Depew to lead new council in Raymond

There’s new leadership in Raymond, where five of the six councillors elected Monday are first-timers.

Greg Robinson is the only councillor returning to his seat in council chambers. Several of the incumbents decided to retire — and two ran for the mayor’s position.

Incumbent councillor Jim Depew won the mayor’s chair with 586 votes, ahead of fellow council member Cathy Greep Needham (381 votes) and Brian Eakett (491) who served on council in the 1990s.

Joining Depew on council are Ron Fromm (1,021 votes), Ralph Price (793), Bryce Coppieters (762), Ken Heggie (738), Robinson (682) and Joan Hicken Harker (677).

A total of 10 candidates ran for the six councillor positions.

“I’m excited to work with all the new councillors,” says Depew. “Any six of the 10 would have been fine.”

For the new council, he says, keeping a lid on taxes will be an important goal.

“We have some debt to pay down,” but there aren’t any large projects to deal with.

But with few industrial or commercial properties to tax, he says, that debt has to be borne by homeowners. And so property taxes in Raymond are similar to those paid in the city.

One of the town’s upcoming projects, he adds, should not prove very expensive.

“We would like to see a walking trail around our town.”

But first, Depew says, town residents want to thank those who’ve just retired from council ranks, during a dinner event closer to Christmas.

“We usually do our sendoff then.”

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