Beaver Staff
There will be competition for most municipal government seats across the region leading up to the Oct. 22 election, given the unofficial slates of declared candidates following Friday afternoon’s filing deadline.
Greater Napanee
There’s plenty of interest in Greater Napanee’s mayor position. Current deputy mayor Marg Isbester will run against Brian Calver, Gavin Cross, Gerry Haggerty, and Sam Salaam, who filed his paperwork on the final day Friday.
The town’s deputy mayoral race will feature a pair of current councillors in Carol Harvey and Max Kaiser.
Each of Greater Napanee’s five wards is also poised to have a race, with no ward having fewer than three candidates seeking office. Also, only one incumbent — Shaune Lucas in Ward 5 — is running, ensuring the majority of councillors elected will be in their first term.
In Ward 1, Robert Boomhour, Cortwright Christian, and John McCormack will be on the ballot. In Ward 2, the choice will be between Terry Cook, Robin Lee, and Terry Richardson. The Ward 3 race features Terrilyn Geenevasen, Gerry Marsh, Dave Pinnell Jr. and Richard Pringle. In Ward 4, Cathy Conrad, Tom Derrick, Jason McDonald, and Bob Norris are running. Finally, Lucas will be running against Ellen Johnson and Bill Martin in Ward 5.
Stone Mills
In Stone Mills, incumbent reeve Eric Smith will be challenged by Doug Bearance, who served as head of council from 2010 to 2014 and also served as Lennox and Addington County Warden in 2013, and Yarker resident Tom Darby.
The deputy-reeve race there will pit current deputy reeve John Wise against councillor Martha Embury.
The at-large council election, which will produce five representatives, drew 11 candidates. Incumbents Doug Davison, Wenda LaLande, Kevin Richmond, and Deb Thompson are vying for re-election with William Carroll, Eric DePoe, Yvonne Gibson, Andrew Michalksi, Shari Milligan, Deb Storey, and Krysta-Lee Woodcock also looking for seats.
Loyalist
Loyalist Township will have a three-way race for mayor as longtime councillor and current deputy mayor Ric Bresee will run against Joy Silver and Lorna Willis. Current councillor Jamie Hegadorn will contest the deputy mayor election with Bill McKee.
Amherst Island residents won’t have to cast ballots for councillor as Nathan Townend is poised to be acclaimed, replacing Duncan Ashley, the only councillor the island has known since amalgamation.
Bath incumbent Ed Daniliunas will face challenges from Ron Andress and Carol Parks in Ward 2.
In the larger Ward 3, Ernestown, six candidates are looking for three seats. Incumbents Ron Gordon and Penny Porter will be on the ballot, alongside Mike Budarick, Mike Costa, Alexandra Kelly, and Paul Proderick.
Addington Highlands
The only race in Addington Highlands appears to be for the top job. Henry Hogg, the current reeve and a multiple-time Lennox and Paddington County warden, will be challenged by Alice Madigan, of Denbigh.
In Ward 1, incumbent Kirby Thompson and Royce Rosenblath are in line to fill the two seats. In Ward 2, incumbents Helen Yanch (who also serves as deputy reeve) and Bill Cox are poised to return to their seats by acclamation.
Deseronto
In Deseronto, there will be a new mayor and deputy mayor — each acclaimed, but neither is a newcomer to council. Dan Johnston will move up from deputy to head of council, while councillor Steven Everhardus takes his position. Five candidates have filed to run for the three councillor posts. Current mayor Norm Clark and former mayor Clarence Zieman are in the mix alongside Brian J. Cherry, Amber Dale Hudson, and Kevin Smith.
School boards
There will also be races for Limestone District School Board trustee posts in Lennox and Addington County this year. In Greater Napanee, incumbent Laurie French faces a challenge from Roberta Lamb; and in Loyalist and Stone Mills, incumbent Wess Garrod will run against Robin Hutcheon. Karen McGregor will return in Central Frontenac, Addington Highlands, and North Frontenac.
Gregory Speagle will be acclaimed to represent the Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board in Lennox and Addington and Prince Edward counties.
Diane Burns and Michel Charron will vie to sit on the French separate board, Conseil des ecoles catholiques de langue française du centre-est, and Rachel Laforest will sit on the French public board, Le Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario.