London, Ontario, District 5 Ward. Maureen Cassidy says she will not seek a third term in the city’s upcoming municipal election.
Cassidy shared the news via a post on her Twitter account on Friday, describing the move not to seek re-election as “a difficult decision because I know all too well the exciting possibilities as well as the sobering challenges we face as a city.” .
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“In truth, I feel a strong desire to move on, to keep working at the Council table, to keep working to make London the best it can be, to ensure we serve all Londoners, especially those whose voice is not often heard, those who sit on the fringes and are sometimes overlooked,” Cassidy added.
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“But for democracy to be effective, for the city council to function as it should, it is necessary to hear new perspectives and viewpoints. Regular turnover is healthy and necessary for our democracy.”
pic.twitter.com/GZfCeVZPYL
— Maureen Cassidy 🇺🇦 (@MaureenPCassidy) August 19, 2022
Cassidy received more than 50 percent of the vote in her first election in 2014.
The Ward 5 councilwoman was appointed deputy mayor during her first term and later became embroiled in a municipal scandal after she and then-mayor Matt Brown admitted to having an affair.
Cassidy was re-elected in 2018 during a race in which she was the target of an attack website created on her behalf, which was flagged with personal attacks and derogatory and misleading statements. Court documents surrounding the incident later linked the website attacking Cassidy to her then-competitor Randy Warden.
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In an interview with Global News, Cassidy said she began considering not seeking re-election about a year ago, but was conflicted after certain issues in the time since were highlighted, including the attention brought on by The Forgotten 519 was directed to hitting the local homelessness.
“There was still that pull, that pull towards service and duty, because I know these things are so important and it will be important to have experienced voices at the table as well. It caused me to go back and forth for a long time,” Cassidy said.
As well as serving and chairing a number of council committees, Cassidy was also a member of the London Police Services Board and also chaired the health committee of the Middlesex-London Health Unit. She said some of her favorite memories come from interacting directly with voters.
“When I was holding ward council meetings or just hanging out with them at neighborhood events and things like that, I really liked that local connection that I feel is missing at other levels of government,” Cassidy added.
Cassidy said she was concerned that London’s local elections could be prone to voter apathy, particularly after turnout in the province of Ontario had historically low turnout. This year’s local elections attracted significantly fewer candidates compared to previous years.
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“I’m sad not to see many female contestants and people from all backgrounds,” Cassidy said.
“I can’t always imagine what it’s like to be in the shoes of an Indigenous person or a person of color, a person from the black community, a person from the LBTQ community… It’s so important, directly from so many different people to hear voices.”
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Cassidy has not yet decided what she will do after her time at Parish Council is up, but said she hopes “to find meaningful work where I can help make a difference in the lives of Londoners”.
As for the new voices and perspectives she hopes to bring to the table, Cassidy advises, “It’s not as hard as some people would like you to believe.”
Jerry Pribil and Connor Pierotti are the only two candidates running to represent Ward 5 in the upcoming election as of Friday morning.
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Fewer candidates are running in the Toronto municipal elections
Fewer candidates are running in the Toronto municipal elections
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
