Mayoral Race

Monday, 13 January 2014 06:00

Blandford Blenheim has the first confirmed mayoral race in the County

Less than two weeks into the municipal election nominations and Blandford Blenheim already has themselves a mayoral showdown.

Business owner and 14 year councillor Jeff Glendinning filed his papers for the mayoral candidacy late last week.

"It wasn't an easy but it wasn't a hard decision. I've felt that I've got 14 years of experience and have had lots of encouragement to take this next step and look forward to the next few months of campaigning."

Glendinning believes his experience as a business owner will help make him a great mayor.

"The customer is the most important and it's no different in politics. The taxpayers are the customers. They're the most important. We need, as a municipality, to be better in the sense of working with our taxpayers, helping them the best we can."

While her papers have not officially been filed, current mayor Marion Wearn says she fully intends to run for reelection and plans to file in the summer.

She believes she brings a calming influence to council meetings.

"I try to bring everyone to the table and I try to make sure that everyone has a say and that we hear from everybody. I think it's really important to get everybody's viewpoint in order to make a good decision."

Wearn says she is looking forward to building on the municipality's successes of the past four years.

"Find more efficiencies and different ways to do business so you know, we can keep the taxes down. We are very financially sound and we would like to stay that way."

She says she has known for sometime of Glendinning's mayoral aspirations.

"I think it's a good thing for the Township. I think when there is that kind of interest, I think it brings maybe some more people out to the poles. It just provide a better opportunity for people to make choices."

Prior to speaking with Heart FM Glendinning said he had no idea what Wearn's plans were.

"Whether she was or whether she wasn't wasn't going to be a deciding factor to me. I was going to be running whether she decided to or not."

Anyone else wishing to run for mayor or a council position have until September 12th to file their nomination papers.

No other papers have been filed in Blandford Blenheim at this time.

You can cast your vote October 27.