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As Friday's nomination deadline looms the roster of interested parties in the city council race has expanded considerably.
Lance Darnell, Maggie Horsfield, Scott Kile, Jamie Lowery, Justine Mallah, Eric Morgan, David Poliquin, Darryl Skinner and Michael Taylor are the nine newcomers who have filed their nomination papers as of midday on Monday. Gary Gardiner made a spirited run at the mayor's chair four years ago and will vie for a council seat this time around. Derek Shogren, a former councillor also put in his papers to run for council, Monday.
Six of the 10 incumbent councillors have officially joined the race: Mac Bain, Mark King, Dave Mendicino, Ed Valenti, Bill Vrebosch and Tanya Vrebosch will seek re-election. Chris Mayne and Scott Robertson said long ago they would make their respective decisions in mid-August. All signs point to George Maroosis hanging up his wrench but he's been known to reconsider before.
The final councillor from the class of 2018 is Johanne Brousseau, who is running for mayor in what is so far a two-horse race versus Peter Chirico. Mayor Al McDonald confirmed this weekend he is not wavering in his decision to step away after this term, his third.
See: BayToday's 2022 Municipal Election coverage
Maggie Horsfield is among the most recent to enter the council race and says her natural energy is a trait she can guarantee far beyond the campaign.
"Whenever I interact with people, I am fully present. I really do enjoy getting to meet people to hear their stories and figure out how we can make things happen. It's sharing that energy with people who want to see things change and get involved in that change."
If change is the desired outcome, Horsfield tells BayToday, this must be accompanied by a change in who sits at the table and contributes to decisions.
"I do see that we lack diversity. We lack diverse opinions around the table. If we want to see more people getting involved in city council or any type of leadership roles, we have to not only take that jump but be the person stepping forward and volunteering ourselves to do it." Horsfield adds her council run "seems like the next step in where I want to go as a leader but also to bring people along so they can be a part of a movement, too, toward having different people around the table to represent the different viewpoints of the people of North Bay."
Horsfield explains she sees North Bay as having arrived at a crossroads. The new council needs "a clear and strong strategic plan with outcomes and measurables," to succeed and truly represent the citizens.
Michael Taylor has also thrown his hat into the council race. Taylor lists his core values as integrity, transparency, fiscal responsibility, accountability, equality, and community.
From his campaign website, Taylor asks voters to consider volunteering their time before placing their mark next to his name.
"When we work together, magic happens," he writes. "Find out how you can get involved and start making a difference. There are many ways to participate in my efforts to foster change for our city."
Eric Morgan says he has been tempted in the past to make a run but feels strongly this is the time.
"I have been giving this thought for many years and decided now it’s time to give back to the city I have lived in my whole life. Lending a new perspective and voice to city council is what I think a lot of residents of North Bay want to see, and I hope I can be that new perspective."
See also: Are you on the voters' list for municipal elections?
The municipal elections for mayor, city councillors, and school board trustees take place on October 24 and will be preceded by advance voting options and, for the first time, online voting.
