Councillors considering another run in June

Only two of the seven members of Fort Erie town council are giving definitive answers about their plans for this year’s municipal election.

Ward 5 Coun. Don Lubberts, reelected to his second term to represent Crystal Beach in 2014, has confirmed he plans to have his name on the ballot in October.

“You’re either in or you’re out,” he said in an email.

In 2010, Lubberts unseated incumbent Martha Lockwood at a time when Fort Erie’s political world was focused on a controversial 12-storey condo development at Bay Beach, a project that came to a halt in late 2013.

A new $2.2-million development, made possible through funding from the Town of Fort Erie and Niagara Region, is expected to begin at the site this year.

George McDermott was one of four candidates in 2014’s Ward 1 race who had never previously been elected to office. He defeated runner-up Rob Dunn by 45 votes and has recently confirmed he will be seeking re-election in 2018.

“We have made great strides in improving our roads and infrastructure in our ward and throughout the town which is very necessary and important to all of us and that will continue through 2018,” he said in a Facebook post.

Ward 2 Coun. Stephen Passero served as the representative for Ward 1 from 2010 to 2014 before he decided to run for mayor in the last election, losing to the current head of council Wayne Redekop by 2,595 votes in a five-candidate race. Passero wound up winning a byelection in late March 2015 following the death of Ward 2 Coun. Rick Shular.

Asked what he’s up to as May approaches, when candidates can officially register in the election, Passero said he hasn’t “given too much thought” to what he will be doing but says he has enjoyed his second term on council immensely.

He has “some exciting projects” underway with the Adult Literacy Council and the Lions Club, for which he is currently finishing his first year as president.

“I want to advance those as well as get the Kinsmen Pool open again this year before I turn my mind toward the election. I don’t want the distraction of a campaign to interfere with these community initiatives,” he said.

Kim Zanko won a three-person race in Ward 3, taking in 903 more votes than the first runner-up.

Asked about a possible campaign in 2018, she isn’t announcing anything at the moment.

“I don’t have any plans at this point regarding the upcoming election. I will have a better idea closer to May,” she wrote in an email.

Ward 4 Coun. Marina Butler, who defeated incumbent John Hill by 701 votes in a two-person race in 2014, also said she is not ready to go on the record about whether she will be running for office later this year.

Ward 6 Coun. Chris Knutt said he needs to have further dialogue with his family about his name showing up on the ballot.

Both Mayor Wayne Redekop and Regional Coun. Sandy Annunziata have also said they are not prepared to announce plans yet.