Cramahe Township Mayor Mandy Martin was elected the new warden for Northumberland County during Tuesday’s inaugural meeting of the new county council.
The newly elected councillors took their declaration of office prior to assuming their seat on council. Martin received unanimous endorsement from the council members which also includes the following mayors: Lucas Cleveland (Cobourg), Bob Crate (Municipality of Trent Hills), Olena Hankivsky (Municipality of Port Hope), Scott Jibb (Hamilton Township), John Logel (Alnwick/Halidmand Township) and Brian Ostander (Municipality of Brighton).
Martin, a resident of Colborne, is serving her second term as mayor. Raised in Gore’s Landing, she pursued a 40-year career in communications, marketing and journalism before entering politics.
“It is a privilege to step into this leadership role, and I am grateful for the full support of council,” Martin said during her inaugural address. “These are challenging and uncertain times. But by working as a team, relying on the advice of staff, engaging with our residents, and strengthening community partnerships, we will be successful in delivering quality programs and essential services for our residents.”
Ostrander was also unanimously elected to serve as deputy warden. With three decades in the printing and publishing industry, Ostrander was first elected to Brighton council in 2003. He too is in his second term as mayor.
Both county warden and deputy warden roles are one-year terms.
“I am honoured by the confidence and trust council has placed in me to take on these additional responsibilities,” said Ostrander. “There are a lot of rapid changes and new policies being introduced from all levels of government. We’ve been successful in the past at overcoming hurdles, innovating, and advancing key priorities in order to deliver value to the community, and I am confident that we will continue with such good governance over this term.”