having an open and transparent council going forward and developing some consensus to move things forward,” said Cabral. “Springwater is ready for a cohesive council; Springwater wants a council that represents them in reflection of who they are as people,” said Coughlin. The voting period in Springwater opens on Friday, Oct. 16, with the municipal election on Oct. 26. For a full list of where to vote, click here.
