Sherry Bondy will seek a second term as mayor of the Town of Essex in the upcoming municipal election scheduled for October 26, 2026. Bondy, who previously served three terms as a councillor before being elected mayor in 2022, announced her re-election bid on social media last week.
Infrastructure and Flooding as Key Priorities
Bondy stated that her focus remains on continuing work on infrastructure, addressing flooding concerns, and improving municipal services. She highlighted that one of the most significant decisions made during her current term was the review of ELK Energy Inc., the town's hydro utility, which led to a decision to divest the asset. The funds from this divestment are intended to be redirected into infrastructure and long-term capital needs.
Flooding and severe weather remain pressing issues for the town, with repeated storm events testing municipal systems. Bondy expressed a desire for a more coordinated approach in the next term, including the establishment of a dedicated flooding task force to prioritize spending and response efforts. "We have limited dollars to use them to help the most amount of people," she noted.
Improved Council Environment
Bondy described the current council term as the smoothest in recent history regarding ethics and cooperation. "This has been the smoothest term of council in recent history in ethics. We are engaged, we are getting along. We do have debates, but we've always been respectful," she said. This improved atmosphere has allowed council to focus more directly on infrastructure and service delivery.
Ongoing Projects and Future Plans
Among ongoing projects, Bondy highlighted the construction of a new town hall designed to consolidate services and improve customer experience. She also pointed to work on an affordable housing strategy and the development of a formal roads plan, which she noted had never existed in hard copy before. "We never actually had a hard copy of a roads plan before," she added.
Bondy also plans to continue supporting Essex County Library, ELK Energy's transition, and emergency medical services, particularly paramedics. "Our paramedics are really important to me," she said.
Election Details
Bondy was first elected mayor in 2022, defeating incumbent Richard Meloche by 583 votes, receiving 3,794 votes to Meloche's 3,211. Candidates have until August 21 to file for the election, which will take place on October 26.
In her announcement, Bondy expressed her love for serving the community: "I absolutely love serving the community. It's an honour and it's a privilege to do it and I would love to do it again."
