(from left to right) Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara, Lakeshore Mayor Tom Bain, Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens, Amherstburg Mayor Aldo DiCarlo, Leamington Mayor John Paterson and LaSalle Mayor Ken Antaya March 10, 2015.  (Photo by Adelle Loiselle)(from left to right) Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara, Lakeshore Mayor Tom Bain, Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens, Amherstburg Mayor Aldo DiCarlo, Leamington Mayor John Paterson and LaSalle Mayor Ken Antaya March 10, 2015. (Photo by Adelle Loiselle)
Windsor

Paterson, Santos, DiCarlo Running Again, McDermott Probably Not

There will be familiar names on the ballot for mayor in Leamington, Kingsville, and Amherstburg this fall, but the mayor of Essex says he's seriously considering retirement.

Ron McDermott says he is almost certain he will not run again.

"I've told them, give me until 1 o'clock on July 27," says McDermott. "I'm 95% sure I'm not running, but that 5%, something major could happen."

He points out that so far, Councillor Larry Snively is the only declared candidate for Mayor in Essex. McDermott says if something caused Snively to pull out of the race, and no other contenders came forward, he might throw his name in.

John Paterson in Leamington wants a third term. He says revitalizing the town's waterfront, new sewers along Hwy. 77, and continued efforts to expand Hwy. 3 to four lanes are priorities for him, but at the top of his list is improving Uptown Leamington.

"The main one that all of us have been working on and finally getting a shovel in the ground this year is the revitalization of the Uptown core," he says. "We are putting about $1.7-million in upgrades in it on Mill St. alone."

He has overseen the town during some of its darkest times, the closure of the Heinz plant. Just a few years after Highbury Canco took over the property, more than 500 people are working again.

In Kingsville, Nelson Santos admits he is not ready to call it a day either.

Amherstburg Mayor Aldo DiCarlo ran on a promise to improve the town's finances four years ago. There is now money in the reserves, but DiCarlo says other projects compel him to continue his work.

"We've had a pretty quick turnaround," DiCarlo says. "The way to stay on that is to always keep in mind is to remain focused."

The waterfront is also a priority in Amherstburg, along with attracting a new hotel, building a new high school, and a community hub at the former St. Bernard Catholic Elementary School.

Elsewhere in the county, Gary McNamara intends to run again in Tecumseh, and Tom Bain in Lakeshore hopes to return. Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens has not stated his intentions.

Nominations for the fall vote close at 2pm July 27 and the election is on October 22.

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