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As the nomination deadline approaches, some wards lack candidates

It’s an interesting time for politics in Prince Edward County. With the filing deadline fast approaching, some wards are shaping up to be solid races, while others only have one candidate running.

There are important issues needing the attention of the next council. Topics such as affordable housing, short-term rentals, residential development, social assistance, heritage protection, upgrading of roads and other infrastructure and financial stability are just a few. The County needs a strong council to address these topics.

There is also a higher hurdle for nomination in this election cycle than in past municipal votes. First, the deadline for nominations is about six weeks earlier, and perhaps more challenging, each nominee must get 25 County residents to sign their nomination papers. If left to the last minute, this may pose a formidable obstacle.

But what happens if no candidate is nominated by the deadline? For example, there is currently no candidate nominated for South Marysburgh with just 13 days remaining to the deadline. For the answer to this question, County Clerk Kim White referred to the Elections Act that prescribes that additional nominations may be accepted on a single day a week after the nominations close. Specifically, in the event that there are fewer than the allotted number of nominations for the elected office, additional nominations may be filed between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Wednesday, August 1.

As of Tuesday, Athol, North Marysburgh and Sophiasburgh have only one candidate each, meaning if no one steps forward, that candidate would be acclaimed.

A significant amount of the current horseshoe haven’t announced if they are running again for council. Current councillors who haven’t submitted their paperwork as of yet are Barry Turpin, Lenny Epstein, David Harrison and Treat Hull. Kevin Gale has announced that he is not returning, and Mayor Robert Quaiff will not be seeking another term as mayor.

For the seat of Mayor, there are currently two candidates in the running. Both have experience with council and both are deeply passionate about the County. Steve Ferguson and Dianne O’Brien will be spending the summer and fall campaigning, each trying to convince the public why they should be the County’s next mayor. The Times caught up with both candidates and asked them two questions. Why are you running and what are the two biggest issues facing taxpayers in our region?

Steve Ferguson is currently the councillor for South Marysburgh, He has a background in sales and marketing and has had numerous senior executive roles at companies in Canada, the US and the UK. He publishes the South Marysburgh Mirror and is the president of the Prince Edward Historical Society. He is also the Vice President of the Milford Fair Board and is eager to get his campaign going.

“I am deeply passionate about Prince Edward County. From the minute of my first interaction with the place in the late ’80s until now I have had a strong connection to the place. I have also absolutely adored being of service to the residents and businesses of Prince Edward County. It has been an honour to represent their interests and had I known what this would involve, I likely would have done it 20 or 30 years earlier. What really motivated me into it was when I started asking people about the intention to run and universally the response was very positive that not only should I run for council, but given the current situation with the mayor not returning, I should run for the mayor’s position. People tell me that I have the business experience necessary and the council experience, so given all those factors I feel it’s the right time to do it and I’m the right person for the job. For issues facing the County, the big subject on people’s minds is medical care, and access to doctors and hospital services. I am also really concerned about the housing situation we are finding ourselves in here for both affordable housing and housing in general. We have done a good job bringing people to Prince Edward County, now we’ve got to make sure that they have a place to live. That’s a big issue and one we have dig right into. We must keep this issue front and centre with the steps we take going forward,” says Ferguson.

Ferguson also mentioned that food insecurity was something on his radar as well, as well as preserving our heritage both historically and agriculturally.

Dianne O’Brien is currently the councillor for Ameliasburgh and already has some experience as mayor. While Robert Quaiff was making his provincial bid, O’Brien was voted in as acting mayor and is now looking to make the job permanent. O’Brien originally had no intentions of running for mayor, but her time filling in for Quaiff convinced her that this would be the right move, and that she could improve the way council went about things.

She, like Ferguson, also received a significant amount of encouragement from residents to seek the mayor’s position. O’Brien is a longtime council member with many valuable years under her belt.

“I was born in the County and went to school here. I’ve always called the County my home. I was born in Ameliasburgh. After 12 years experience with council, I’ve learned enough and seen enough that I decided that I want to put my efforts in a different direction now and serve the residents of the County differently. It’s very important for me to make the County affordable and resident friendly. I also really want to work with the small businesses and support them as much as possible. I truly believe that the small businesses in the heart of our communities are the ones that drive our economy year-round. For issues facing the County, I think the biggest is creating stable, yearround employment. That is so important to our success. Our infrastructure is also a huge issue. We will need to spend so much on the County’s infrastructure over the next few years and must find a way to get funding for that. Affordable housing is another major issue that needs to be addressed. I want the taxpayers to know that I will work very hard on their behalf to secure stable employment and affordable places to live for residents of the County. I have loved being involved in council and enjoy it just as much as I did when I started 12 years ago. When you do something you love it’s not an effort, it’s an honour,” says O’Brien.

In Ward 3, Wellington, there are three candidates vying for councillor. The seat is currently occupied by Jim Dunlop, who is seeking re-election. He is up against two newcomers to the game. Mike Harper and Brent Kleinstuber have both thrown their names in the ring. For Dunlop, it’s about continuing what he’s been working on for the last four years.

“I would like another term on council in order to ensure that the County, and especially Wellington will get their concerns considered and hopefully bring my experience to the new council. The first priority in our Ward is getting the water infrastructure updated to meet current regulations, to meet the current issues and possible new developments in Wellington. This affects the whole county in relation to keeping housing rates affordable. We need to support affordable housing initiatives whenever we can,” says Dunlop.

Dunlop has also been a strong advocate for the crosswalk initiative currently ongoing in Wellington, of which there is a study that is nearing completion.

Mike Harper says that his council run was based on some “surprising decisions” made by council over the last few years. Harper is a strong advocate of steering the County towards a tourist economy, but also has strong views on affordable housing, Airbnb regulations and making sure that the heritage of the County is protected. Roads and infrastructure are also big issues on Harper’s mind. Another big thing for Harper is adjusting to what he calls the “new economy” and giving the youth of this area a reason to stay.

“If we don’t have a well-rounded community with jobs and careers for young people then we are not doing something right. Whether it’s construction, health care or the food and beverage industry, we need to support the youth of this community in finding a job here by providing affordable housing and the training needed to get the right job. We need to give them reasons to stay,” says Harper.

The third candidate in Ward 3 Wellington is Brent Kleinsteuber. Easily the youngest candidate at 27 years of age, Kleinsteuber is eager to learn and is hoping to change some of the perceptions people may have about his demographic not caring enough to give back.

“In the past I’ve volunteered with several different groups like the Legion and the Wellington Rec Committee and now I’d like to try a different avenue of public service. Affordable housing shortages and the Airbnb short term rental issues are two big issues facing the County currently. I think that people my age should be more involved in the community and spend time helping others and I think that adding a youthful voice to the mix at council could be very valuable to this community,”says Kleinsteuber.

The last day for nomination for council is July 27 at 2 p.m. Advance and Internet voting begins on Saturday, October 13. Elections will be held on Monday, October 22.