Seymour wants to win the mayor’s chain of office

By Olivia Bradbury / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Now that he has had a taste of mayoral duties, Geoff Seymour is hoping to continue in the role after the municipal election in Bay Roberts this fall.
Seymour was serving as deputy mayor of Bay Roberts until earlier this year when the then mayor, Walter Yetman, took a leave of absence to run in what was expected to be an imminent provincial election campaign.
The step up to the mayor’s chair was the completion of a full circle for Seymour, who had first sought the office back in 2013.
“I wasn’t successful, but I did a good campaign,” he said.
The experience only made him more determined. He got feedback from people, some of whom told him that, because of his lack of political experience, they would be more comfortable voting for him as a councillor than as mayor. He took the information to heart and ran for council four years later in 2017. This time, he was successful, and ran again in 2021, receiving the most votes among councillors, which made him deputy mayor. Now with eight years experience on council, Seymour said he feels he is in a better position to contest the mayor’s seat.
“As a lifelong resident, I have a vested interest in the town,” said the lifelong resident of Butlerville, father of two, and retired teacher and vice-principal.
But at age 57, he is feeling far from ready to retire from council.
Seymour said there are several big files that will need to be addressed next term. One is municipal wastewater treatment.
“Federal regulations are in place for that, and we’ve got to be compliant, so that’s going to be a major undertaking,” he said.
Another is the Bay Arena.
“The original Bay Arena Commission that was responsible for putting it there did an amazing job for the tenure that they served with it before the Town took it over, but it’s 40 years old,” said Seymour. “While the building is in pretty good shape, it needs major work. The floor, the pipes, the boards, have to be replaced.”
While located in Bay Roberts, the Bay Arena serves some eight communities, and besides hosting sports events, serves as a venue for graduations, shows, festivals, and other occasions.
“It’s the centerpiece of the town,” said Seymour. “I don’t know if there’s a facility in the province that’s as busy as that place.”
Upgrades to the wastewater treatment and Bay Arena are both going to require substantial funding, which has to come from partnerships with the provincial and federal governments, Seymour said. “And we’ve already started that process,” he added. “We’ve had meetings with MPs, MHAs, setting those priorities. So hopefully I’m there to oversee it. But that’s the two big ones right now.”
The proposed business park is another big-ticket item, Seymour said and the new council is going to put a heavy push on the project to get investment and movement.
Meanwhile, Bay Roberts is currently dealing with a significant amount of outstanding taxes totalling approximately two million dollars. Asked how he would deal with the issue if elected as mayor, Seymour said council has to work within the constraints of the Towns and Local Service Districts Act. He noted that oftentimes people have understandable reasons for being behind on their taxes, and the Town is more than willing to work with them by setting up payment plans or taking other steps. Vacant land with unknown owners will be dealt with through tax sales. “We’ll continue to make the personal touches, but residents have to understand it’s everyone’s responsibility to pay their taxes,” said Seymour. “Towns operate on balanced budgets based on tax revenue. That money goes into paving roads, fire services, garbage collection — these are the services that residents of towns want.”
Seymour said his experience the past six months as acting mayor has even better prepared him for taking on the position of mayor in his right.
“I know it’s a demanding position, I’ve been in there (council) for eight years,” he said. “But being in it (the mayor’s job) for six months, you see all the requests that come in.”
That has shone a light on more aspects of the role than he had been aware of, Seymour said.
Seymour said he has been accessible to residents during his last eight years on council, making sure to respond to anyone who reaches out and give them the information they are looking for. He added that he has been active in the community all his life through recreational sports, the Butlerville Recreation Commission, the Bay Roberts Recreation Commission, the minor hockey executive, minor softball executive, coaching, and so on. “My connection to the community is well established, and that’s not going to change,” he said.