The City of Kingston will be able to vote for an incumbent for mayor in this fall’s municipal elections, as Mayor Bryan Paterson officially announced he will be running for his third term as the city’s mayor.
Mayor Paterson announced his candidacy through a press release, as well as an accompanying video on his personal Youtube page.
“In the midst of tough times, I believe we can rise to meet our challenges together,” said Paterson.
“That’s why I’ve decided to run for reelection this fall. Serious times require experienced leadership, and a track record of bringing people together and getting things done.”
In the release, Paterson outlined expanding housing options, creating new partnerships to meet community challenges, and helping ease cost of living pressures.
Though neither the release or video go into great detail about those points, the release states that the priorities will be expanded upon in the weeks leading up to the municipal election on October 24th.
Paterson’s release boasts that in his two terms he has helped to accomplish a great deal in the city, including doubling housing construction, investment in community and transitional housing, and construction of the Third Crossing Bridge.
He was first elected to Kingston city council in 2010 as a councillor for Trillium District before becoming the city’s 96th mayor in 2014, re-elected in 2018 with 69% of the vote.
During his most recent term, Paterson faced some criticism for his involvement with the Third Day Worship Centre, a local church known to spew anti-LGBTQ2 rhetoric and that has been accused of engaging in conversion therapy practices.
In September 2020, Paterson announced he was stepping away from the church after video surfaced of a pastor sharing messages deemed bigoted to his congregation, and he has denied participating in any form of conversion therapy practices.
City of Kingston Mayor, Council and School Board Trustee elections will take place on October 24, with nominations for candidates remaining open until August 19 at 2 PM.
Currently, there are no other registered candidates set to run against Mayor Paterson, while 22 candidates have registered to run for city council positions.
