NORTH PERTH – There will be a race for every seat on North Perth council this fall.
Candidates had until Aug. 19 at 2 p.m. to file their nomination papers for the Oct. 24 municipal election.
Two have thrown their name in the hat for the mayor’s seat – incumbent Todd Kasenberg and Julian George of Listowel.
There are also two running for the position of deputy mayor – incumbent Doug Kellum and former Listowel Banner reporter Colin Burrowes.
Five individuals are looking to claim one of the three Elma Ward councillor seats. Incumbents Matt Duncan, Dave Johnston and Allan Rothwell are all seeking re-election. Atwood’s David Ludington, a former councillor who ran in the 2018 election for the mayor’s spot, and Listowel’s Jamie Pynn are also seeking a seat in the Elma Ward.
In the Listowel Ward, six individuals are seeking one of three available councillor seats. Incumbents Neil Anstett and Matt Richardson are seeking re-election, and will be challenged by Sarah Blazek, Grace Harper, Yasmin Vanos and Darrell Weber.
In the Wallace Ward, three individuals are looking to claim two available spots on council.
Incumbent Lee Ann Andriessen is seeking re-election, with former councillor Paul Horn and Marc Noordam also seeking election as Wallace Ward councillor.
Lindsay Cline, North Perth’s clerk, said in an email to the Banner that the turnout for candidates was higher than in previous elections.
“In 2018 for example, the deputy mayor and all three Elma Ward councillor positions were acclaimed, as well as three of the four school board trustee positions,” she said. “For the 2022 election, we have a race in every office except for two of the four school board trustee positions.”
Both the Avon Maitland District School Board and Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board trustees have been acclaimed, as the incumbents for both spots had no challengers against them.
Nancy Rothwell will once again serve as North Perth’s trustee on the Avon Maitland board, while Amy Cronin will once again serve as the area’s trustee with the Catholic board.
For trustee of the Conseil Scolaire Viamonde, two candidates are seeking the spot – David O’Hara of Cambridge and Joseph Vandermeer of Dorchester.
Two individuals are also seeking the trustee seat for the Conseil Scolaire Catholique Providence – Sylvie C. Barbeau-Chmielewski and Meghan Reale, both of Sarnia.
Howick
Voters in Howick will not have to go to the polls this October, as all positions on that council have been acclaimed.
Doug Harding will once again serve as reeve, as he was the only candidate to file for the position. Current councillor Megan Gibson will move up to the deputy reeve’s chair. The three councillor seats will be occupied by incumbents Doug Hargrave and Marvin Grimes, and newcomer Rosemary Rognvaldson.
Perth East
Voters in Perth East will vote for all but one council seat.
Incumbent Rhonda Ehgoetz will be challenged by Brenda Nurse for the mayor’s seat.
Hugh McDermid has been acclaimed as deputy mayor.
Voters will also elect one councillor for each ward.
Jerry Smith and Nathan Milovancev are seeking the Milverton Ward seat. Jeremy Matheson and Philip Albrecht are seeking the Mornington Ward seat. In the Ellice Ward, Amanda Brodhagen and Barbara Smith are seeking that seat. Three are seeking the councillor seat in South Easthope – Owen Baier, Andrew MacAlpine and Barry Ford Nowack. In North Easthope, three are seeking that seat – Daryl Herlick, Katie Anderson and Bob McMillan.
Minto
All spots on Minto council have been acclaimed.
Dave Turton, currently Minto’s deputy mayor, will take over the mayor’s chair this fall. Current councillor Jean Anderson has been acclaimed deputy mayor.
Current councillors Ron B. Elliott, Geoff Gunson and Judy Dirksen will be returning, and joined by new councillors Paul Zimmerman and Ed Podniewicz.
Election Day
Voters will go to the polls on Oct. 24. The Municipality of North Perth will be using in-person voting with paper ballots and tabulators. Advanced polling will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 12 from 3-8 p.m. at the Elma Logan Recreation Complex in Monkton, and on Saturday, Oct. 15 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the North Perth municipal office (330 Wallace Ave. N., Listowel).
Voter notification cards will be mailed out near the end of September.
North Perth’s newly elected council will be sworn in on Nov. 5, with the inaugural meeting scheduled for Nov. 21.
