With the nomination period for the October 26 municipal election having closed on August 21, Peterborough County voters are looking for answers from the now-certified candidates for council.

Residents of the eight municipalities that form Peterborough County — Township of Asphodel-Norwood, Township of Cavan Monaghan, Township of Douro-Dummer, Township of Havelock-Belmont-Methuen, Township of North Kawartha, Township of Otonabee-South Monaghan, Township of Selwyn, and Municipality of Trent Lakes— will be voting for members of their lower-tier councils whose leadership makes up the membership of county council.

In the multi-part series of stories, kawarthaNOW asked candidates to introduce their campaigns by answering the question “Why are you running for council and what makes you a unique candidate?” and has published their responses verbatim. This series will present candidate responses by municipality.

The Township of Asphodel-Norwood’s council comprises a mayor, deputy mayor, and three councillors elected at large.

Incumbent members running for re-election are mayor Patrick Wilford, deputy mayor Lori Burtt, councillor Barry Walsh, and councillor Paula Warr.

Incumbent councillor Stephanie Hodge-Greaves will challenge Wilford for the mayor’s seat, along with former mayor Rodger Bonneau, Jesse Savary, and Robert (Bob) Tytko. Tom Moher is challenging Burtt for the deputy major position.

Along with incumbents Walsh and Warr, candidates for the three councillor positions are Trever Donnelly, Cory Kozmik, Joseph (Joe) Maddison, and Alison Westrop.

kawarthaNOW did not receive responses before publication from any of the seven candidates for mayor or deputy mayor or from Warr or Westrop. Savary and Westrop both provided responses after publication, which have been added to the story. Deputy mayor candidate Tom Moher provided a response after publication, which has been added to the story. The story will be updated if any other responses are provided.

Mayor

Jesse Savary

I’m running for mayor because people are hurting right now, including people who never thought they would be. These aren’t normal times. A township can’t fix everything, but it can move quickly, be straight with people, and finish what it starts.

I moved here about ten years ago, when my mother relocated for work. Neighbours brought treats by, someone left a card welcoming us to the neighbourhood, and we were never made to feel like outsiders. But there was nothing here for me, and I couldn’t see a future for myself, so when a job came up in London I took it. I missed this community, and I was only able to come back because I work for myself now. Most people don’t get that. People should be able to stay here, whether they’re just starting out or growing old.

I build software for a living, and I run the whole business for the people I work for. That means I don’t get to hand off the hard part. I’ve been reading Asphodel-Norwood’s council packages the same way I read a project I’m on the hook for. I look for what was promised, what got done, and what slipped to next year. Residents should be able to see that too.

I never pictured myself in politics. But people are hurting, and I’m done waiting for someone else to do something about it.

Deputy Mayor

Tom Moher

I am running for Deputy Mayor because I believe we need continued improvement. I view the position to be an opportunity to utilize my 25 years of leadership experience to ensure balanced development that doesn’t overburden infrastructure, build on community initiatives and events to generate greater economic prosperity for local businesses while protecting our agricultural heritage and finally provide strong financial oversight, planning and transparency to our residents.

I am a unique candidate because of my extensive leadership experience, my history of service to others and my strong financial acumen. I was fortunate to have a career that spanned across twenty five years in leadership roles that included Director of Real Estate and Business Development, Vice President of Operations and Vice President of Sales across the Retail, Consumer Packaged Goods and Security Industries. Born and raised on a farm in Peterborough County, specifically Douro Dummer Township, I was taught to serve others. I have over 15 years of combined volunteer Board and Committee experience across cancer support organizations, retail industry associations, the Asphodel Norwood Police Services Board and the Asphodel Norwood Business Advisory Committee. I also have a strong financial background gained through my real life work experience and education. I am proud to be a Certified Professional Accountant (CPA) and hold a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Queens University.

I consider myself incredibly fortunate to be a resident of Asphodel Norwood after an early retirement from my many leadership roles. I have the time, I have the skills and I want to see our Township prosper.

Councillor

Trever Donnelly

I’m running for council as politics has always been a deep interest of mine since first learning about politics in grade 6, I follow and stay as current as I can on all levels of politics, whether it be federal, provincial, or municipal. I’m proud to call Asphodel-Norwood home. Being a new family man, I want to see this community continue to be a safe and prosperous area for everyone.

What makes me a unique candidate is my age, work experience and campaign platform. I’m 32 years old. Most people we see in municipal office are 50 years of age and up. I believe it’s time for municipal politics to get some “fresh blood” in. Depending on peoples age, their wants and needs from a township change. I feel the 25-35 age bracket is always underrepresented and I want to change that. As for my work experience, I’m a blue collar worker, not a white collar worker. I have been in the heavy truck repair industry for 14 years now. Sometimes blue collar workers see life and issues in different perspectives than other people.

As for my platform, I don’t have a concrete campaign platform, It would be arrogant of me to come in promising sunshine and rainbows, talking about all of the things I want to do and change. I want to hear from the taxpayers of Asphodel-Norwood, Things they are happy with and what needs to change or be improved.

