Chatham-Kent residents can start voting online in the 2018 municipal election this week.
Online voting opens at 10 a.m. Monday morning and will close at 10 p.m. on October 15. The voting portal can be found by clicking here. A media release from the Municipality of Chatham-Kent states of the 32,783 votes cast in the 2014 municipal election, about 9,000 were done online.
For those who don't want to vote online, there are other voting methods. Advanced polls will be open from October 11 to October 13. Election day is on October 22 with polls open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eligible voters should have already received their VIN cards.
Blackburn News will be hosting a Meet Your Mayoral Candidates Evening, which will air on Country 92.9 FM / 630 AM at 7 p.m. on October 17. In terms of getting to know the people running for Chatham-Kent council, below is a list of candidates with links to their information.
Ward 1 – West Kent (Two seats)
Mark Authier - As a current councillor of West Kent, Authier is seeking re-election. He was first elected for the 2014 - 2018 term. Authier's contact information is as follows: (519) 990-0467 or authierprint@gmail.com.
Bryon Fluker - Fluker has served the community for over 30 years. He was first elected to Tilbury council in 1972, before amalgamation. Fluker's contact information is as follows: (519) 682-2484 or bryon.fluker@chatham-kent.ca.
Melissa Harrigan - The Chatham-Kent native has posted her platform on Facebook, highlighting areas in need of attention, such as infrastructure and child care. More information about Harrigan can be found by clicking here.
Mark Pastorius - To hear directly from Pastorius, his contact information is (519) 689-4757 or mpastorius4@gmail.com.
Jordan Dell - To hear directly from Dell, his contact information is (519) 436-1925 or jordan@farmerdell.ca.
Ward 2 – South Kent (Three seats)
Trevor Thompson - First elected in 2014, Thompson is seeking re-election to represent South Kent. Thompson has taken a "yes we will" approach on social media to improving health care and reducing municipal debt. Details on his platform can be found by clicking here.
Frank Vercouteren - A current councillor, Vercouteren is seeking re-election. He was first elected to Blenheim council in 1980. To hear directly from Vercouteren, his contact information is (519) 676-6555 or frank.vercouteren@outlook.com.
Tanya Bondy - The small business owner has posted on her website the willingness to start conversations with residents regarding their concerns. Some of her concerns include flooding along Erie Shore Drive and the effect wind turbines may have on water wells. Details about Bondy can be found on her website.
Anthony Ceccacci - The Chatham-Kent native is focussed on addressing concerns in regards to business growth, affordable living, and retaining young professionals. Details on Cecacci's platform can be found on his website.
Mary Clare Latimer - Latimer was born and raised in North Harwich, where she now lives with her family. Latimer posted on social media her commitment to listen, promote Chatham-Kent as an age-friendly community, and show support for the agriculture sector. Details on her platform can be found by clicking here.
Henry Svec - Svec has launched a Facebook page with several videos which go over topics such as improving the housing market in Chatham-Kent and tackling municipal debt. To find out more about Svec, details can be found on his Facebook page.
Amy Ramsden Dalton - Ramsden Dalton has a list of areas that perhaps need more attention, some of which include attracting and retaining businesses and enhancing transparency around budgetary items. Details on her platform can be found by clicking here.
Art Stirling - A former councillor in Chatham-Kent, Stirling is looking to get involved in municipal politics once again. A couple of focus points in Stirling's platform include enhancing transparency and strengthening ties with different levels of government. His full platform can be found on his Facebook page.
Ward 3 – East Kent (Two seats)
Steve Pinsonneault - First elected to council in 2006, Pinsonneault looks to keep his seat in council chambers for another term. To hear directly from Pinsonneault, his contact information is (519) 692-4956 or steve.pinsonneault@chatham-kent.ca.
MaryAnn Hawthorne - To hear directly from Hawthorne, her contact information is (519) 674-0431.
John Wright - To hear directly from Wright, his contact information is (519) 359-3237 or jwestkent@hotmail.com.
Ward 4 – North Kent (Two seats)
Joe Faas - Faas is a current councillor who has been involved in municipal politics since 1976. He was also the mayor of Dresden (before amalgamation). To hear directly from Faas, his contact information is (226) 494-1542 or joefaas@teksavvy.com.
Mary Anne Udvari - An active member within the agriculture sector, Udvari is a director for the Kent Federation of Agriculture. To hear directly from Udvari, her contact information is (519) 350-2172 or maryanneudvari@gmail.com. Udvari also has some posts on her Facebook page for her campaign.
Jamie McGrail - A couple of the topics McGrail highlights as areas that need addressing include pushing for better infrastructure and promoting the community in order to attract business opportunities. Details on her platform can be found by clicking here.
Jessica Brooks - The Ward 4 candidate has outlined areas she would like to see addressed if elected in the fall. A couple of which involve a health hazard investigation into local water wells and improving "telecommunications technology" in the rural community. Details on Brooks' platform can be found by clicking here.
