Candidates quick off the mark for municipal election

May 9, 2018 · 0 Comments

By Mark Pavilons

Several residents wasted no time in filing their papers for this fall’s municipal election.
On the first day (May 1), four people registered.
First out of the gate were Mayor Steve Pellegrini and Ward 6 Councillor Avia Eek.
“It has been an absolute pleasure working collaboratively with council, staff and residents over the last eight years as mayor. We have accomplished much in that time but there is still more that I want to see through, such as completing the Official Plan update, constructing a new recreation facility in King City on Seneca lands and locating a prominent commercial head office onto our prestigious employment lands.
“I believe I have provided leadership that you can trust during my tenure; my personal commitment to you is to continue to work hard at making King the best place to live, work and play!”
Two newcomers dove into the race. Mary Asselstine of Schomberg, is running for the Ward 4 council seat. Jakob Schneider is running in Ward 3.
Schneider, 25, is a life-long resident of Ward 3. He’s been involved in the community from a young age through St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, the King Township Baseball association, as well as being a volunteer firefighter with King Fire and Emergency Services. Over the last 5 years he’s been a member of the King Accessibility Advisory Committee, as well as the York Federation of Agriculture where he sits as vice-president and a director for King.
“My passion for community involvement is ever growing. I have had interest in politics for as long as I can remember. The last term of office I attended roughly 60% of council meetings as a fly on the wall in the council chambers. Through this I gained knowledge required to be successful as a ward councillor.
“I am running for the Ward 3 councillor seat to support the improvement of road safety, improvement of roads and infrastructure within the ward, reliable and affordable internet and cell service, to support preserving our agricultural land and very importantly lead the Township to be fiscally responsible and allocate funds to the correct places.”
Councillors David Boyd and Debbie Schaefer filed May 2 and are seeking re-election. Councillor Cleve Mortelliti is also seeking re-election and he filed May 4.
“Nobleton and Laskay are truly special places to call home, and there is nothing that I enjoy more than being an active part in our community,” Boyd said. “During the past four years we have made some great strides and improvements – working collaboratively with residents, local organizations, council and staff to advance the priorities of the Nobleton and Laskay communities. I am proud of our achievements, yet there is so much more work to be done. My commitment to you is to build on the momentum we have created together as a community – and continue to listen, interact, communicate and passionately represent the needs and concerns of our residents.”
In 2014, both Mortelliti and Pellegrini were acclaimed.
Candidates require 25 signatures to endorse their candidacy. The deadline to file is Friday, July 27 at 2 p.m.
The limit for single campaign contributions has risen from $750 to $1,200.