Few, as of Saturday, had filed to run for office in Sarnia’s upcoming municipal election.
Four Sarnia city council incumbents – George Vandenberg, Mike Stark, Margaret Bird, and Bill Dennis – had filed, along with Chrissy McRoberts, who was second, behind Vandenberg, in May to declare for one of four councilor positions in the Oct. 24 paper -ballot vote, and Oct. 15-24 internet voting period.
Stark, Bird and Dennis all declared in June they’ll seek re-election for one of four city and county councilor seats.
Three – Sylvie C. Barbeau-Chmielewsky, Jennifer McCann, and Linda Ward – as of Saturday had filed to run for school board trustee.
No one had yet submitted nomination papers to run for mayor.
“I will make the observation, just across the province, the number of people coming forward this time … is smaller than usual,” said Mike Bradley, Sarnia’s mayor since 1988, attributing the low nominee count to what he called a changed political climate.
He noted, as an example, a recent Abacus Data survey that said millions of Canadians believe in conspiracy theories.
“I think that’s having a holdback,” he said. “When you say to someone, ‘Would you like to give up four years of your life?’ … And then you’ll have to deal with all the things that come with that.
“So I think that’s holding people back, and not just here,” he said.
Though mayors in other Lambton communities have declared their intentions to run for office again this fall, or not, Bradley isn’t saying yet, about eight weeks since the nomination period opened May 2.
Candidates have until Aug. 19 at 2 pm to declare. Bradley, in past campaigns, has typically declared closer to the deadline.
“My process is you look at all the factors,” Bradley said about how he decides whether to run.
“What would you bring forward.”
Big issues besides COVID-19 this term have been trying to position the community to deal with a skilled trades shortage, focusing on immigration, and on structural changes needed in the economy to take advantage of what’s happening with climate change, he said.
“Those things are still there and I just need to go through that process,” he said.
Bradley called Sarnia council’s current term productive, pointing to things like an ambitious waterfront plan, managing COVID-19, new housing developments, and the city’s growth management plan as successes.
Personal conflicts in the last several months have been disappointing, he said.
A blackout period for council meetings, pending emergencies, starts Aug. 19, though committees will still be allowed to meet.
The final council meeting of this term is scheduled July 25.
The next council term begins Nov. 15.