Joey Cyples - Based on his website, Cyples has been active in the community as a volunteer and works as a senior advisor in business development at Union Gas. His platform revolves around job creation and lowering taxes. Cyples' website can be found by clicking here.
Steven Scott - Scott has a platform on his website that lists some of his objectives if elected. They include lowering taxes, reducing crime, and maintaining a transparent relationship with the community. Details on his platform can be found on his website.
Patricia Sylvain - Sylvain has ties to the agriculture and business sectors of the municipality. Her platform focuses on economic growth in order to achieve a "zero-tax increase". More information about Sylvain can be found on her website.
Dylan Robert McLay - To hear directly from McLay, his contact information is (519) 360-8878 or chef.mclay@gmail.com.
Ward 5 – Wallaceburg (Two seats)
Carmen McGregor - A current councillor for the Wallaceburg area, McGregor is seeking re-election. McGregor's platform includes improvements to infrastructure and youth retention. Details can be found on her Facebook page.
Aaron Hall - A business owner in the Wallaceburg area, Hall has launched a social media campaign called "Project 627" which looks to gain feedback from what local residents want to see. Details on his platform can be found by clicking here.
Nicolas Cadotte - To hear directly from Cadotte, his contact information is (519) 365-8027 or ncadotte@ckxsfm.com.
Randy McNeil - To hear directly from McNeil, his contact information is (519) 401-9251 or randym@kent.net.
Ward 6 – Chatham (Six seats)
Brock McGregor - A current councillor, McGregor is once again hoping to represent the Chatham area in council chambers. McGregor has outlined his priorities through social media and on his website, some of which include investing in infrastructure, promoting an inclusive community, and supporting local initiatives. To read more about McGregor's platform, click here.
Michael Bondy - A current Chatham councillor, Bondy is seeking re-election. He was first elected in 2010. To hear directly from Bondy, his contact information is (519) 352-4284 or mbondy2010@gmail.com.
Doug Sulman - Sulman is a current Chatham councillor and is seeking re-election. To hear directly from Sulman, his contact information is (519) 352-0190 or dsulman@lawojs.com.
Penelope Duchesne- A local artist is hopeful for a council position. As outlined in her platform, Duchesne looks to keep taxes from rising, improve the transportation system, and improve infrastructure. To view her platform on her website, click here.
Larry Vellinga - As a Chatham-Kent native, Vellinga is looking to give back to the community by representing the ward. His vision for Chatham-Kent includes supporting small businesses, creating job opportunities, and eventually reducing the size of council. Vellinga's platform can be found on his website.
Don Fuoco - Originally from Wallaceburg, Fuoco hopes to represent that Chatham area where he currently lives. Some of the topics outlined in his platform revolve around keeping property taxes in check and creating business opportunities. Details about his campaign can be found on his Facebook page.
Amy Finn - A retired Chatham-Kent police officer, Finn is now hoping to represent the Chatham area in council chambers. Topics such as infrastructure, youth retainment, and promoting diversity have been listed as areas of importance on her Facebook page. Details on Finn and her campaign can be found by clicking here.
Chris June - A Chatham-Kent native, June looks to promote a business-friendly community, instil transparency, and promote the community as being diverse and age-friendly. To learn more about June and his platform, click here.
Karen Kirkwood-Whyte - The former executive director for the United Way of Chatham-Kent is looking to get involved in municipal politics. Besides areas such as infrastructure and economic development, Kirkwood-Whyte has specified in her platform the importance of "valuing" different parts of the community. For details on her campaign, click here to visit her website.
Marjorie Crew - A former Chatham councillor, Crew is hoping to get back into municipal politics. Her platform includes making investments in infrastructure, improving the transportation system, and supporting events that boost tourism. Details on her platform can be found on Crew's website.
Les Banks - As mentioned on social media, the top priority for Banks is jobs. Increasing job opportunities and attracting companies to the community are a couple of his main objectives listed. For more information about his campaign, click here.
Ryan Jackson - A Chatham native, Jackson hopes to become "a new voice for Chatham-Kent". Jackson has outlined his platform on Facebook, which focuses on affordable living and attracting business opportunities. Details on Jackson and his platform can be found on his Facebook page.
Don "Sparky" Leonard - To hear directly from Leonard, his contact information is (519) 809-4200 or donleonard23@gmail.com. Leonard does have pictures of his campaign process posted on Facebook.
Gordon Thomas - Originally from Scarborough, Thomas has made Chatham his home. Priorities in his platform include conducting reviews of Chatham-Kent's bylaws and tax incentives and improving transportation. To view his platform, click here.
James Thompson - To hear directly from Thompson, his contact information is (226) 347-9468 or james@jameszthompson.com.
Drew Simpson - To hear directly from Simpson, his contact information is (226) 626-2064 or dsimps3@outlook.com.
Kirk Hooker - To hear directly from Hooker, his contact information is (519) 809-0627 or hookerracing38@hotmail.com.