Windsor’s mayor is encouraging more people to run for city council in the upcoming municipal election. Following Monday’s council meeting, Drew Dilkens addressed the lack of candidates that have filed their nomination papers. As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, two people have filed their nomination papers for the mayor’s office, while 17 people have filed to seek one of the ten ward seats on council, which includes three incumbents-Ward 7’s Angelo Marignani, Ward 8’s Gary Kaschak, and Ward 10’s Jim Morrison. No one has filed to seek the seat in Ward 9 at this point. Ward 6 councillor Jo-Anne Gignac announced this past Monday that she would not seek re-election after 23 years of serving on the council. Dilkens says there are a couple reasons why someone might not run for city council, including that they believe things are going well or they just don’t want the hassle. He points out that the city is quickly becoming a $1.3 billion organization. “We have many business lines, and we have 3,000 employees. It is a complex organization that needs smart people to be around the table, a diversity of opinion, and a diversity of thought. We need women to run and step up and be part of this process as well because they bring a different perspective than a man does to the decision making,” he says. Dilkens says they need lots of people to step up who are qualified, not just someone who says they’re a community-minded activist. “It has to be someone who has skills, who knows how to ask the right questions, and isn’t afraid to get in the mud to try and stir things up and get an answer,” he says. “Ultimately you need smart people to be around the table, people who are passionate but also who bring a level of intelligence and expertise to the organization.” As for his own political future, Dilkens says he’s committed to being mayor until the last minute. “Does it look like I’m taking my foot off the gas or that I’m not really interested in this? It probably doesn’t look that way. I love what I do, and I love the direction that we’re headed. I know the instant I say anything, all of a sudden everything is framed in ‘He’s only doing that because he’s running.’ It becomes a political calculus,” he says. Candidates have until August 21 to file nomination papers with the municipal election set to take place October 26.
