With Jordan Derro registering as a candidate in Ward 1 earlier this month, there’s now at least one candidate in every of the City of Greater Sudbury’s 12 wards.
Derro is a general practice lawyer with volunteer experience in the local arts community whose campaign will focus on the homelessness/opioid crises and downtown revitalization.
“I’m waiting to hear from voters as to what their concerns are and I’m addressing each of them as they’ve come up,” he told Sudbury.com, adding he has already heard about the quality of snow removal and the impacts of Laurentian University’s financial woes.
A few days after Derro registered as the lone candidate in Ward 1, incumbent Mark Signoretti filed his papers with the city. This leaves Ward 9 as the only municipal jurisdiction with a lone candidate, where incumbent Deb McIntosh is seeking re-election.
Signoretti told Sudbury.com his campaign would again focus on what he said he’s been “advocating for all along, which is fiscal responsibility.”
“Making sure we spend our dollars wisely and look at ways to find efficiencies,” he said. “It’s about getting growth in our community.”
With a candidate now running against him, Signoretti said Oct. 24 will serve as a “performance appraisal” for not only him but also a strong majority of his colleagues.
“I like to think I can stand behind the things I’ve done and advocated for.”
A full slate of candidates is but one of the latest developments in the Oct. 24 civic election to take place in the past several days, during which a seventh mayoral candidate, Mila Wong, also registered.
A notable candidate in Ward 7, Randy Hazlett registered on Aug. 5 after an unsuccessful bid earlier this year under a Progressive Conservative ticket in Nickel Belt for the provincial election during which he joined his Tory colleagues in denying all media inquiries and public debates.
In Ward 4, Pauline Fortin, who recently announced she was withdrawing from the race due to it being a lost cause, likening the city to a sinking ship, she reversed course last week to reaffirm she is seeking election.
On that front, incumbents have registered in every municipal ward except Ward 7 and 12. Mayor Brian Bigger submitted his paperwork last week to run for re-election.
While Ward 7 Coun. Mike Jakubo has already confirmed he is not seeking re-election, Ward 12 Coun. Joscelyne Landry-Altmann has yet to make an announcement.
Candidates will be able to file their nomination paperwork with the city until the 2 p.m. deadline on Aug. 19. The following day, candidates will be allowed to begin installing campaign signs on private land with landowners’ permission.
Marking the final week candidates will be allowed to register with the city, the City of Greater Sudbury issued a media release in which they count a total of 63 candidates between the municipal and school boards elections and that there are still some school board races without candidates registered.
They also make a note regarding three common misconceptions regarding the voters’ list in which they clarify receiving a property tax bill doesn’t ensure they are on the list, the municipal list is different from that used by the federal and provincial governments and that people can update their information at any time leading up to the election date.
While residents can register on election day itself, registering beforehand qualifies them to receive a voter card in the mail with pertinent voter information.
Those interested in registering to vote for the civic election can do so online at voterlookup.ca or by phoning the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation at 1-866-296-6722.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
