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Milton’s upcoming by-election for the vacant Town Councillor position for Ward 1 is shaping up to be a closely watched contest, with two candidates already stepping forward to represent the growing ward.
Former Ward 3 Town Councillor Rick Di Lorenzo has officially launched his campaign to return to council, telling us at the recent Tiger Open event that his name will be on ballots. Di Lorenzo had previously run in the 2022 municipal election for the Regional Councillor position in Ward 3, running against then incumbent Mike Cluett. The position was won by Sammy Ijaz, who is currently serving his first term on Milton’s Council.
With his experience as a Town Councillor, Di Lorenzo brings name recognition to the race, providing familiar leadership for some voters in the area. He’s also remained active in the community through the Milton Villager magazine, and his work as one of four Board Directors for the Townsend Smith Foundation. The organization is working on establishing palliative care in North Milton.
He’ll be joined in this upcoming by-election by known community leader George Minakakis. A long-time Milton resident with over 30 years of global business experience, he’s urging that all certified candidates take part in a public debate.
“This by-election is expected to cost over $200,000 of public money,” notes Minakakis in a release. “Residents deserve a full debate, clear answers, and—most importantly—a councillor who actually lives in Ward 1 and understands our day-to-day realities.”
Minakakis brings a wide-ranging background to the race, including leadership roles at Milton Hydro and the grassroots group ACTION Milton, which opposed a proposed quarry development. He is also the author of several books on leadership and innovation, and currently works as an advisor to global business leaders.
In 2022, Minakakis ran against incumbent Town Councillor for Ward 1 Kristina Tesser Derksen in the municipal election. He received 28% of the vote.
If you are also running in this by-election, feel free to contact us by email at News1013@LocalRadio.ca.
This by-election was triggered after former councillor Kristina Tesser Derksen was elected as the new Member of Parliament for Milton East–Halton Hills South. Council subsequently declared the seat vacant, paving the way for a fall by-election.
Residents interested in running must submit their nomination forms by Friday, August 22nd, at 2:00 p.m. To be eligible, candidates must meet the requirements and book an appointment with Town staff to officially file their papers. Campaigning cannot begin until the nomination is confirmed.
Once nominations close, we will be working to try and interview each candidate about their platforms leading up to the big day.
Milton’s Ward 1 by-election will take place Monday, October 6th, with in-person voting from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Advance voting will also be offered on September 19th and 20th from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Ward 1 residents can confirm or update their voter information here.
For full details on the nomination process, voter information, and third-party advertiser registration, click here.
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