Two veteran Chatham-Kent councillors were recognized for their long-term public service prior to the Chatham-Kent council meeting on Monday night.
Chatham’s Doug Sulman, who was a politician for 40 years, and North Kent’s Joe Fass, who was a politician for 41 years, were both given recognition and both addressed council.
Both Sulman and Faas decided not to run for re-election in the last election.
Faas was a Dresden councillor and mayor for 22 years, and was a Chatham-Kent councillor for the past 19 years.
Faas encouraged council to do the right thing when making decisions.
“You are going to be bombarded with difference of opinions all the way along. The wrong opinions are usually more vocal than the right opinions. You have to live with yourself and when you go home at night and say ‘I’m comfortable with the decision I made,’” Faas said.
Sulman has been involved as a politician since 1982 as a former Chatham alderman and councillor and a public school board trustee. He was a Chatham-Kent councillor for the past 24 years, as he is the last of the original councillors elected to the first council of Chatham-Kent following municipal amalgamation in 1998.
Sulman gave advice to the council, telling them to be true to themselves, be transparent and fair and encouraged them to do their homework in preparing for council meetings, as well as not rubber stamping decisions.
He also told council to remember that money doesn’t grow on trees. Sulman referenced the fictional “Widow from Willomac” in many council meetings, when addressing municipal spending.
“When you consider issues, think of the impact they have on those hard-working taxpayers and those on fixed incomes,” Sulman told council, noting municipal government is the closest form of government to their citizens.
Other councillors who were recognized for their service but not present, included Karen Kirkwood-Whyte, Mary Clare Latimer and Mark Authier. Authier did not run for re-election while Kirkwood-Whyte and Latimer were defeated in the recent election.