Council members begin to signal re-election plans

April 21, 2022 · 0 Comments

Candidates for Mayor, Ward Councillor, and School Trustee positions can formally register for this fall’s municipal election beginning Monday, May 1.

While that date is just over a week away, some members of Aurora Council have begun to signal their re-election plans.

Councillors Wendy Gaertner, Rachel Gilliland and Sandra Humfryes have confirmed to The Auroran in a canvas of all incumbents on whether they intend to seek re-election and whether they intend to pursue a spot on Council, take a run for the Mayoralty, or as a school trustee, that they currently plan to seek another term as a Council member.

Councillor Gaertner intends to seek a sixth consecutive term on Council, running in Ward 3 in the south end of Aurora.

Councillor Gilliland confirms she will seek a second term on Council but has not yet stated in which ward she intends to run.

Three-term Councillor Sandra Humfryes meanwhile says she currently intends to seek a fourth term this fall in Ward 1.

Other members of Council, including Mayor Mrakas, however, are yet to formally state their intentions.

“As most people know, I am honoured by the trust people have placed in me to serve as Mayor, a job that residents elected me to do for a full four years,” stated Mayor Mrakas. “I love this job serving my community and will certainly clarify my intentions closer to the election. However, until then, I believe there is still lots to accomplish this term and that remains the focus of my attention.”

This view was echoed by Councillor Michael Thompson, who said, “At this point in time, I am continuing to focus on the tasks at hand. There will be plenty of time to consider my plans for the next term in the coming months.”

Councillor John Gallo says he has not yet decided whether he will be running again as there is “lots to consider,” nor has Councillor Harold Kim, who ran as a Conservative candidate in last fall’s Federal Election.

Councillor Kim said he expects to make his final decision in “two to four weeks.”

By Brock Weir
Editor
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter