Essex Municipal Politics: Bondy Secures Second Term

Essex voters confirmed their support for incumbent Mayor Sherry Bondy on Monday, returning her to the municipal chair for a second consecutive term. The election marked the conclusion of a four-year period during which Bondy, formerly the Ward 4 councillor from 2010 to 2022, sought to extend her mandate as the municipality's executive leader. Unofficial results indicate a decisive outcome for the sitting mayor.

Bondy accumulated 5,288 votes, while challenger Trevor Menard received 2,206. This margin of 3,082 votes reflects a clear preference for the incumbent over the opposition candidate in the general election. The results were tallied as part of the broader municipal race that determined the composition of the new Essex council.

In remarks following the vote, Bondy attributed her victory to the administrative record established during her first term. She stated that the campaign was not defined by the final six weeks of campaigning but by the preceding four years of governance. "People are seeing that this term of council, we’ve worked hard. We’ve pinched pennies, we’ve invested in infrastructure," Bondy said, adding that this effort paid off on election night.

The elected mayor expressed intent to address resident concerns immediately upon taking office. She described the upcoming council composition as a blend of new and experienced voices, noting that the new body achieves gender parity. "It’s kind of unheard of in Essex County," Bondy said, emphasizing the mix of fresh perspectives and established experience at the table.

Deputy Mayor Rob Shepley secured re-election to serve alongside Bondy. In the ward-level races, Katie McGuire-Blais and Joe Garon won the two seats in Ward 1, while Kim Verbeek won the seat in Ward 2. Bill Baker and Ron Rogers captured the two councillor positions in Ward 3. Rachael Mills won the single seat in Ward 4, which had previously been held by the now-mayor.

Several sitting councillors lost their seats in the election. Ward 3 councillor Jason Matyi and Ward 4 councillor Rodney Hammond were among the incumbents unseated by voters. These results finalize the membership of the new Essex council, which is set to begin its next legislative term.