Full slate running for councillor, mayor

Jeff Helsdon, Editor

With nominations to run for Tillsonburg council closing last Friday, voters will have many choices in the upcoming election.

The official closing time for potential candidates to file their papers was 2 p.m. on Friday, August 21. Later that day, the town’s clerk – who oversees the election – released the final list.

The candidates, listed as they appear on the website, are incumbent Deb Gilvesy and first-time councillor Kelly Spencer for mayor. Twelve people, also listed in the order papers were filed, are vying for six positions on Tillsonburg council: Dave Beres, Lindsey Ambrus Mejaski, Ron Gasperatto, Chrissy Rosehart, Deanna Tosto, Katherine Englander, Clayton Curtis, Chris Parker, Felix Nonso Nzemeka, Kim Sage, Stephen Molnar and John Gilvesy.

Council members choose Tillsonburg’s deputy mayor after the election. Beres, an eight-term councillor who served as interim mayor for six months after a past mayor stepped down, was chosen for the last term.

Parker and Rosehart are the other incumbents hoping to regain their seats. Rosehart has been a council member for 28 years, and Parker has served two terms. With Bob Parsons and Pete Luciani not running again, and Spencer running for mayor, three new councillors will be elected if all incumbents win their seats again.

University of Western Ontario’s Martin Horak, Associate Professor and Director at the school’s Center for Urban Policy and Local Governance, told Grant Haven Media’s Lee Griffi many smaller municipalities in Ontario and Quebec see incumbents re-elected on a regular basis, and they are often acclaimed as no one runs against them. He added anyone attempting to defeat an incumbent may need to get their chequebook out.

“It doesn’t matter if (incumbents) spend money or not; they have the same likelihood of winning again. For non-incumbents, the spending can make a difference. It doesn’t necessarily overcome the incumbency advantage. Still, to win, non-incumbents do have to spend money and mobilize volunteers, whereas those in office can usually coast into re-election,” he said.

In the interview, Horak also said many incumbents are acclaimed in smaller municipalities. That is not the case in Tillsonburg, and with twice as many candidates as seats, there could be stiff competition.

The Post has run profiles of candidates as their names were posted on the town’s website as certified candidates. The three who registered in the last week will be featured in next week’s paper. Watch upcoming editions for more in-depth from the candidates on the issues.

School board

Thames Valley District School Board incumbent Oxford County trustee is being challenged by Benjamin Lampkin for the position. Mary Holmes was acclaimed as the Oxford trustee for London District Catholic School Board.

Tillsonburg residents can vote for either public or separate school trustees, dependent on which board they are supporting through their taxes.

Voters need to register

Voting for town council and the county’s school board representatives is done online or by telephone. There are no paper ballots, and this practice has been used for the last several elections.

As part of the security protocol, voters must have a PIN to vote. Pins are sent out by mail to those on the voter’s list at the end of September.

Citizens must fill out a form to be added to the voters’ list and vote. The form is on the town’s website under the 2026 Municipal Election heading and the “How do I register to vote” subheading. Citizens can also come into the municipal office to fill out the form.

Although the deadline is Sept. 7 to fill out the form and receive a PIN by mail, Manager of Legislative Affairs/Clerk Trisha McKibbin said registration will be accepted “right up to and including election day.”

To confirm you are on the voter’s list, or to ask questions about the registration process, citizens can email clerks@tillsonburg.ca or call 519-688-3009.