Elections
Municipal Election 2026
Official List of Candidates - August 24, 2026
Perth East Municipal Office Candidates:
| Mayor – 1 to be elected at large | ||||
| Name of Candidate | Date of Filing | Qualifying Address | Contact Information | Certification Status |
| Jerry Smith | May 22, 2026 | 9 Pugh St. E. Milverton | 519-595-8790 smithx6@cyg.net | Certified |
| Hugh McDermid | June 3, 2026 | 2656 Perth Line 43, Stratford | 519-274-9113 519-271-6293 hugh4mayor@outlook.com | Certified |
| Deputy Mayor – 1 to be elected at large | ||||
| Name of Candidate | Date of Filing | Qualifying Address | Contact Information | Certification Status |
| Andrew MacAlpine | June 1, 2026 | 2208 Fraser St. Shakespeare | 519-275-1617 andrewdeputy2026@gmail.com | Certified |
| Bob McMillan | August 21, 2026 | 2288 Line 45, Gadshill | 519-616-2838 mcmillan@cwisp.ca | Certified |
| Ellice Ward Councillor – 1 to be Elected | ||||
| Name of Candidate | Date of Filing | Qualifying Address | Contact Information | Certification Status |
| Matthew Livingstone | August 18, 2026 | 90 Gerber Dr. Milverton | 226-338-2825 electmatthew2026@gmail.com | Certified |
| Johanne Groenestege | August 21, 2026 | 4865 Line 39, Sebringville | 519-393-5532 519-276-7704 southviewacresltd@gmail.com | Certified |
| Milverton Ward Councillor | ||||
| Name of Candidate | Date of Filing | Qualifying Address | Contact Information | Certification Status |
| Jeremy Matheson | August 13, 2026 | 34 Pacific Ave. Milverton | 519-301-3858 jeremymatheson@hotmail.com | Certified |
| Mornington Ward Councillor | ||||
| Name of Candidate | Date of Filing | Qualifying Address | Contact Information | Certification Status |
| Tim Dowd | August 17, 2026 | 4710 Perth Line 72, Newton | 519-292-1244 | Certified |
| North Easthope Ward Councillor | ||||
| Name of Candidate | Date of Filing | Qualifying Address | Contact Information | Certification Status |
| Adam Wilhelm | August 20, 2026 | 2452 Line 40, Stratford | 519-949-8663 willyaw@hotmail.com | Certified |
| South Easthope Ward Councillor – 1 to be Elected | ||||
| Name of Candidate | Date of Filing | Qualifying Address | Contact Information | Certification Status |
| G. Bruce Holst | August 4, 2026 | 3988 James St. Shakespeare | 519-703-6054 gbruce.holst@gmail.com | Certified |
| Daryl Herlick | August 17, 2026 | 2688 Perth Line 26, Tavistock | 519-276-9627 darylherlick@hotmail.com | Certified |
| Albert Arnott | August 20, 2026 | 3989 Perth Road 107, Shakespeare | 226-666-5629 albert4pertheast@gmail.com | Certified |
| Barry Nowack | August 20, 2026 | 2204 Thompson St. Shakespeare | 519-276-9849 barrynowack@gmail.com | Certified |
School Board Trustee Candidates:
| Avon Maitland District School Board (English Public) Trustee | ||||
| Name of Candidate | Date of Filing | Qualifying Address | Contact Information | Certification Status |
| Qui Phuc Cao | August 13, 2026 | 71 Reagan St. Milverton | 519-504-2778 caoquyphuc@yahoo.com | Certified |
| Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board (English Separate) Trustee – 1 to be Elected | ||||
| Name of Candidate | Date of Filing | Qualifying Address | Contact Information | Certification Status |
| Amy Cronin | August 17, 2026 | 519-450-9158 amy@croninfamilyfarms.com | Certified | |
| Karen Doyle | August 18, 2026 | 519-272-3102 kdoyle@dol.ca | Certified | |
| Conseil Scolaire Viamonde (French Public) Trustee | ||||
| Name of Candidate | Date of Filing | Qualifying Address | Contact Information | Certification Status |
| Rachid Barrima | June 8, 2026 | London | Nomination to be certified by the Clerk/ Returning Officer of the City of London | |
| Conseil Scolaire Catholique Providence (French Separate) | ||||
| Name of Candidate | Date of Filing | Qualifying Address | Contact Information | Certification Status |
| Michael Salvatore | August 21, 2026 | Nomination to be certified by the Clerk/ Returning Officer of the City of Sarnia | ||
Information for Voters
Voting Period
Voter Assistance Centres:
Access to free internet and/or computer:
Qualified Voters must be:
– 18 years of age or older
– A Canadian Citizen
– A resident of the Township of Perth East, or an owner or tenant of land in the Township or the spouse of an owner or tenant
– Is not prohibited from voting under the Municipal Act or any other legislation.
