Brogan Aylward appointed deputy mayor for third-straight year

Deputy mayor appointed by council each year

Coun. Borgan Aylward has been appointed by St. Marys council as deputy mayor for the third year in a row.

By Galen Simmons, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

For the third year in a row, St. Marys council has appointed Coun. Brogan Aylward – the youngest member of council – as deputy mayor.

Aylward was nominated by Coun. Marg Luna during council’s regular meeting Dec. 9, a nomination accepted by Aylward and unanimously supported by the rest of council. In accordance with the town’s procedure bylaw, the deputy mayor is not a publicly elected position. Instead, council is responsible for nominating and appointing a councillor to serve as deputy mayor at the end of each year.

“I’d like to nominate Coun. Aylward once again as deputy mayor,” Luna said. “I believe he’s represented (the mayor) well in the past two years when needed and represented council and the town very well at public meetings, and has done a great job.”

In St. Marys, the deputy mayor presides over any meeting of council in the absence, ineligibility or incapacity of the mayor. The deputy mayor also represents the mayor and council at public and other events when the mayor is unavailable.

Speaking with the Independent after his appointment as deputy mayor, Aylward said he is humbled by his colleagues’ confidence in him as a representative of both council and the town, and he is honoured to continue serving as deputy mayor.

“I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for my colleagues. I’ve learned a great deal from the other councillors and Mayor (Al) Strathdee over the last three years,” he said. “ … I enjoy being a sort of lightning rod for the community. When folks have concerns or questions, I love having those discussions. Often, I’ll learn something myself when following up with staff.

“The deputy mayor position has allowed me more chances to have those conversations; more chances to serve the community that I love so much. I feel very fortunate to be a part of something that I am so passionate about.”

Aylward said serving as deputy mayor for the past two years have given him a unique insight into the responsibilities that go with serving as a head of council.

“You have to know your procedure well to chair meetings,” he said. “Guiding an effective discussion is necessary when there are long agendas. When bringing greetings from the town at events, you represent something much greater than yourself. There is a necessity to hold yourself to a higher standard. I’ve really enjoyed the way the position has pushed me to be a better representative.”

Looking ahead to the final year of this term of council, Aylward said he is excited to finalize some of the larger projects he and his council colleagues have led and overseen over the past three years. He said he is confident the current council can leave the town in a good place and make the transition as smooth as possible when a new council is sworn in next November.

“As a first-term councillor, this has been a very special experience to me. I can’t overstate my gratitude to the community and council for the opportunities that I’ve had. I hope to continue to support the Town of St. Marys moving forward.”

Aylward’s third term of deputy mayor will span from Dec. 10, 2025, to Nov. 14, 2026.