Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson seeks re-election for fourth term

Kingston, Ontario – Mayor Bryan Paterson, the city's longest-serving mayor, has officially announced his bid for a fourth term in the upcoming municipal election. Paterson, who has led the city since 2014, stated that his decision to run again is driven by the current pivotal moment for the community and the need for experienced leadership.

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I think my decision is very much predicated on the pivotal moment that we see as a community right now.

While emphasizing experience, Paterson also stressed that his platform is not about maintaining the status quo. "The platform that I’m putting forward and the leadership that I’m offering is not just building on what we’ve already, but it absolutely is pivoting, it’s absolutely embracing new approaches, so there absolutely will be change," he said. His campaign aims to blend continuity with a forward-looking vision for Kingston.

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So I think that that’s what speaks to, in my view, the need for experience and leadership.

Paterson faces a growing field of challengers. Vanessa Mensah, the city's Manager of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, is running on a platform focused on public safety, responsible spending, and creating a city where residents can thrive. "We want safe neighbourhoods, we want to know that we’re spending our money properly," Mensah stated, highlighting her commitment to the well-being and financial prudence of the city.

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The platform that I’m putting forward and the leadership that I’m offering is not just building on what we’ve already, but it absolutely is pivoting, it’s absolutely embracing new approaches, so there absolutely will be change.

Another candidate, Stephen Cuthbertson, plans to leverage his background in construction to address what he identifies as Kingston's most significant challenge: housing affordability. "The focus of my platform is housing and housing development. First of all, housing affordability is arguably the biggest thing Kingston faces -- as far as the problem, it’s one of the leading things driving homelessness," Cuthbertson explained. City councillor Conny Glenn and Grant William Bedard have also declared their intentions to run. Candidates must file their nomination papers by August 21 for the October 26 election.

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We want safe neighbourhoods, we want to know that we’re spending our money properly.