Information for Candidates
Candidate Qualifications – Municipal Office
A candidate for municipal office must, upon nomination, be a qualified municipal elector and fulfil all of the following requirements:
- A resident of the Township of Perth East, a non-resident owner or tenant of land in the Township of Perth East, or the spouse of such an owner or tenant
- A Canadian Citizen
- At least 18 years old
- Not legally prohibited from voting
- Not disqualified by any legislation from holding municipal office
Candidates can only be nominated for one office on a municipal council or school board in the Province of Ontario at a time. If a person is nominated for a second office, the first nomination is deemed to be withdrawn.
It is the responsibility of the candidate to determine whether he or she is qualified to be elected to and hold office.
Candidate Qualifications – School Board
A candidate for school board trustee must, upon nomination, be a qualified municipal elector and fulfil all of the following requirements:
- Candidates for school board trustees must be a resident within the board area and a supporter of that board
- a supporter of the board
- A Canadian Citizen
- At least 18 years old
- Not legally prohibited from voting
- Not disqualified by any legislation from holding municipal office
Candidates can only be nominated for one office on a school board in the Province of Ontario at a time. If a person is nominated for a second office, the first nomination is deemed to be withdrawn.
It is the responsibility of the candidate to determine whether he or she is qualified to be elected to and hold office.
Nomination Process for Candidates
The nomination period for the 2026 Municipal and School Board Election is now CLOSED.
Candidates may begin campaigning, raising, and expending funds as soon as their nomination papers have been filed.
Candidate and Election Resources
Township of Perth East 2026 Municipal Election Procedures
The following are very helpful resources for anyone interested in running for Council
- The Ontario Municipal Councillor’s Guide
- Ontario Municipal Council and School Board Elections 2026 Candidates’ Guide
- AMO’s Leading with Respect Handguides
- AMO Workshop: AMO’s Healthy Democracy Leaders Series: Stronger Leaders, Stronger Communities
- AMO Workshop: Running for Municipal Office – Everything you Need to Know as an Underrepresented Candidate
- AMO Workshop: An Information Session for Youth Considering Running for Municipal Office
The following are additional resources:
- Municipal Elections Act, 1996
- Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.50
- Elections Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. E.2
- Municipal Elections Modernization Act, 2016, S.O. 2016, c. 15 – Bill 181
- Voter Identification O. Reg. 304/13
- Ontario Municipal Council and School Board Elections 2026 Voters’ Guide
- Ontario Municipal Council and School Board Elections 2026 Third-Party Advertisers’ Guide
- AMO’s Turn up the Turnout: A Resource on Voter Participation in Local Elections
- Voter Registration
- MPAC School Support Designation
Updating Your School Support
As of January 1, 2024, The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) is no longer responsible for collecting voter information for Municipal Elections. However, MPAC is required to collect school support information.
Property owners in Ontario must designate support for a school system, even if they do not have children or if their children do not currently attend school. This designation appears on your Property Assessment Notice.
You can update your school support designation through MPAC’s Online School Support Tool. To learn more about school support, visit MPAC website.
Key Dates
August 21 – November 14 – First Possible Lame Duck Period – Lame duck is in effect if less than three quarters (3/4) of the existing Members of Council seek re-election
October 19, 2026 – October 26, 2026 – Voting Period – Voting opens on October 19, 2026 at 8:30am and is open till October 26, 2026 at 8:00pm
October 26 – November 17 – Second Possible Lame Duck Period – Lame duck is in effect if less than three quarters (3/4) of existing Members of Council are re-elected
October 27, 2026 – Election Results Declared
November 17, 2026 – Inaugural Council Meeting
Compliance Audit Committee
What is a Compliance Audit Committee?
The Compliance Audit Committee (CAC) reviews requests from voters who believe a candidate or registered third-party advertiser may have broken election campaign finance rules under the Municipal Elections Act (MEA), The Committee also reviews reports from the Manager of Legislative Services/ Municipal Clerk about any contributor who may have gone over the legal limits for donations to a candidate’s campaign or to a registered third-party advertiser.
The Committee has the authority to:
- Approve or turn down a request for a compliance audit;
- Appoint and auditor to carry out the audit if a request is approved;
- Review the auditor’s or Clerk’s findings within 30 days of receiving them; and
- Decide whether to pursue legal action against a candidate, contributor, or registered third-party if a violation appears to have occurred.
2026-2030 Compliance Audit Committee
The Township of Perth East, the Township of Perth South, the Municipality of North Perth, the Municipality of West Perth, the City of Stratford, and the Town of St. Marys are working together to establish a Joint Compliance Audit Committee (JCAC).
