Two-way race for next mayor of Essex in full swing

The two way race for the mayor’s chair in the Town of Essex is in the home stretch as incumbent Richard Meloche and candidate Sherry Bondy continue to campaign.

As the Oct. 24 election draws near, both mayoral candidates indicate enthusiasm is high amongst voters.

“The response on the doorstep is amazing,” Bondy tells CTV News Windsor. “Me and my team, we are super pumped, like we are we are ready. And this has been an excellent campaign, a very strong campaign right from the start.”

Among the top priorities according to Bondy remain broadband internet infrastructure, a roads plan, paved trails, debt management and improving council and community relations.

“You can have the status quo, or you can have somebody that has experience and energy,” Bondy says. “I have 12 years experience, I have a lot of energy, and I'm young, so that's kind of an anomaly in municipal politics to have all that in one candidate.”

Bondy continues, “I want to operate the mayor's seat different than how it has been in the past. I want to be a working mayor for council and the community. By council I mean making sure that councillors [and] their initiatives brought forward to the council chamber actually get executed and completed.”

Campaign signs for incumbent mayor of Essex Richard Meloche and candidate Sherry Bondy is seen on Oct. 19, 2022. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor)

The three-term councillor adds, “The most important thing I'd like to see in this election is high voter turnout, right? This is an election where, you know, I fought in the in the previous term to make sure that democracy was protected. There are still some issues this election that we have to revisit, writing the bylaws going forward, but generally speaking, it's been a pretty fair election.”

Meanwhile, Meloche is vying to retain the seat he was appointed to last January following the resignation of former mayor Larry Snively.

“I just keep pounding on doors every day and just doing what I can,” Meloche says. “I think as far as integrity goes, it's been pretty straightforward this election. We got the whole proxy issue figured out. It's much more intense this time and the clerk's department has a greater grasp of what's going on with proxy votes.”

Meloche previously served as deputy mayor for 15 years, indicating he would run for the mayor’s seat following retirement from full-time work at Hiram Walker.

Incumbent Essex Mayor Richard Meloche, as seen on Oct. 19, 2022 ahead of the municipal election. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor)

“At the deputy mayor and mayor's role, you've already got that proven track record of being a leader in the community and pushing things forward,” he says.

He continues, “So this is a good opportunity for me. Looking forward to the next four years. I think this is a good time for the Town of Essex and the region. In all honesty with the EV plant coming in and the brand new hospital coming up soon, there's going to be a lot of build going on and a lot of good jobs coming this way.”

The incumbent says he wants to bring a town ambassador program and Transit Windsor bus route to the rural community, suggesting it would benefit a large portion of the town’s residents.

“We've got about 40 per cent of the population of the Town of Essex that would be affected by putting a transit line that went up Walker Road all the way through McGregor, Paquette Corners, Harrow and then travel down Erie Road to Colchester,” he explains.

Melcohe adds, “It gives a lot of people an opportunity to get into the city for jobs, gives seniors an opportunity to get out to doctor's appointments in the city. A lot of times right now they're just not taking those appointments because they don't want to drive in the city.”