Peterborough County has recognized nine departing members of county council as the 2022-26 term comes to an end, with the October 26 municipal election resulting in significant turnover at the upper-tier council table.
The current council held the final meeting of its term on Wednesday (November 4) and included tributes to Heather Watson, Lori Burtt, Sherry Senis, Joe Taylor, Jim Whelan, Harold Nelson, Ryan Huntley, Carol Armstrong, and Jim Martin.
Nine of the 16 members of Peterborough County council will be new when the 2026-30 term begins.
Peterborough County council comprises the mayors and deputy mayors of its eight lower-tier municipalities: Asphodel-Norwood, Cavan Monaghan, Douro-Dummer, Havelock-Belmont-Methuen, North Kawartha, Otonabee-South Monaghan, Selwyn, and Trent Lakes. Every two years, one member is elected by county council to serve as warden, with the newly elected warden then choosing a councillor to serve as deputy warden.
Five of the nine outgoing members were defeated in the municipal election.
In Asphodel-Norwood, incumbent deputy mayor Lori Burtt was defeated by Tom Moher. In Cavan Monaghan, Gerry Byrne defeated incumbent deputy mayor Ryan Huntley.
Douro-Dummer will have two new representatives at county council after Peter Leahy defeated incumbent mayor Heather Watson and Samantha Turner defeated incumbent deputy mayor Harold Nelson.
In Havelock-Belmont-Methuen, David Sharpe defeated incumbent mayor Jim Martin.
Four of the nine outgoing county councillors did not seek re-election to the positions that gave them seats at the county table.
Otonabee-South Monaghan mayor Joe Taylor did not run again, with current county warden Bonnie Clark elected mayor. Clark already sits on county council as the township’s outgoing deputy mayor, while acclaimed deputy mayor Mark Allen will become the municipality’s other county representative.
North Kawartha deputy mayor Jim Whelan did not seek re-election as deputy mayor and was instead acclaimed as Ward 2 councillor. Ruth Anne McIlmoyl was elected deputy mayor and will take his place at county council.
Selwyn mayor Sherry Senis did not seek re-election, with former deputy mayor Ron Black acclaimed as the township’s new mayor. He will be joined on county council by former Lakefield councillor John Boyko, who was acclaimed as deputy mayor.
In Trent Lakes, deputy mayor Carol Armstrong ran instead for councillor at large and was elected. John Braybrook, who was acclaimed as deputy mayor, will take her seat at county council.
Along with Clark and Black, who were previously sitting on county council as deputy mayors and are now mayors, five members of the current council will remain at the table in the next term: Asphodel-Norwood mayor Patrick Wilford, Cavan Monaghan mayor Matthew Graham, Havelock-Belmont-Methuen deputy mayor Hart Webb, North Kawartha mayor Carolyn Amyotte, and Trent Lakes mayor Terry Lambshead.
They will be joined by Moher, Byrne, Leahy, Turner, Sharpe, McIlmoyl, Allen, Boyko, and Braybrook.
At the final meeting of the current council, departing members reflected on their years of public service and thanked fellow councillors and county staff.
Senis, who has served 12 years on county council, said she leaves with pride in what council has accomplished.
“Peterborough County is in the strongest position I have seen during my time at the table, thanks to the leadership of our CAO, the dedication of county staff, and the collaborative efforts of county council,” she said. “It has been an honour to serve our residents and work alongside such committed colleagues.”
Whelan thanked county staff and his council colleagues for their support and dedication during what he described as “24 memorable years.”
Taylor emphasized the collective nature of council’s accomplishments.
“Any success we have achieved has been the result of a collective effort,” he said. “Success is rarely, if ever, accomplished by one individual. More often, it is made possible through the expertise, dedication, and support of our exceptional staff, whose contributions are fundamental to everything we do.”
Clark thanked all nine departing members for their contribution to their municipalities and Peterborough County.
“Through their dedication, leadership, and commitment to public service, each of these individuals has made a meaningful contribution to their communities and to Peterborough County,” she said. “Their willingness to work collaboratively helped foster thoughtful decision-making and strengthened County governance.”
Clark said their contributions would leave a legacy for future councils.
“To each of you, thank you for your service, your leadership, and your dedication to the residents of Peterborough County,” she said.
The recognition at the November 4 council meeting did not go as planned for members of the public watching remotely.
Peterborough County said technical difficulties affected the YouTube livestream of the meeting, preventing viewers from properly seeing and hearing the proceedings. A subsequent review found the Zoom recording had also failed to capture audio or video.
The county issued the departing councillors’ written reflections after the meeting to ensure the remarks from the final meeting were not lost.
The incoming mayors and deputy mayors will form Peterborough County council for the 2026-30 term, with a new warden to be elected in December.
