Smith, Hogg, Vandewal, and Higgins all set to seek re-election in 2022, Doyle considering retirement

Jeff Green | Jan 05, 2022

There will be some familiar names on the ballots for mayor/reeve throughout Frontenac County and Lennox and Addington come October.

It seems like a long way off, and there will be a provincial election earlier in the year as well, but in keeping with a Frontenac News tradition, we polled the mayors and reeve of the municipalities that we serve to see if they are planning to run again, call it a career, or are undecided.

In previous election years, candidates could register on the first business day of January, and registration remained open until Labour Day, but the election schedule was compacted in time for the 2018 municipal election. May 2nd is the opening day for nominations and nominations close on August 19. In order to run, a candidate must file a nomination form and provide 25 signatures of people who reside in the municipality where they are running. The fee to run for mayor is $200, and $100 to run for council.

The first mayor that we contacted was Henry Hogg in Addington Highlands. By the time the election rolls around he will have been the Reeve of Addington Highlands for 21 of the 24 years since the township was founded in 1998. He took a 3-year break from municipal politics between 2004 and 2006. All told, he has been a reeve or member of council for over 34 years, and has been the warden of Lennox and Addington County 5 times, the most recent being 2019.

And he is not done yet. “I find it interesting. There is always something new to learn, and our township has been doing well, even with the challenge of COVID. I plan to run again.”

Reeve Hogg said that in 2014 that he would not run in 2018 and that he was going to throw out his election signs. He made no such claim in 2018, and should have his signs ready to go come September.

South Frontenac Mayor Ron Vandewal, who has been in the position for two four-year terms, is planning to seek a third mandate.

“As long as I am healthy, I see no reason not to run again,” he said, “but I think this will be my last term. if I am elected. I probably shouldn’t say that, though.” Before taking on the role of mayor, Vandewal served on council from 2002-2014. He has served as Frontenac County warden for two one-year terms, the most recent being in 2020.

North Frontenac Mayor Ron Higgins said he would not be running again when he was acclaimed in 2018 for his second term. A year later, in 2019, he set his sights on provincial politics and declared his intention to seek the Conservative Party nomination. But he pulled out of that race well before the nomination meeting and threw his support behind John Jordan, who was selected as the candidate. Later in 2021, he indicated that he had changed his mind, and was going to run for mayor of North Frontenac after all.

And this week he confirmed that he will be running.

“I’m very enthusiastic about running again, and about the township,” he said.

Central Frontenac Mayor Frances Smith also said that she is planning to run again this year. Smith has served as mayor of Central Frontenac for the past 8 years, and previous to that she was a member of council between 2002 and 2013. Before municipal amalgamation, she was the reeve of Oso township, “two or three times,” she recalled, and her first term as Frontenac County warden was back in 1986.

“I think I have one more term in me,” she said. “After that, I think I’ll be done. But municipal politics gets in your blood.”

Frontenac Islands Mayor Dennis Doyle, who is serving as Frontenac County warden for the third time in 2022 and has been the mayor for 12 years, and the chair of the Kingston Frontenac Public Health Board for five years, said he is leaning towards not running for a fourth term, but will wait until the nomination period commences before making a final decision.