Unofficial results are in: Bondy maintains mayoral seat - New Harrow rep selected, Colchester gets return of previous Councillors -

by Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative

After the unofficial municipal election results were tabulated, Mayoral candidate and incumbent Sherry Bondy, will continue at the helm of Essex Council.

Unofficial election results showed she garnered 5,288 votes, with challenger Trevor Menard securing 2,206.

The town of Essex noted that 7,487 of an eligible 18,572 Town of Essex electors voted in the 2026 Municipal Election, representing a voter turnout of 40.31%.

“These last four-years, we worked incredibly hard. We had a very good term on Council and I’m super excited for the next Term of Council. We’re going to have a great team going forward,” Bondy said, thanking constituents.

"People have recognized that we work hard all the time. We have done a lot of great work this Term of Council. We have done budget resets and looked at how we can keep taxes low, and how we can invest in infrastructure, and look at alternative sources of revenue. We’ve done everything we could to reduce the tax burden. People are seeing that hard work that we’re doing, not just during election time but for the whole four-years.”

Bondy added that one of the biggest concerns she heard from residents throughout the campaign pertained to affordability and municipal taxes.

“They also have worries about development and flooding concerns. That is something we are working on. Things don’t happen overnight in municipal government. They’re always a work in progress. We do have a lot of work to do.

“I truly care about the community, and I’m in it for public service. I’ve been a public servant my whole life. Whether it was behind the library desk or working at a restaurant. It’s about serving the public and listening to the public. I do have a degree in social work and education, and I think that really comes forward when you’re working with residents.”

Now that the election is over, Bondy hopes residents stay engaged with municipal politics and happenings throughout the next four-year term.

"It is a tough loss," Essex Mayoral candidate Trevor Menard said after learning the election results. 

He believed the voter turnout was low. He thought there would be more engagement with the younger adults, because they are the ones who are struggling to afford a home and the taxes that come with homeownership.

Messaging throughout his campaign, he said, was clear. He said he wanted to make some changes, and believed they were positive changes. 

"Now, we will see what happens over the next four-years. Everyone who voted can scrutinize the Council. If you didn't vote, you can't scrutinize. You can't say 'I didn't like this or I didn't like that,'" Menard said.

Menard doesn't believe this will be the last time Essex residents will see him on the ballot, perhaps for the same or a different position, in the future. 

"In four-years, I'll put my name in the hat again and see where we're at," he said.

He said he understood the hesitation he heard through the campaign from residents that he lacked experience in municipal politics. He argued the experience comes from needing to know how to read a spreadsheet and a budget form. The administration runs itself pretty much, and Council is there as a guide, he said.

Throughout the election, Menard noted that flooding was a big topic. Now, he said it is unclear if this will be pursued in the next Term of Council. In terms of the $8.9M grant Essex received on Friday through the Development Charges Reduction Program, Menard wondered what Essex had to give up to get it. He also noted this grant was heavily weighted to Ward One.

One thing that Menard noticed about this election is the ridiculousness that can come out of social media. It was particularly frustrating with the anonymous posters or emails. 

"If it is important enough for you to email me or message me, put your name to it. If I have to put my name to it because it's important to me, I expect the same in return," he said. 

He thanked everyone for their support during this campaign. That has been fantastic, an experience where he met many wonderful people across the entire municipality. 

Over the next four-years, Menard hopes residents will stay engaged with municipal politics and hold their municipal reps accountable.

Rob Shepley will maintain the Deputy Mayor position, as he was acclaimed.

Ward 1 – Essex Centre will be represented by the same two incumbent reps, Katie McGuire-Blais (1589 votes) and Joe Garon (1574 votes), as the 2022-2026 term. They are returning for their second and third terms, respectively.

Ward 2 – McGregor area will continue to be represented by Kim Verbeek (1100 votes), who will return for her third term.  

Incumbent Jason Matyi will not return as one of the Ward 3 – Colchester reps. Former Councillors Bill Baker (940) and Ron Rogers (840) will represent the area on Essex Council. The second Colchester rep, Brad Allard, in the 2022-2026 term did not run again.

Ward 4 – Harrow will be represented by Rachael Mills (782), who ousted incumbent Rodney Hammond (292).

The unofficial election results for Mayor/Deputy Mayor across the County of Essex:

In Tecumseh, Joe Bachetti (7,017) defeated incumbent, long-time Mayor Gary McNamara (2,704). Bachetti was Deputy Mayor of Tecumseh during the 2022-2026 Term of Council and Deputy Warden for the County of Essex. Previous Councillor Tania Jobin will be the new Deputy Mayor, having garnered 5,773 votes, with challenger Larry Morand earning 3,558.

In LaSalle, incumbent Mayor Crystal Meloche (5,016) was defeated by challenger Michael Macri (5,051). Shaun Dass earned 3,197 votes. Mike Akpata retained his position as Deputy Mayor with 6,231 votes, ahead of challengers Tory McKay (4,385) and Simon Jacques (1,949).

In Kingsville, incumbent Mayor Dennis Rogers (2,323) was defeated by Mary Ellen Havlik (2,667). That was followed by Thomas Neufeld (2,148), who was a Councillor previously, and Roshan Nallaratnam (784). Kim DeYong will retain the Deputy Mayor position (5,177). Challenger Robert Brando earned 2,601.

In Lakeshore, incumbent Tracey Bailey will remain at the helm, having earned 8,399 votes. Challengers Argo Pace earned 1,782 and Sam Sinjari 1,399. Kirk Walstedt will remain as Deputy Mayor, having earned 5,472 votes, with challenger Renay Grant having earned 3,213 and Dave Monk 2,670.

In Amherstburg, Chris Gibb (3,928), who served as Deputy Mayor in the 2022-2026 term, ousted incumbent Mayor Michael Prue (1,704). Bill Fryer earned 3,284 votes in this race. William (Bill) Petruniak will be the Deputy Mayor, having earned 5,146 votes, beating former Councillor for the position, Linden Crain (3,590).

In Leamington, Hilda MacDonald will return as Mayor, having earned 3,365 votes. Challenger Cris Biron earned 2,958 votes. Paul Tiessen earned the majority of support for Deputy Mayor, having earned 3,612 votes. Challenger Dean Wilkinson earned 2,497.