Close, but Hogg back in AH

Jeff Green | Oct 24, 2018

Henry Hogg was not that surprised that his election margin was narrow this time around, or even that he lost one of the two wards to Alice Madigan, who has never held public office but has been active politically in Denbigh, and was a vocal opponent of a wind turbine proposal that was unpopular with many in the community.

Hogg led the debate on council, which resulted in the township supporting the project, based partly on the promise of the establishment of a community fund should wind turbines ever be erected in the township.

Hogg received 769 (54%) votes to Madigan’s 653 (46%). In ward 1, Madigan received over 100 more votes that Hogg, but he took ward 2 by a margin of over 200, leading to the overall victory and a 6th term as Reeve. In 2014 Hogg received 71% of the vote against Gerald Bray and in 2010 he was acclaimed.

“I was not surprised by the margin,” said Hogg, “I knew it would be close because of the wind turbines and other factors. But a win is a win, no matter what the margin is, and I am happy to keep serving the municipality. I once lost an election by 12 votes, so I know anything can happen.

Hogg said that the township will have to do what it can, with its limited resources, “to deal with the inevitable changes that are coming our way.”

He said that in this term of council, it will be necessary to at least start looking at new township office space.

“When we started out, there were only two people working out of the little office space we have in the basement of the Flinton Recreation Centre. We need something better for the staff we have working out of that office now,” he said.

Incumbents ruled the day in Ward 1. Tony Fritsch was comfortably returned for a third time with 531 votes and Kirby Thompson (378 votes) narrowly outpolled former road and waste superintendent Royce Rosenblath (343 votes).

Newcomer David Miles was the most popular candidate in Ward 2, receiving 450 votes. Helen Yanch finished second with a 405 and will also return to council. Bill Cox, who has served three terms on council, went down to defeat with 388 votes, 17 less than Yanch.

Because Reeve Hogg now lives in Ward 2, the councillor who receives the most votes in Ward 1, will become the Deputy Reeve and second AH rep to Lennox and Addington (L&A) County Council. Tony Fritsch will thus have the opportunity to become Deputy Reeve.