This Committee will review candidate or registered third third-party 2026 election campaign finances. When an application is made to the JCAC, the municipality will strike a committee and invite members from a pool of accepted applicants to participate in the review of the relevant campaign finances.
Applying to be a Member
We are looking for individuals to join the 2026-2030 Joint Compliance Audit Committee membership pool for a 4-year term ending November 2030. Interested candidates who have financial, accounting, or legal expertise and knowledge of the municipal election process are invited to apply.
Applications must be submitted to the Office of the City Clerk for the City of Stratford on or before Friday August 28, 2026.
Joint Compliance Audit Committee Member Application (online application)
Joint Compliance Audit Committee Member Application (printable application)
Submitting an Application for a Compliance Audit of a Candidate's Election Campaign Finances
Submitting an Application for a Compliance Audit
- Must be submitted by an elector who is entitled to vote in the election (valid Perth East voter)
- Must have reasonable grounds to believe the candidate has contravened a provision of the Municipal Elections Act
- The application bust relate to a candidate running the applicable municipal election
- The candidate’s financial statements must already be filed before and application can be submitted
- Application concerning a candidate’s election campaign finances for Perth East must be directed to the Manager of Legislative Services/ Municipal Clerk for the Township of Perth East
Application for a Compliance Audit Must be Made Within 90 days of:
- the date the candidate’s financial statement and auditor’s report were filed;
- the candidate’s supplementary filing date, if any;
- the filing date for the final financial statement; or
- the date the candidate’s filing extension, if any, expires
What Happens After an Application for a Compliance Audit is submitted to the Township?
- Within 10 days of receiving the application, the Manager of Legislative Services/ Municipal Clerk forwards it to the Joint Compliance Audit Committee (JCAC).
- Within 30 days of receiving the application, the JCAC reviews it and decides whether to grant or reject it.
- the JCAC’s decision can be appealed to the Superior Court of Justice within 15 days, and the Court has the authority to make any decision the JCAC could have made.
- If the application is granted, the JCAC appoints an auditor – licensed under the Public Accounting Act, 2004 or otherwise a prescribed person – to carry out a compliance audit of the candidate’s election campaign finances.
- The auditor reviews the candidate’s campaign finances and prepares a report identifying any apparent contravention. This report is shared with the candidate, the applicant and the Manager of Legislative Services/ Municipal Clerk.
- Within 10 days of receiving the report, the Manager of Legislative Services/ Municipal Clerk forwards it to the JCAC. the JCAC reviews the report within 30 days and may decide to initiate legal proceedings against the candidate for any apparent contravention.
For more information on compliance audits, see Section 88 of the Municipal Elections Act.
2022 Municipal Election Results
Certified 2022 Municipal Election Results
Un-certified 2022 Municipal Election Results
Summary Table of Votes for Perth East Candidates
| Name of Candidate | Office | Votes |
| Rhonda Ehgoetz | Mayor | 1621 |
| Brenda Nurse | Mayor | 1177 |
| Hugh McDermid | Deputy Mayor | Acclaimed |
| Amanda Brodhagen | Councillor Ellice Ward | 457 |
| Barbara Smith | Councillor Ellice Ward | 249 |
| Nathen Milovancev | Councillor Milverton Ward | 117 |
| Jerry Smith | Councillor Milverton Ward | 464 |
| Philip Albrecht | Councillor Mornington Ward | 64 |
| Jeremy Matheson | Councillor Mornington Ward | 306 |
| Katie Anderson | Councillor North Easthope Ward | 169 |
| Daryl Herlick | Councillor North Easthope Ward | 234 |
| Bob McMillan | Councillor North Easthope Ward | 248 |
| Owen Baier | Councillor South Easthope Ward | 44 |
| Andrew MacAlpine | Councillor South Easthope Ward | 294 |
| Barry Ford Nowack | Councillor South Easthope Ward | 187 |
| David Briant | Trustee – Avon Maitland District School Board (English Public) | Acclaimed |
| Amy Cronin | Trustee – Huron Perth District Separate School Board (English Separate) | See Municipality of Huron East Website |
| David O’Hara | Trustee – Conseil Scolaire Viamonde (French Public) | See City of London Website |
| Sylvie C. Barbeau-Chmielewski | Trustee – Conseil Scolaire Catholique Providence (French Separate) | See City of Sarnia Website |
Contact Us
Ashley Carter
Manager of Legislative Services / Municipal Clerk
Township of Perth East
25 Mill Street East
Milverton, Ontario N0K 1M0
T.: 519-595-2800 x223
Map this Location.