Re-Elect Finch for Mayor

10/03/2026

10/03/2026

https://lfpress.com/exeter-lakeshore/finch-details-priorities-for-third-term/

First elected in 2018, Finch looks to keep mayor's job in South Huron

10/02/2026

Let’s talk taxes, because we all know they will go up but here is what I have done to stabilize the impact of tax increases. Pursuing as much in County, Provincial and Federal funding as possible!

10/01/2026

For those who could not attend the Huron Chamber Candidate Conversation held at the South Huron High school last night, it was a great discussion. I am providing you with my final closing comments that I read to the full room of spectators from last nights meeting. Thank you for your support!

Under my leadership we became the economic engine for Huron County and the region. Immediately after being elected I lead you through Covid 19, a housing crisis, a homelessness crisis, and injected 8 million dollars in recreation upgrades as well as bring in an unprecedented number of new developments. We need to remember where we were eight years ago and the challenges we faced to appreciate where we are today and ask yourself if we are in a better place now. I am sure you will all agree that we are.

We have the third lowest tax rate in the County compared to the fifth highest eight years ago. We have become the poster child of the region for our growth. Our investment in recreation assets and my proposal to substantially increase that menu by taking advantage of our growth to qualify for grants to offset the construction costs will keep our taxes low but enhance what we can offer for affordable recreation.

Eight years ago you hired me, a person with no council experience but with extensive life experience and counted on me to turn the ship and as a community we did just that and I thank you for asking me to lead you and for believing in what we could achieve together because it was not easy.

We are now the flag ship for Huron County and even Minister Thompson stated publicly that the province is impressed with where South Huron is today and they are following our progress closely.

Leadership is about experience and having confidence in making decisions. I have that demonstrated leadership and have been able to guide us with a steady hand through all of the challenges we faced.

I have built strong relationships with our community to the point I am referred to as "The Mayor who is everywhere". I continue to build strong relationships with Minister Thompson, a number of Ministers and with Premier Ford who told me in 2019 that he respects how I served as front line OPP officer and will always make time for me. Building relationships is a priority of a Mayor.

If the last eight years is any indication of what I can do as Mayor with all the encumbrances that we faced, the next four will be just as great if we all work together and compromise.

Just because I disagree with someone does not mean I disrespect them, it just means that I disagree with them, something all of us should remember, but when it comes to decisions on public accountability there is no expiry date on accountability to the public.

I have listened to the people and have submitted my goals to you on my candidate card. My goals are to advocate for an OPP Reporting location. An addition to the Exeter fire station in accordance with the fire master plan. Advocate for more affordable housing. Install the roundabout. Support an off leash dog park in Exeter. Pursue the gymnasium and walking track and dovetail that into an extensive discussion on our outdoor recreation assets such as soccer and baseball because the projected 5000 people will be here (by 2051) before you know it. The days are long but the years are short. It will not happen overnight but compared what I faced eight years ago, it is very doable.

My highest priority goal is to advocate for the continued advocacy of health care as a region which in turn supports our housing and recreation initiatives. All of these are equally important because they are intertwined to build a strong and vibrant community.

For further clarity on my position for the future and my track record check out my page, re-elect finch for Mayor.

We must always remember that the decisions we make today on any project will impact our young people who, we as a society are leaving them a 1 trillion dollar deficit from the last 50 years. We need to stop stealing from our grandchildren but rather we need to position them so they can be successful, so they can afford a home and so that they can retire into their senior years.

Leadership is not about the next election, it is truly about the next generation of people like our kids and grandkids.

For greater certainty. I have an established and proven track record and have become the trusted face of South Huron locally, regionally and at the Provincial and Federal level.

I look forward to your support. Thank you!

09/30/2026

Let's talk Health Care:

There is no doubt that health care is more than just about a hospital and medical clinics that serve us. Although health care is a Provincial responsibility, advocacy by Council for improved sustainable health care is vital. In 2024 I formed "The Tri-County Regional Health Care Alliance for the South Huron Hospital". An advocacy group made up of five Municipalities with myself as the Leader. South Huron, Lucan-Biddulph, Bluewater, North Middlesex and Lambton Shores have agreed to work and advocate together as a team at Provincial Ministry of Health Delegations.

Our agreed purpose is to advocate the Ministry of Health for capital investment including advocacy for a new regional hospital in South Huron in the future. Our team has met with the Ministry on several occasions and have made a positive impression on them. Having been approved millions of dollars in water and waste water infrastructure funding from the province and proving that we are investing in that infrastructure puts pressures on the capacity of our local health care assets. This justifies that the South Huron Region, as the fastest growing in Huron County, needs significant upgrades to our hospital and clinics.
"The Little Hospital that does" is doing amazing work and is resilient however we as elected officials need to advocate and work with the Huron Health System (HHS) on capital investments. We know that 4% of the patients using the South Huron campus are from London so it is clear that not only are we a regional hospital we are also a hospital that supports the city of London as well.
Statistics for South Huron Hospital from the period of 2017 to 2021 show that 34 per cent of the visits to the hospital are from Exeter residents, while next is Grand Bend (14 per cent), Zurich (eight per cent), Hensall and Lucan (six per cent each) and Dashwood (five per cent). The “other” category makes up 13 per cent of the visits and contains towns such as Parkhill, Bayfield, Kirkton, Granton and more.
In alignment with the CEO of the HHS, Jimmy Trieu, who is quoted in June 2022:
“We are starting to see capacity issues. We’re consistently at over 100 per cent, I would say probably closer to 120 per cent occupancy,” at SHHA, Trieu said. “We’re close to bursting at the seams. We do need to get a bigger space.”
“It’s become much more regionalized in terms of the services that the hospital provides".

