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WARD 1 BY-ELECTION: Maria Brigantino

"Strategic thinker who synthesizes diverse ideas into achievable action plans" And then there were three—Maria Brigantino filed her paperwork last week, becoming the third candidate for the vacant council seat in Pelham’s Ward 1.
Brigantino
Maria Brigantino. DON RICKERS

"Strategic thinker who synthesizes diverse ideas into achievable action plans"

And then there were three—Maria Brigantino filed her paperwork last week, becoming the third candidate for the vacant council seat in Pelham’s Ward 1. Steven Soos and Wayne Olson are also running for the seat.

Brigantino’s avowed passion for creating healthy lives, strong communities, and “making an impact” is the catalyst for her interest in seeking a seat on the Pelham council, she said.

Born and raised in Fort Erie and Niagara Falls, Brigantino now resides not in Ward 1 but in Fonthill, with her family. With 15 years of municipal, health care management, and executive consulting/coaching experience, Brigantino’s current entrepreneurial business venture is working with women who are struggling with eating disorders, via her brand M-PATH.

Brigantino’s formal educational background includes an undergraduate degree in Health Sciences from Western, and a Masters in Organizational Leadership from Medaille College, in Buffalo.

She also hold a number of professional certifications related to her training as an executive coach and certified change coach.

On her campaign website, Maria4Pelham.ca, Brigantino describes herself as a “strategic thinker who synthesizes diverse ideas into achievable action plans.”

Speaking with the Voice last week, Brigantino said, “My whole framework and mindset is established around how we work together as a team…and council is a team, right? The goal is not to be adversarial. My goal is to build relationships. I'm a lifelong learner with lots of credentials, but at the end of the day, it's about experience and passion.”

Employed by the Niagara Regional government early in her career, Brigantino worked in a number of different departments, including Public Health. She went to the Town of Lincoln to become the Director of Community Services, where she gained experience on master planning for parks and neighborhoods, and liaised with service groups.

“My skills and competencies revolve around problem solving, and asking tough questions. I understand how business is done from a legislative framework perspective.”

Brigantino is a firm believer in trusting the expertise of municipal staff, and feels that Pelham is well-served by excellent leadership that deserves respect.

“When I worked at the Region, and the Town of Lincoln, I came to appreciate how much time and research goes into preparing a report for council,” she said. “If the due diligence is there, and there's a good argument and a logical analysis about financial impact, short term and long term outcomes, then council should defer to the experts [on staff] and act on their advice.”

She also believes there is good value in engaging consultants where appropriate. The local cannabis issue is a case in point.

“From the council meetings that I watched, the consultant was making adjustments, identifying best practices, and seeing how existing government legislation has impacted other regions of the province,” said Brigantino. “The industry is a revenue generator…but let's ensure people are still able to enjoy their homes in the community.”

Brigantino also sees value, on an as-needed basis, of calling on experts like the Integrity Commissioner.

“They have no skin in the game. They're not from the community. They don't know any member of council personally, and they come up with recommendations,” she said. “It's council's job, once they've got all the necessary information, to follow the recommendation of experts. You paid $18,000 for an impartial view, so apply the recommendation.”

Asked for her views on the current council, Brigantino responded, “I don't know them individually. And I always like to know a person personally before making sort of comment because you don't really know somebody from just from following a media perspective.”

Brigantino does insist that politicians act in strict accordance with legislation already in place (such as the Public Libraries Act and the Municipal Act).

Given that the entire council (with the exception of Mayor Marv Junkin, who was previously a councillor) was new this term, Brigantino suggested that, “It’s a learning curve for everybody. We really need to just focus on the future, working together, and leaving the past behind. It’s all about creating positive relationships so that we can address Town business. I've heard of some adversarial relationships and viewpoints, and I don't think that's serving the Town well. This council needs to move forward and start delivering.”

Locked in the COVID pandemic’s embrace, Brigantino agreed that we are in unchartered waters, navigating through the new norm.

“It's a challenge, but it has forced a lot of businesses to pivot and see new opportunities, along with the risks.”

Brigantino stressed that there are grant opportunities that need to be promoted and communicated.

“We really need to leverage support for those small and medium-size businesses that are hurting.”

 


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Don Rickers

About the Author: Don Rickers

A life-long Niagara resident, Don Rickers worked for 35 years in university and private school education. He segued into journalism in his retirement with the Voice of Pelham, and now PelhamToday
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