The Ward 7 debate was held Thursday night at Waterford’s Old Town Hall, with incumbent Kim Huffman and challenger Warren Cummings discussing several issues.
Those subjects ranged from speeding and road maintenance to water and user rates and heritage buildings.
During her opening remarks, Huffman spoke about her connection to the community and the many positions she has held during her time as a councillor, saying she would bring a wealth of knowledge and experience if re-elected.
Cummings also talked about his career and connection to the community, while advocating for a tighter budget, lower rates and responsible growth.
One of the questions asked was regarding development and water supply.
The Waterford Chamber of Commerce took questions from the public, with one asking how new development can move forward when Waterford does not have the water capacity to support it.
Cummings answered first, outlining his plan.
Huffman pushed back against the premise of the question, saying the information was inaccurate because Waterford is not at capacity when it comes to water.
She said every project goes through multiple staff members before coming before council, and no development would be recommended if there was not sufficient water supply.
The discussion also saw Cummings raise concerns about Waterford having two shallow wells on the same aquifer, saying that if one became contaminated, it could affect the other and lead to a “Walkerton situation.”
Huffman disputed that, saying Norfolk and Waterford are very secure when it comes to their water and wastewater treatment plants. She also said she does not like the alarmist nature of comparing the situation to Walkerton.
Another subject discussed was council remuneration.
Under a formula approved by the current council for the next group of elected officials, the mayor’s salary will be set at 75 per cent of an MPP’s compensation. That compensation was $157,250 in 2025 when the motion was first passed, which would bring the mayor’s pay to $118,013.
Councillors will earn 50 per cent of the mayor’s salary, or $59,006 each.
At present, Norfolk’s mayor earns $95,933, while councillors earn $42,054.
The candidates were asked if a new mayor proposed getting rid of the increase and continuing with the current pay, would they vote in favour of it?
Huffman said she would not support reversing the increase, saying the goal was to make the position more accessible and treat it more like a full-time job rather than something limited to retirees.
She also pointed to several years without a pay increase and said council compensation is now getting closer to that of similarly sized municipalities.
Cummings said he would support reversing the increase, though he is not opposed to councillors receiving a raise in general.
His main sticking point was the size of the increase being made all at once.
One item that was not brought up directly was the fact that, a day before the debate, Norfolk County announced it was taking legal action against Cummings, alleging recent social media posts breached the terms of a settlement agreement reached earlier this year.
Norfolk County announced in June that it had resolved its ongoing legal dispute with Cummings. As part of that settlement, Cummings agreed to stop uttering, writing or publishing comments, statements or communications that were disparaging, derogatory or detrimental to the reputation of council members named in his application, the CAO and Norfolk County.
Huffman did jump in at one point while Cummings was speaking about water and wastewater fees, along with user fees.
This came after Cummings began making allegations regarding Norfolk’s CAO.
Each candidate had three minutes to answer each question, as well as one minute for a rebuttal.
The moderator was also able to ask for additional details or clarification.
The entire debate is available on the Waterford Chamber of Commerce Facebook page and can be viewed by clicking this link.