As your Mayor I have been very active in founding and leading the "Tri County Health Care Alliance" and will continue to do so. I believe that we must always be advocating years ahead of major capital investment such as a new hospital. If we want to get on "the list" for a new hospital discussions must start yesterday which I have done and now the province is listening. This is not a time to sit back and relax to see if they will call. We continue to meet with the Ministry of Health as recently as August 2026 at the recent AMO conference advocating and to build on the relationship we have made thus far. By all of the evidence we have presented I am clear in my communication that South Huron Hospital is the next Regional Hospital due to its catchment area including the 4% yearly visitors from the city of London.

For several years I have met with the Western University students during their time here in June for "Discovery Week" where they come to the South Huron Hospital to experience what rural healthcare is all about. I have provided these students with a "Mayoral Tour" around South Huron to see the history and all that we have to offer hoping to attract new doctors or tell other students about their experience.

09/29/2026

Relationship building with neighbors, Premier Ford and community:

I am fortunate that I have built a very strong relationship with Minister Thompson and with Premier Ford. The Premier respects the Policing profession and has told me that he will always make time for me if I need to contact him. I have had the opportunity to speak in private with Premier Ford on several occasions and he has supported me on matters such as cancer screening for our fire fighters here and across Ontario.

Minister Thompson and I converse regularly and our mutual respect is one I enjoy immensely knowing I can have honest conversations and she will take it in front of Cabinet if the need arises.

I have an excellent relationship with our neighboring Mayors, MPPs and MPs that I can reach out to at any time.

As a community we have seen more connections within our community groups and volunteers by empowering the people with support from our Council and Staff.

One of the duties as Mayor is to build trusted relationships with whomever wants to make our region better. I take time to meet with people in South Huron at as many events as possible to hear their concerns first hand and I take time to listen. I have been referred to as "The Mayor who is everywhere" due to the amount of community engagement I pursue. Everyone is important and it is important to listen.

I have been fortunate to have met Mayors from across Ontario who, because of the trust we have built, now call each other for advice on matters we are dealing with in our communities. Building trust is never ending and is always a part of my responsibilities to meet as many people as possible.

09/28/2026

Use of Strong Mayors Powers:

This has been a very hot topic across Ontario and I can certainly understand why. With the wrong person as Mayor it could literally decimate a Municipality. There are many facets to the Strong Mayors Powers and a lot of misinformation about its use as is not all tied to just infrastructure funding. A Mayor with "Strong Mayor Powers" can fire a CAO or many staff members without cause. This is wrong on so many levels.

A Mayor can reorganize an entire Municipality without Council approval or oversight. This is a perfect example of "absolute power corrupts absolutely". I have stated from the get go that I do not agree with all of these new found powers but I cannot just "give them back" therefore I have delegated as much power as I could legally back to the "old way" of doing things but it is a new reality with our budget process. You can find my comments from April 2025 in a Google search of "Exeter Lakeshore Times Advance South Huron Mayor admits "shock" at "strong mayor' powers as well as Toronto Star comments from Mayor Finch.

In summary I stated to the council and public I would only use these new powers "if I believe council is not acting in accordance with policy or is making decisions not in the best interest of the Municipality". I would also consult with my trusted allies within the community to seek their advice and the advice of staff and then the decision to use them would be mine but I alone would be held accountable on any decision.

These powers also hold Mayors much more accountable to the Provincial Government which in turn holds council members much more accountable as well. If councils do not follow the Provincial Policy Statements on all matters of priority to the province, the province could look at realigning boundaries which limits local representation through more amalgamations.

The unfortunate reality is that I did have an occasion to use these powers in September 2025 because I and many others in South Huron believed that council was not acting in the best interest of its taxpayers when some council members refused to apply for grant funding to upgrade critical infrastructure even though we had advocated to the province for this money. In the end, democracy did prevail since the motion passed 4-2.

You can find the whole story by a Google search "Exeter Examiner South Huron lands $2.7 million grant for Exeter Main Street rebuild". After reading this article, ask yourself if my decision to use the powers was warranted and let me know.

The current water infrastructure pipes on Main Street Exeter are over 60 years old and under constant pressure. They simply will not fix themselves. The water pipes in Calgary were 50 years old and burst. We are on borrowed time with some of the old infrastructure and need to act on it. Anytime we are successful in grant funding from the province for these projects we must demonstrate leadership and apply, otherwise the infrastructure will eventually collapse. Our fire suppression is then compromised as is our water delivery system and that is not leadership.

