Acchione re-elected as Friendly City mayor

Mayor Jerry Acchione and wife Sarah react as the election results for the City of Woodstock were posted on Oct. 26. He will serve his second term as mayor and will be sworn in on Tuesday, Nov. 17. (Ron Yuzark Photo)

Lee Griffi, Editor

While there are many familiar faces who will be serving the City of Woodstock over the next four years, two newcomers will be also be taking a seat in council chambers.

Jerry Acchione will serve his second term as mayor after defeating Anthony Scalisi by just under 1,000 votes. The Echo spoke to the mayor at Upper Thames Brewery just after the results were released.

“I feel fantastic. Having a few hundred people here, my closest friends and supporters, and every single person around those tables who helped me in some way to get to this point, I am so thankful.”

He added while it isn’t an easy job, he has more work to do.

“There are a lot of emotions, a lot of hate that comes towards the mayor. Some days have been harder than others but at the end of every single day I have been proud to serve. We have more to do – we have gotten started, and this gives me four more years now to put everything else in place.”

Acchione said the toughest task going forward will be dealing with a growing city and the growing budget that comes along with it.

“It’s the toughest part of this job. The needs and wants, some people consider what others wants are to be needs. Things like the North Recreational Facility which has a huge price tag with it, it’s got to happen some way.”

He will continue to work with the province to maximize any available funding streams to ease the burden on the taxpayers of the city.

Scalisi said while he is disappointed in the result, he is proud of the campaign he and his team ran and is grateful to everyone who supported him, volunteered, asked questions, or took the time to share their concerns.

“To those who voted for me, thank you for your trust. To those who chose another candidate, I respect your decision and appreciate that you took part in the election. I ran because I care deeply about Woodstock, and that hasn’t changed.”

He added he plans to stay engaged in local politics over the next term.

“I’ll continue following council’s decisions, speaking up on issues that matter to residents, and looking for constructive ways to contribute.”

Scalisi added two major challenges for the next council will be keeping Woodstock affordable while managing its growth.

“Residents need clear, responsible decisions about spending, and growth needs to be matched with the roads, services, recreation, and other infrastructure people rely on. Public safety and the challenges facing downtown will also need steady attention. I’d like to see the city work with residents, businesses, police, and community organizations on practical approaches that make downtown welcoming and safe while responding to homelessness and addiction with both compassion and accountability.”

Sitting City/County Councillor and Oxford County’s Deputy Warden Bernia Martin was defeated by another incumbent, Deb Tait, for the new role of Deputy Mayor/County Councillor. Tait received close to 2,800 more votes and said she was very happy and honored the voters of Woodstock elected her.

“Regardless of if anyone did or did not vote for, I represent everyone. If someone has an issue or concerns it makes no difference. we are elected to represent all in the City of Woodstock. We all have the same goal - make Woodstock a great place to live and work.”

She added her main priority is at county council-stop the large increases in spending and keep the taxes down, but the homelessness remains top of mind.

“I still hear from people everyday about it. The other is the cost of living and the increases in taxes. We have a number of issues to address while still keeping it affordable-another fire hall in the north and transit on Sundays.”

Incumbent City Councillor Mark Schadenberg was defeated by Kelly Gilson who will serve as a City/County Councillor and newly elected to City Councillor roles are Joe Brown and Wes Mazur.

Mazur, who came up short four years ago running for a council seat, said he loves the Woodstock community and has worked hard in it over the last four years.

“I am very grateful to the voters for placing their trust in me and I am looking forward to working with everyone else who was elected and I think we have a good council to look forward to.”

He added his first priority is to learn.

“I was chatting with the CAO and I asked what the first order of business will be and that will be the budget. Then I’ll roll up my sleeves and dust off my strategy plan and see what it looks like. Normally it’s a four-year plan but I think we need to look at 12 and 16 years and beyond.”

Perhaps the most disappointing part of the campaign was the voter turnout which barely cracked the 33 per cent mark. Just over 13,000 eligible voters out of more than 40,000 cast a ballot. 53.4 per cent of voters cast ballots online with 46.6 voting in person.