Cobourg elects Adam Bureau as deputy mayor
By reporter Natalie Hamilton
The Town of Cobourg has a new deputy mayor for the next four years and three new members of council.
Adam Bureau, who currently serves as a councillor, was chosen for his new post (Oct. 26) following Cobourg’s 2026 municipal and school board election.
Bureau received 4,726 votes in his quest to be deputy mayor compared to his rival for the seat, Johnny Percolides, who garnered 4,133 votes.
“Cobourg voted and they picked their next council for the next four years and my hope is that we can work together and bring this community back as a whole,” Bureau told the Independent.
In the three-way race for the mayor’s seat, Lucas Cleveland received 4,524 votes, outgoing Deputy Mayor Nicole Beatty earned 3,850 votes, and 1,432 residents cast their ballots for Max LeMarchant.
Current Cobourg councillors Miriam Mutton and Brian Darling were re-elected. Mutton garnered 3,895 votes, and Darling collected 3,560 votes.
Joel Scott, a newcomer to council but not the community, was elected with the highest overall number of votes at 5,050, according to Cobourg’s official election results. Mark Mills was elected with 4,646 ballots and Randy Curtis with 3,410. They will both join Scott as the new additions in council chambers.
Current councillors Randy Barber and Aaron Burchat were not re-elected.
Overall, Cobourg was engaged for the 2026 election if the numbers are any indication. The town had a reported 19,439 eligible electors and the voter turnout was 51.1 per cent.
High engagement in this year’s election may have been an outcome of well-publicized, colourful, and at times, controversial, campaigns led by some candidates. However, the town also pushed out a steady communications effort to encourage residents to have their say on election day.
Despite winning the deputy mayoral race, just before the election, Bureau announced on Sunday (Oct. 25) that he was stepping down as chair of the Cobourg Police Service Board (CPSB) following a controversial couple of weeks leading up to the election, and amid scrutiny around past police-related financial concerns. (Note: The Independent is still working to unravel and investigate concerns raised recently.)
His current term on the board is up as of Nov. 14.
Vice-chair Sean Graham has assumed the role of acting chair until the board’s elections take place, “ensuring continuity in board leadership,” according to a recent board release.
“Serving as chair of the (CPSB) has been one of the greatest honours of my public service career,” said Bureau, in the release. “It has also been one of the most challenging and rewarding responsibilities I have ever undertaken.”
He said during his tenure as chair he had “the privilege of working alongside extraordinary people who dedicate their lives to protecting and serving our community.
“To the Cobourg Police Association and Senior Officers Association, every sworn officer, every civilian employee, and the leadership of the (CPS), thank you. Thank you for your professionalism, your dedication, your sacrifices, and your unwavering commitment to the people of Cobourg,” said Bureau.
The former chair said he has seen firsthand “the challenges you face, the pressures you carry, and the compassion you demonstrate, often when nobody is watching. Behind every uniform is a person.
“Behind every employee is a family. And behind every call for service are people who have chosen to dedicate their careers to helping others.”
Bureau thanked his fellow board members for their “commitment,” “courage” and “willingness to work through some incredibly difficult circumstances.”
The next CPSB meeting is at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10. The meeting will take place in council chambers at Victoria Hall and is open to the public. The livestream link and agenda will be posted in advance via the eScribe Cobourg website.
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