Valley voters have spoken, and the trend across many municipalities shows a preference for experience over change for area residents.
New mayors were elected in just three Valley municipalities where there was an actual race. Nine mayors were elected without opposition, and voters returned four mayors to their posts for an additional term.
The only municipality to buck this trend was Ormstown, where an entirely new council will soon be sworn in after candidates with the “United for our Community” team swept all seven positions. Mayoral candidate Philippe Besombes was elected in a decisive victory over the outgoing mayor, Christine McAleer, with 86.45 per cent of the vote. The participation rate was 37.23 per cent, which is slightly higher than the 34.95 per cent recorded in 2021, but short of what campaign organizers had been anticipating.
In a statement issued shortly after the results were announced, Besombes said he was honoured by the trust that the citizens of Ormstown have placed in his team. He congratulated all the candidates on a well-run campaign. “Running for local office requires courage, time, and passion. I would like to thank all those who invested themselves in this election; it is thanks to this commitment that our municipal democracy remains strong,” he said.
Yves Métras was elected for a second term as mayor of Franklin with 64.5 per cent of the vote over former mayor Douglas Brooks. The slate of candidates running as part of Team Métras were all elected, including several councillors. The participation rate in Franklin was significantly lower in this election, dropping from 51.77 per cent in 2001 to 38.69 per cent.
Former Godmanchester councillor Judith Fouquet will now be the mayor of that municipality after receiving 65.71 per cent of votes cast over her opponent, Donald Joannette. The election took place in the shadow of allegations of a toxic work environment between municipal employees and members of the previous council. The municipality was placed under trusteeship by the Commission Municipal du Quebec in March 2023. This was lifted in October; however, an October 31 press release issued by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) suggests the work climate did not improve over this time.
Municipal employees resorted to joining CUPE at the end of 2024 in what the union referred to as a “move that reflects a growing need for protection and representation.” Bargaining over a collective agreement began in May, with talks currently at a standstill until a representative for the employer is named.
Despite this, all four councillors running for re-election in Godmanchester were returned by voters for an additional four years, with a participation rate of 43.75 per cent.
Another potentially contentious election took place in Saint-Chrysostome. The new mayor, Sylvain Payant, was elected without opposition; however, all but one council seat was up for election. The municipality has been managed temporarily by the Commission Municipal since July, when four councillors suddenly resigned over allegations of mismanagement by the municipal council following an investigation by the Direction des Enquêtes et des Poursuites en Intégrité Municipale (DEPIM) into a harassment complaint filed by one employee against another. Only Mario Henderson and Suzan Demers will return for another term from the previous council.
Former councillor Patrice Rose was elected in Howick with 62.93 per cent of the vote over Mario Duhaime. Voter turnout in Howick was high compared with other area municipalities at 54.31 per cent.
There will be no change behind the mayors’ desks in Hemmingford, as longtime Village mayor Drew Somerville was elected with a commanding 81.32 per cent of the vote over challenger Eric Schultz. Township mayor Lucien Bouchard was returned for a second term after receiving 76.22 per cent of the vote over André Tremblay. The participation rate was 36.52 per cent in the Village and slightly lower at 30.6 per cent in the Township.
Mayor Jean-François Gendron was re-elected in Saint-Stanislas-de-Kostka, where he received 73.45 per cent of the vote over Francis Legault. Voter turnout there was 45.63 per cent.
Mayors Deborah Stewart, Mark Wallace, Hélène Lavalée, Agnes McKell, and Yves Daoust were all returned to their posts for an additional term without opposition in Elgin, Hinchinbrooke, Havelock, Très-Saint-Sacrement, and Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague respectively. New mayors Daibhid Fraser, Sylvie Tourangeau, and Daniel Pinsonneault were elevated by acclamation from their previous roles as councillors in Dundee, Saint-Anicet and Sainte-Barbe.