It may be the dog days of summer but fall and the 2010 municipal election is just around the corner – and it seems interest is heating up.
Last week two more people filed their nomination papers in Wellington North and there are rumors, from good sources, of more to come. In the last election all of Wellington North Council was acclaimed. Even if council is doing a stellar job, acclamations are not the way to go. They fly in the face of democracy. There’s a fine line between being totally satisfied what the governing body is doing and being apathetic. And even if all the present council members should be re-elected, it is still healthy to go through the election process. We’re not saying, however, that all the present council members will be re-elected. There are some good candidates taking some of them on, and there will probably be more before the deadline to file. And, with Councillor Ross Chaulk vacating his councillor seat to seek election as mayor and Councillor Bob Mason retiring, there will be two new Wellington North councillors at the table for sure.
Sherry Burke announced last week she wants to represent Ward 2. Also running in that Mount Forest ward is Ron Forrest. The seat is up for grabs, as the current Ward 2 councillor, Bob Mason, has announced his impending retirement.
Also last week Shawn McLeod filed his nomination papers. He is running for election in Ward 1, currently held by incumbent Councillor Dan Yake. Yake has also filed his papers and is seeking re-election.
So far Lisa Hearn of RR 2, Kenilworth is the only candidate in Ward 3, the seat being vacated by Councillor Chaulk as he takes a run at the township’s top job, and no one has yet announced his or her intentions to take on present Councillor John Matusenic in Ward 4. It would, actually, be good for both of them to have some competition.
There are four declared candidates for mayor – current Mayor Mike Broomhead, current councillor Ross Chaulk and political newcomers Janice Lewis and Ray Tout. It’s going to be an interesting race with some strong personalities and it should make for some interesting all candidates meetings.
Incumbent Walter Trachsel is the only declared candidate for the office of county councillor Ward 3, while Jim Heinbuch of RR 2, Arthur is squaring off against Incumbent Linda M. White for the Ward 4 county position.