Chatham-Kent Councillor Michael Bondy. (Photo by Jaryn Vecchio)
Chatham

CK councillor announces bid to become municipality's next mayor

A current municipal councillor for Chatham-Kent is throwing his hat into the ring to become the municipality’s next mayor.

Michael Bondy spoke to CK News Today on Wednesday where he confirmed he plans to run in next year’s municipal election.

He’s currently in his fourth term as a Ward 6 councillor, representing Chatham, first being elected in 2010.

Bondy explained he wants to see new leadership on CK’s council, specifically someone who has more influence on the municipality’s administration.

“I think our administration is in too much control of the workings of the municipality,” he added.

His main issue is staffing. Bondy noted he isn’t a fan of council having no say on who the municipality hires except for the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO).

Back in December, he brought forward a motion looking to give council the final say on any non-union hire with a salary of over $50,000. It was voted down with only Councillors Ryan Doyle and Rhonda Jubenville supporting the idea.

“Council has little to no control over wages, staffing levels, and that ability is available to a mayor but it’s not being executed,” said Bondy.

He’s specifically talking about strong mayor powers, something current mayor Darrin Canniff has. With these powers, the mayor can choose a CAO and certain department heads without administration or council’s approval.

Bondy said his criticism is not an attack on Canniff, he just has a different opinion on what the mayor should be doing.

CK News Today reached out to Canniff to see whether he plans to run for a third time but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

Meanwhile, Bondy believes a big talking point ahead of the municipal election in 2026 will be de-amalgamation.

Several petitions have popped up across Chatham-Kent asking the province to let certain communities govern independently. This includes petitions in Wallaceburg, Blenheim, and Bothwell.

Bondy said he is not against amalgamation ending.

“From a councillor’s point of view, and I’ve been on council for quite a while, it seems almost crazy that I make the decisions on the goings on in Wheatley all the way to Bothwell,” he said.

In Bondy's opinion, councillors should govern for the communities they were elected in.

Bondy also understands any decision would need to come from the provincial government, but thinks there are multiple ways they could go to try and make everyone happy such as creating multiple smaller municipalities.

The next municipal election will be held on October 26, 2026.

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