Newcomer Philip Mullis only new face on Guelph/Eramosa council

BBRUCEDALE – Guelph/Eramosa voters have spoken and they have returned all but one of the current members of council.

Newcomer Philip Mullis won the race as Ward 1 councillor and will replace current councillor Bruce Dickieson, who did not run.

Voter turnout was 36.6 per cent this year in Guelph/Eramosa, up from 28.2% in 2022, but lower than 43.9% in 2014.

Chris White was handily re-elected as mayor, receiving 2,801 votes (64.7%). His opponent Dan Kennaley received 1,526 votes (35.3%).

“I’m extremely grateful and very humbled by the vote again,” said White.

“I've been in it for a bit, so … it starts to get harder. But at the end of the day, I absolutely appreciate it, and I will do everything I can to do the best job I can for them.”

Kennaley told the Advertiser he was “disappointed by the results.”

“I'm worried that with basically the same council … being elected for another four years … I'm not holding my breath that [things are] going to change," he said.

"It needs to, but we'll have to wait and see, I guess.”

Ward races

Philip Mullis received 60.2% of votes (432) in Ward 1, defeating Jason Baldwin and Bill Weima, who received 29.7% (213) and 10.2% (73), respectively.

“I’m looking forward to getting a lot of things changed and fixed up and keeping the rural roads nice and quiet,” said Mullis, who previously ran in 2022 but was defeated by Dickieson.

“Thank you, everybody, for your support, and we look forward to working with everybody and listening to everybody’s input."

In Ward 2, incumbent Corey Woods (421 votes or 60.7%) has been re-elected in over Jason Peart (273 or 39.3%)).

Steven Liebig (860 votes for 60.5%) dominated the race in Ward 3 over Tara Groves-Taylor (400 or 28.2%) and Lisa Logan-Dayman (161 or 11.3%).

In Ward 4, incumbent Mark Bouwmeester garnered 758 votes (50.7%), defeating Mark Montgomery, who had 452 votes (30.2%), and Bree Wilson, who had 286 (19.1%).