For most most Canadians, 2009 was a kidney stone of a year they are glad to see pass.

Still, Orangeville Mayor Rob Adams, Dufferin- Caledon’s MP David Tilson and MPP Sylvia Jones are all cautiously optimistic that 2010 will be a better year.

The year past was a particularly tough ride for Mayor Adams. Not only did he and town council have to contend with the faltering economy, they entered the year under intense criticism for pay raises they had voted themselves in October 2008.

They came under attack in the media and at council by an advocacy group calling itself the Committee to Hold Council Accountable, which included a former municipal politician and a failed municipal candidate.

“No one’s perfect all the time,” Mayor Adams said in an interview Tuesday. “It’s how one reacts that is one of the best ways to judge an individual’s character.”

While initially defending the raises, council eventually rescinded them and appointed an ad hoc remuneration committee which eventually came up with salary increase recommendations that council accepted.

“The disappointing part,” said Mayor Adams, “was that a few individuals tried to capitalize on one of thousands of decisions we have made as a council, to achieve their own political ends.”

He does see improvements in 2010 and is excited about upcoming projects, including renovations to the Tony Rose Memorial Sports Complex, a BMX park and progress on the town’s trail systems.

Mayor Adams acknowledged that “the automotive industry has been hit hard and there’s been a ripple effect that has reached into our community.

“The secret is to stay diversified (in our business base). Through our strategic development plan, we have identified the number of areas where we need to take action.”

He added that the hilly terrain around Orangeville, considered by some to be a detriment to attracting larger-scale industrial operations, is actually a positive.

“The rolling hills, the lake and the rivers are all positives. People are looking for a quality of life.

“We’ve had a number of overtures from businesses wanting to locate in Orangeville, and existing businesses are looking to expand here, once the economy improves.”

The recently completed Highway 10 widening project and the potential of expanded railway service can also inspire new investment, he says.

As well, Mayor Adams said he was inspired by the enthusiastic response to the Dec. 28 torch relay celebrations. “The excitement and enthusiasm was incredible. The torch relay celebration was an example of what an amazing community we have.”

Another participant in the torch celebrations was Mr. Tilson. One of his brightest moments of the year might have been at the Tony Rose arena when the Olympic Torch came through. He said he had never witnessed so much enthusiasm in a huge crowd but it stirred his heart to realize that “the world is coming to Canada” for the 2010 games.

On the year gone by, he described several trips he had made to Europe on his parliamentary committees and said he found the European Union “in terrible shape” economically. As well, he said, the U.S. is not in good shape and as much as 85 per cent of Canadian trade is with the Americans.

“That is why the prime minister is pushing for free trade with the European Union,” such that not all Canadian eggs would be in the same basket.

Nonetheless, he predicted that the worst of the recession is over, and said he gets that feeling of optimism from the public wherever he goes.

“We’re coming out,” he said. “We’re not out yet. We have a ways to go.”

Mr. Tilson said the federal government contributed an “unprecedented” total of about $34 million in stimulus funding to Dufferin-Caledon in the past year, Much of that went for roads, but also for a new sewage treatment plant at Grand Valley. He said there is still a bit of money in that federal envelope but couldn’t say if the riding might share in that. “Whether there’s more for the riding remains to be seen.”

For Ms. Jones, 2009 was “when a cold, harsh reality came to Dalton McGuinty’s government. Issues he had not been dealing with came to light.”

She sees the premier as “trying to be all things to everyone. As a result, we’ve got a $24-billion deficit. He’s simply not making the tough decisions that have to be made.

“One can’t keep adding additional programs and always expect the money to keep rolling in to pay for them.”

The Progressive Conservative critic for community and social services and child and youth services cited the government’s Child Welfare Transformation program as an example.

Since 2004, the number of children admitted into the care of children’s aid societies has decreased by 18 per cent, and there have been five per cent fewer children in care over-all. Adoptions have increased by 29 per cent. On the other hand, provincial cutbacks have left Dufferin Child and Family Services with a $1.1 million deficit.

Ms. Jones accused the Premier of “putting the horse before the cart” by not evaluating the future costs of his various programs and determining how feasible it will be to finance them.

“When you buy a bigger car, you should expect to pay more for gas. Every decision has a cost, and we should, at least, be able to determine what the cost is.”

She said that, in 2010, “what we need to do is keep our eye on the ball. Dealing with this deficit is going to need some tough decisions and serious consultation.”

Yet, she said in an interview, people she had spoken to in the riding have told her “almost universally, that (2009) wasn’t as bad a year as they thought it would be. I’m impressed with the resilience and optimism.”