AMHERST – There will be a race for mayor in Amherst.
Former town councillor Wayne Bishop will face sitting mayor Robert Small for Amherst’s top elected position when voters cast ballots in the Oct. 20 municipal election.
Bishop, who served for several years on Amherst town council in the 1990s, has also been active with the Amherst Ramblers hockey club and Trinty-St. Stephen’s United Church and is a volunteer with Tantramar Community Radio.
Small, who was also a town councillor in the 1990s, was elected mayor in 2008, defeating longtime councillor Ed Chitty. Small has been active in minor hockey and the Amherst Lions Club and works at IMP Aerospace Components.
On the council side, five of the six incumbent councillors are reoffering, including George Baker, Robert Bird, Dale Fawthrop, Dave March and Terry Rhindress. Robert Angel announced a couple of months ago that he is retiring from municipal politics.
Joining them on the ballot are former ARHS principal Frank Balcom, retired town CAO Ed Childs, environmental writer Lisa Emery and Art Marks.
Incumbent David Myles and challenger Richard Allen are running for the town’s representative on the Chignecto-Central Regional School Board.
There will be six elections in the Municipality of Cumberland.
Longtime councillor and former warden Gerald Read is facing competition from Don Smith, Marilyn Thompson and Edith Helm in District 1, while in District 3 Warden Keith Hunter is facing competition from Joe O’Byrne.
In District 5, former District 4 councillor Kathy Langille is running against Lynne Welton, the widow of longtime councillor and former warden Ralph Welton. Incumbent Kathy Redmond is facing a challenge from Bill Baker in District 6 while Dan Rector, Kelly Milner and former Oxford mayor Bill Park are running in District 7.
Incumbent John Reid is facing competition from Mike McLellan in District 9.
John Kellegrew in District 2, Al Gillis in District 4, Ernie Gilbert in District 8 and Ratchford Merriam in District 10 will be re-elected by acclamation.
Margie Nicholson is running in school board district four, Mackie Ross will be acclaimed in school district 2 and Adam Davies and Bernice Vance are running in school district 3.
In Springhill, incumbent mayor Allen Dill will face competition from Max Snow and David Wyatt.
On council, Doug Dobson and Jack MacDonald are seeking re-election, while Lance Lockwood, Harold Delaney and Darrell White are running for the four council seats.
Lloyd Jenkins is seeking re-election as mayor of Oxford, but faces competition from Trish Stewart and Arnold MacDonald.
Wade Adshade, Paul Jones, Peter Swan and Dawn Thompson are seeking re-election to council while Allison Draper, Darlene Ellis, Tom Kay, Barry Patriquin, Wendy Turpin and Patricia Weatherbee are also running.
Lois Smith has been re-elected Parrsboro’s mayor by acclamation. Incumbents Lisa Ward, Dawn McCully and David Harrison are seeking re-election, while Robert Fancy, Lloyd Smith, Ronald Shaw, Betty Atkinson and Lyle Yorke are also running.
dcole@amherstdaily.com
I think Mr Small did plenty and should have the chance to complete what he set out to do. The town has never looked so good and you must realize it takes time for the major changes we're looking for. This town has a lot going for it and he's starting from the ground up. "way-to-go Mr Small"