The province has mandated that every budget moving forward is called "Strong Mayors Budget" however as you will find at
South Huron Strong Mayor Budgets and amendments
I delivered many of these authorities back to staff and council. I personally introduced amendments such as security upgrades to facilities access and security to our town hall where all your vital information is stored, a grader for our gravel roads which council approved. At the same time I also proposed a dog park for Exeter in the budget since it is a safety concern brought forward by the public and part of our strategic priority but also important to have a safe area for dogs and their owners. You can find this information through a Google search at "South Huron adopts 2026 Municipal budget" and as well at "In split vote, South Huron council removes dog park proposal from 2026 budget".
After reading these stories let me know your thoughts if Exeter needs a dog park or not.

You can also find more information on the South Huron Mayors budget

09/26/2026

Pursuit of Connecting Link Funding and Infrastructure Funding:

Over the last four years we have secured approximately $10 million in Provincial "Connecting Link funding" on Main St Exeter to upgrade the roads, sidewalks, storm drains, water and waste water infrastructure. Having reliable infrastructure is critical for safe water, fire suppression and the treatment of waste water that eventually returns back into our environment. Building strong relationships with our Provincial Ministers and Premier is important as we move South Huron forward by advocating for funding.

South Huron has 210 kms of water pipe under ground that is constantly under pressure. The water pipe that burst in Calgary last year that shut down part of Calgary's water system was 50 years old. The water pipes under Main Street Exeter are over 60 years old. If these pipes fail it does not just jeopardize our drinking water but also our fire suppression system. We must always invest in this infrastructure because it is the most critical public asset you own and I will do whatever I need to do to apply for grants and keep your water supply safe and reliable.

Infrastructure Funding (Housing Enabling Water Systems Fund)
In August 2025 we received a cheque for over $5.3 million under the "Housing Enabling Water Systems Fund" that is directed to go into upsizing the sanitary sewer pipe from Mary and Waterloo Street to the Snider Cr sewage pumping station. This was a great achievement and significant advocacy went into this. Once installed over the next two years it will allow as many as 2100 new homes to be built at the south end of Exeter over the next 25 years. A new forced main will be installed as part of this same grant in 2027 from the Snider Cr. pumping station to the lagoons.

In February 2026 we were successful in receiving $4.2 million in grant funding from the "Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program" that will allow us to upgrade components at the Exeter sewage lagoon. This fund, although available across Ontario, is significant that only 127 Municipalities of the 444 in Ontario received this funding. This is an important investment since the Exeter Lagoon provides service to the residents of Crediton, Centralia, Huron Park and Exeter. This funding also means the users will not have to pay for the needed upgrades as was being projected in the future.

Did you know that South Huron has approximately 71 kms of sanitary sewer pipe which consists of both gravity flow and high pressure lines to pump it to the lagoons or in the Grand Bend area, to the sewage treatment plant on Mollard Line?

The real underlying achievement here is that with significant development on the horizon over the next 25 years and the tremendous pressure on our already over capacity hospital, justifies a new hospital in Exeter. South Huron is now in a strong strategic position to advocate for a new hospital which I have already had multiple discussions with the Ministry of Health and others in the provincial government about this since 2023 .

It is my view that South Huron has all of the ingredients to become the next "Regional" Hospital due to its proximity to London. I want to thank our neighboring Municipal partners from Lucan Biddulph, North Middlesex, Bluewater and Lambton Shores who agreed to form the "Tri County Regional Health Care Alliance" that supports increased capital investment into the "Little Hospital That Does".

09/24/2026

Leadership during Crisis (COVID-19)

In March 2020 our entire world changed with the COVID -19 virus. Playgrounds, schools and recreation facilities closed in a moments notice. Although no one knew what the future held for us, it was time for strong reliable and experienced leadership. Within an hour of the "Declaration of Emergency" by Premier Ford, we immediately shut down our community facilities and switched to "the new normal". Within a few hours I was in contact with Minister Thompson and our MP, Ben Lobb, advising them that South Huron will be following the Huron Perth Public Health Guidelines and that safety was the #1 priority for the public. Throughout the Pandemic I participated, by invitation of Premier Ford and members of his Cabinet, in Provincial consultation meetings to discuss strategies moving forward. This was clearly an "All Hands on Deck" situation and needed strong leadership at all levels.

The world had not faced a crisis like this in decades but we persevered and I owe a lot to my training and experience from my 30 year career as a Police Officer. That knowledge and extensive experience allowed me to make informed decisions quickly with the experts that provided expert advice on matters of safety.
Our staff and community rallied behind each other and as a result we came away from that two year crisis a stronger and more united community because we saw what it takes to get through something so unpredictable. Strong leadership and a strong community equals a safe and prosperous place to live.

I just want to thank all of you for the role you played because after all, our greatest asset at all times and especially in times of crisis is our people which includes our staff and you for supporting the policies in place to keep everyone safe. Let's hope we never go through anything like that ever again but, if we do, I have the skills to deal with it and am prepared to lead you through that or any other emergency.