Cory Kozmik

I am a mother, the partner of a dairy farmer, and a professional in the field of lands governance. With a diverse education, versatile skills and experience, I have worked in the fields of research, conservation, business and development. From homes, roads and bridges to billion-dollar energy infrastructure, I have informed projects where growth and sustainability can successfully exist together.

Current governance and decision-making frameworks would benefit from new perspectives, broad-based skillsets, strong leadership and a resilience to pressure. Removing the people from decision-making erodes the very meaning of democracy, and governance should be transparent, accessible, and informed by our communities, who are the very fabric of what our towns represent.

Growth and progress can be achieved when done in a strategic, community-centric and balanced way, and when planning with future generations in mind. How we define assets carries great responsibility. They are far more than what we can build, sell or extract. They are knowledgeable people, agricultural communities, and the ecological systems we rely on to keep our towns healthy, fed, safe and resilient. They all deserve to be considered in balanced decision-making.

Current goals should never limit goals of the future, and ensuring future generations have a strong, healthy and functioning landscape to support those goals should be paramount in all decision-making. With my education, experience, and a well-rounded perspective, I bring an unwavering commitment to do right by those I represent. I am running to effect change, and improve the space for community, farmers, and future generations to inform how decisions are made. My goal is to ensure that no one gets left behind in the name of “progress.”

Joseph Maddison

As a life long resident, with all my family and friends within a stones throw away, this town means everything to me.

I believe growing up here, from pre school to high school as well as having my “career” in hockey and baseball for Norwood really helped shape the man I am today. I can still remember all of my teachers names as well as having close relationship with former coaches who have become friends.

Being a member of the Norwood Lions cemented my commitment to making our community the best it can be.

I’m running for council after some serious thought, because it is not a small choice. You have to be dedicated, thoughtful and be willing to listen to all the concerns of your community. Over the last year and a half I have had several people suggest that I would be an ideal candidate for the position. Truly, it wasn’t on my to do list until these citizens convinced me. From there the idea took hold and now I’m giving it all my effort.

I believe that I’m unique because all of my life, Norwood has grounded me and filled me with pride. My family have been here for generations and I want to help lead our town into whatever the future may hold.

I know what struggle is. I’ve seen hard times. I still work full time and I know that a paycheck only goes so far.

I want to make life easier for our residents. It won’t be easy. It will take hard work and tough decisions I believe. I feel like I am the person to help my fellow councillors, deputy mayor and mayor with the choices we have to make.

I’m looking forward to serving my community. I believe a life of service to others, helping when and there you can is very rewarding.

This is why I want to be part of the team that helps Norwood/Asphodel become even more successful than it already is.

Barry Walsh (incumbent)

At the heart of my campaign is a commitment to continuing to deliver valued services and programs to our community in a fiscally responsible manner.

I will work collaboratively with Council to strengthen relationships with federal and provincial representatives and pursue the funding needed to support essential infrastructure upgrades supporting continued housing growth, and ongoing incremental support for our new medical center.

We will continue investing in improvements to our extensive road network to better serve residents and enhance everyday travel throughout the community.

I consider myself a strong listener who is focused on building meaningful relationships with residents and ensuring every voice is heard.

I bring flexibility, experience, and a steady commitment to meeting the challenges and opportunities ahead.

We have accomplished a great deal — not because of one person, but because people worked together with a shared vision. I hope to continue being part of that progress and to keep serving our great, growing community.

Alison Westrop

I am running for council because I believe local government should be about discussion, argument and ultimately making good decisions for the community.

I will have an opinion about almost everything that comes before council. Sometimes it will come from my own experience, sometimes from what I jokingly call “Granny research”, and from reading the data and doing the homework. What I cannot claim is that I will know everything about every issue. No councillor can.

What I can promise is that I will study the information, form an opinion, argue for it and be prepared to be persuaded by the other councillors or experts in the room with me. And if my position doesn’t carry the day, I will still do my best to make the decision work for the best possible result for the community.

I think that is what representation means. Residents choose their representatives; they don’t get to make every decision themselves. They have to trust that their councillors have listened, considered the competing interests and then exercised good judgement.

I am relatively new to Asphodel-Norwood. Therefore, I am getting to know the Township by driving its roads and concessions and visiting its different areas. It is creating questions. For instance, what are we doing for the adolescent population on the north side of Highway 7?

I care deeply about the environment. Someone else may care more about roads, taxes, development or recreation. That’s fine. You don’t need everyone to care about the same set of issues. It is that diversity that leads to broader and more balanced consideration of the issues confronting the Township.

It is a group endeavour, not a monarchy.

kawarthaNOW has reproduced written responses from candidates verbatim. Any errors, factual or otherwise, or any use of AI-generated content originate with the candidate.

This story was updated on August 29 with a response from mayoral candidate Jesse Savary.

This story was updated on September 1 with a response from councillor candidate Alison Westrop.

This story was updated on September 4 with a response from deputy mayor candidate Tom Moher.