Tony Fritsch Will Not Run for Reeve in Addington Highlands
Tony Fritsch, who has served 12 years on Addington Highlands Council as a councillor and as deputy reeve, and since January, as reeve, is stepping away from municipal politics.
In an email to the Frontenac News on Sunday, June 28, he explained his decision.
“I have decided to not seek re-election for the next council term. This decision has been very difficult for me, and it involved considering a number of issues very important to me and to Gail, and what I personally feel is how I want to spend my time and the years going forward from here,” he said.
This decision was never what I wanted to get away from, as I don’t want to get away from anything; I truly enjoy working with fellow members of council and all staff, and the people in our community. This decision is completely based on what I want to do and accomplish in my future years. I am truly grateful for members of council having confidence in me in the reeve’s role for the last year of this term of council, to all staff who are truly amazing and to whom I greatly respect, and to our community who voted me in and that I worked with and continue to work with.”
Fritsch had indicated earlier this spring that he had not made a decision about whether to run this year, but would make it earlier than later in order to give others enough time to make their own decisions.
Until last week, there had been no candidates in Addington, either for the two council positions in wards 1 and 2, or for reeve.
That changed early in the week when Royce Rosenblat submitted his papers in Ward 1 (Denbigh). And on Saturday, Kirby Thompson, who has served as a councillor in Ward 1 for two terms, submitted his application for reeve.
Mayoralty election in North Frontenac
Kelly Willis has registered as a candidate for mayor of North Frontenac, challenging one-term incumbent, Jerry Lichty. Willis has never served on council, just as Lichty had never served when he ran, and won, the race for mayor in 2022, defeating the incumbent, Ron Higgins, at the time. There is one candidate, so far, in each township race for North Frontenac Council: incumbents Roy Huetl (Ward 2) and Mike Hage (Ward 1) and new candidate Katie Surra (Ward 3).
Former Mayors running for council
Not only is former Mayor, and newly appointed councillor, Bill MacDonald, on the ballot this coming October in Ward 3 (Oso), another former Mayor of Central Frontenac, Janet Gutowski, is running for council in Ward 4 (Hinchinbrooke)
This leaves Central Frontenac, with contested elections in Ward 3 between Bill MacDonald, Lesley Merrigan and Meredith Peters, and now in Ward 4 as well with incumbent Phillip Smith joining Janet Gutowski and Brent Cameron in the race. There are single candidates in the other two wards, Chase Matson in Ward 1, and incumbent Danny Meeks in ward 2
There is no change this week in South Frontenac. All 8 current members of council are running for re-election, and there are three candidates for Mayor, incumbent Ron Vandewal, Alan Revill, and Steven Leonard.
(Editor Note - under the Municipal Act, the Head of Council is identified as a role.. Whether a township calls its head of council a Mayor or a Reeve, which is simply a local preference, the positions are identical)
