Essex County mayoral race heating up quickly
Rob Shepley didn’t have to go far to enter what could become one of the best mayoral races in Essex County.
He lives beside Essex town hall. The political newcomer said he’s running to make it a less rowdy place.
“That’s the biggest thing. Getting a council that isn’t fighting and suing one another and constantly calling the police and the integrity commissioner is going to make a big difference,” Shepley said Monday. “There’s a lot more that can be accomplished when everybody’s working together.” Shepley and Coun. Larry Snively have submitted their names for the mayor’s job in Essex where 80-year-old Mayor Ron McDermott said in mid-May he likely wouldn’t seek re-election. But there are others — including Coun. Ron Rogers and Coun. Randy Voakes — still weighing whether they’ll seek re-election as councillors or compete for the mayor’s seat in October.
The feuding between McDermott and Voakes was called a circus in March when a Superior Court Justice admonished both men for their “immature, childish and rancorous” behaviour. McDermott went to court in a bid to have Voakes removed from council — accusing him of failing to declare a conflict of interest when council was voting on an integrity commissioner’s report.
But the judge said Voakes had not breached the Municipal Act and had taken the integrity commissioner’s report seriously. Essex council later decided to reimburse Voakes’ legal costs. Snively became mayor of Essex in 2002 after former Essex Mayor Joan Flood died. He was upset by McDermott in 2003 by about 500 votes and lost again to McDermott in the 2006 election. Snively could not be reached for comment on Monday.
Shepley, who turns 47 in August, is a businessman with a commercial flooring business called ICT Limited and an ice cream store called Ice Cool Treats — run mostly by his wife from their home on Talbot Street.
With a goal to lower or remove development fees and bring cooperation back to council, Shepley filed his election paperwork on Thursday.
“What made me run for mayor is everybody in our municipality is looking for new faces and fresh new ideas,” he said.
Coun. Ron Rogers said he expects to make a decision on his candidacy within the next two weeks. The 64-year-old is a veteran politician of Essex and the former Colchester South who lost twice to McDermott — including by just 227 votes in the 2014 election. Rogers got back on council last year in a byelection after a Ward 3 councillor resigned.
Voakes, who has been on council since 2004, said he will wait until closer to the deadline to file as a candidate for mayor or council. Leamington looks to have the other good race for mayor in Essex County. So far, Leamington Mayor John Paterson has competition from Deputy Mayor Hilda MacDonald, with Coun. Larry Verbeke seeking to move into the deputy mayor’s spot. Elsewhere in Essex County, Marc Bondy is running for mayor in LaSalle where Mayor Ken Antaya said he won’t seek a third term. Bondy is LaSalle’s deputy mayor. Coun. Crystal Meloche has filed her nomination papers to run for deputy mayor.
Look for a new mayor on Pelee Island where Rick Masse announced early he would not seek re-election.
Kingsville Mayor Nelson Santos has said he will seek re-election but is not on the unofficial online list yet. Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara, Lakeshore Mayor Tom Bain and Amherstburg Mayor Aldo DiCarlo are not yet facing any challengers.
The deadline for nominations is July 27. Election day is Oct. 22.