Following the municipal election on October 26, Peterborough residents have voted in five incumbent councillors and five new faces on council, in addition to the new mayor-elect Michael Eamon.
In Northcrest (Ward 5), longtime incumbent councillor Andrew Beamer was re-elected for his fifth term on council with 3,765 votes. Incumbent Dave Haacke’s choice not to run for re-election left his vacant seat the most hotly contested in the city with seven challengers. Northcrest residents ultimately voted in newcomer Charmaine Magumbe with 2,371 votes.
Before the new council is inaugurated on Thursday, November 19, kawarthaNOW asked councillor-elects in each of the city’s five wards to explain how they will take action to address the most pressing issues raised by residents during the campaign period, by asking them three questions:
- The draft 2027 budget will be presented on November 30. What are your financial priorities at this stage?
- Once council enters session, what will your priorities be and how will you take action on these?
- Throughout the campaign period, many residents identified housing shortages as a primary concern. How will you directly address the homelessness crisis?
Each councillor-elect was also asked two further questions, based on their incumbency status and previous comments made to kawarthaNOW throughout the campaign period.
Beamer prioritizes spending restraint, public safety, and infrastructure
Beamer was first elected to council in 2010 and has served as ward councillor for Peterborough’s north end for 16 years. Entering his fifth term on council, Beamer says that residents can be assured he is ready to begin work on day one and be an advocate for the residents of Northcrest.
“There won’t be a huge learning curve for me,” said Beamer in an interview with kawarthaNOW. “I’m pretty comfortable around the council horseshoe. So right from day one, I’ll be able to advocate and focus on the priorities that are important to my constituents.”
Speaking directly to his priority issues, Beamer referenced conversations he has had with residents at the door throughout the campaign period.
“My priorities will be what I heard at the door,” he said. “The residents of Northcrest spoke loud and clear that they want safe streets, public safety, a focus on infrastructure, and to rein in spending.”
Having previously said that property taxes were the biggest issue affecting Northcrest residents, Beamer remains focused on reducing the financial burden faced by homeowners.
“Many residents are struggling right now, and we need to be mindful of their ability to pay. So I’ll be a champion of that, and I’ll be very cost-conscious and tax-adverse moving forward,” Beamer said.
Beamer noted council will need to work on the upcoming budget to balance reducing the residential tax rate and focusing on the key priorities of public safety, infrastructure, and the downtown.
Beamer cautions about shelter locations while urging progress on housing developments
A key issue raised throughout the campaign period was the ongoing homelessness crisis and its effect on the city at large. Previously Beamer has been outspoken against placing shelters in Northcrest’s residential neighbourhoods based on the perceived impacts homeless shelters have had in the downtown core.
“We need to make sure when we’re focusing on homelessness that we’re keeping in mind surrounding neighbours,” Beamer said. “There’s been some significant challenges with Wolfe Street (Modular Housing Community) and Trinity (Community Hub), so we need to be very cautious where we’re putting shelters.”
When asked directly about how his position on the use of the old Fire Hall at 161 Carnegie Avenue as a shelter is representative of his wider view on addressing homelessness, Beamer said he supports homelessness services and shelters, “but we need to be mindful of where we’re putting them.”
“They can’t negatively impact residents in the area, and they have to have rules and guidelines,” he said.
Speaking further to the homelessness and housing crisis, Beamer reiterated his position on building new housing units and the need to increase city stock and supply while also noting the challenges associated with intensification in established neighbourhoods.
“Over the past term, there were some controversial housing projects, but we need to move forward with housing,” he said. “Housing not only provides housing units, but jobs and revenue that we desperately need.”
“We need to proceed with housing developments. They may not be perfect, but we can’t keep delaying and deferring housing opportunities.”
One of the controversial housing projects to which Beamer is referring is the 17-storey high-rise currently under construction beside Mark Street United Church in Peterborough’s East City, which is located in Ashburnham Ward.
In September 2025, Beamer was among the seven members of council who voted to approve a zoning by-law amendment to allow the 17-storey building — the tallest so far in the city — to move forward.
As one of the city’s two longest-serving councillors, Beamer said he is ready to build relationships with his new colleagues and work collaboratively for the people of Peterborough.
“I’m hoping to be able to work with the other 10 councillors to move the city forward,” he said. “I think that my experience will be an advantage to move the city forward.”
Magumbe ‘looking at ways the city could save money without jeopardizing any social services’
As for Magumbe, her election to city council comes after her second campaign for municipal office. In 2022, she ran in Monaghan Ward and finished in fourth place with 1,620 votes.
As a first-time councillor, Magumbe said she intends to bring a fresh perspective to the table, using her background in social justice, community organizing, and race relations. She is best known as the chair of the Community Race Relations Committee of Peterborough and the co-founder of the Afrocentric Awareness Network of Peterborough.
Speaking to her financial priorities, Magumbe summarized her position as being “looking at ways the city could save money without jeopardizing any social services.”
Previously, Magumbe identified affordability as the biggest challenge in Northcrest Ward, and she remains strong in this position following conversations with residents throughout the campaign period.
“My first priority is affordability for the City of Peterborough,” she said. “A lot of people at the doors, especially in Northcrest, were lamenting about the high taxes that they’re paying.”
Residential property taxes have increased by around seven per cent each year since 2023, which has seen significant backlash from members of the public. Magumbe said she is looking to other revenue-generating opportunities to reduce the residential tax burden that provides around 80 per cent of the city’s revenue.
“One of the ways that we could increase city funds is by municipal vacancy tax, meaning that any business and or homes that are vacant — that is, they haven’t been used in the last six months — they’re taxed one to two per cent of the value of the property.”
Magumbe looks to other municipalities, such as Toronto, Hamilton, Ottawa, and Guelph, that have implemented vacancy taxes in recent years. These programs have seen success in encouraging property owners to keep their units occupied.
CBC reported in June that, since Hamilton implemented its vacant unit tax in 2024, more than $8 million in net revenue was generated, with the funds earmarked for the city’s affordable housing funding program reserve.
Magumbe also said that she will explore opportunities to attract new businesses and investments in the city, such as through collaboration with Peterborough County and the townships of Cavan Monaghan and Havelock-Belmont-Methuen.
“We all know that they’re not happy with annexing land, so let’s see what could be done as far as getting more collaboration with them,” said Magumbe, who also sees the Peterborough Regional Airport as a major investment opportunity.
Affordable housing partnerships and community consultation among Magumbe’s priorities
Another one of Magumbe’s priorities is to leverage federal and provincial funding programs that support the development of affordable housing, including working with Peterborough MP Emma Harrison to access Build Canada Homes funding.
Magumbe said she is also looking to organizations such as Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawarthas Region and One City Peterborough, which are already working to build new residential units from family homes to condominiums to additional rental units (ARUs).
“We’re hoping something could come to fruition by working with organizations that already have that mandate to provide affordable housing,” she said.
However, Magumbe noted, alongside the need to build new residential properties it will be important to assess the needs and desires of established neighbourhood residents.
Magumbe referred to the controversial development by Brock Mission to place a new building on the Cameron House property on Chemong Road as an example of a lack of community consultation.
Outgoing mayor Jeff Leal invoked strong mayor powers to expedite the development, leading to an unsuccessful legal challenge by the resident group Northcrest Neighbours for Fair Process to overturn the decision.
“I would like to see more community engagement so that residents of Northcrest and people in Peterborough are not blindsided by developments in our city,” said Magumbe.
Given her social justice background, Magumbe also said she will explore ways to support and serve many marginalized communities. One example she gave was the need to improve transit services to better support low-income, elderly, and disabled riders who rely on public transit to get around.
