Selwyn Township deputy mayor Ron Black will be running for the top job in this fall’s municipal election.
On Thursday (April 30), the day before candidate nominations open, Black announced his candidacy for mayor of Selwyn Township.
“I’m running for mayor because Selwyn needs strong, steady leadership during this time of change,” Black said in a media release. “We need to manage growth, protect affordability, and ensure our services remain strong and sustainable.”
Noting the upcoming retirements of several of the township’s senior managers — including the chief administrative officer, treasurer, clerk, and fire chief — Black said “our community faces one of the most significant transitions in its history” and “the next mayor must be ready to lead with experience, focus, and a clear plan.”
Citing affordability as a top concern for residents, Black said he is “committed to managing property tax increases responsibly while maintaining — and where possible, improving — the services that matter most to residents and local businesses.”
A resident of Selwyn Township for 46 years, Black was a member of the former Smith Township and Smith-Ennismore-Lakefield Township councils from 1993 to 2000 and, in the early 1990s, organized residents to successfully oppose a proposed Peterborough City/County mega-dump in Smith Township.
In the private sector, Black headed Breox Medical for 11 years before selling it in 1997, worked at Medigas as manager of business development, and then worked at Praxair Canada Inc. as director of business development before retiring in 2016.
In 2018, he returned to municipal politics, running for Selwyn Township mayor but losing to incumbent Andy Mitchell. In 2022, he ran for deputy mayor and was elected.
In addition to his role as deputy mayor, he represents Selwyn Township on Peterborough County council alongside Mayor Sherry Senis.
Outside of politics, Black is a director of the Otonabee Region Conservation Authority and was recently elected chair of the board of health of Lakelands Public Health, the regional health unit formed by the merger of Peterborough Public Health and the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit.
Black is also chair of Four Counties Addiction Services Team (Fourcast), chair of the loans committee and secretary of Community Futures Peterborough, and president of Abbeyfield House Society of Lakefield, leading a 19-unit affordable seniors housing project in Lakefield.
“I have spent my career bringing people together, managing change, and achieving results,” Black said. “That’s exactly what Selwyn needs right now. I care deeply about this community, and I believe in the importance of both strong municipal leadership and giving back to the community through volunteerism.”
“I’m ready to lead, and I am asking for your support in the municipal election,” Black said, adding that he has been assembling a dedicated campaign team for his mayoral run and is “welcoming volunteers from across Selwyn Township.”
As of the date of this story, Senis has not publicly announced whether she plans to seek re-election as mayor. She has served on township council for 20 years, including eight as Smith Ward councillor, eight as deputy mayor, and the last four as mayor.
Nominations for candidates in the municipal election open on Friday (May 1) and continue until August 21, with voters heading to the polls on Monday, October 26.
