Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall announced Tuesday he will seek re-election, focusing his bid on public safety, housing and economic development.
The 40-year-old candidate chose the community room at the Mill Creek housing complex to announce his re-election bid, in the neighbourhood where he grew up.
Much of his speech highlighted achievements from his current term while outlining priorities for another four years.
That includes a continued focus on downtown drug issues, including a motion at Wednesday’s council meeting that calls for a “zero-tolerance” approach to drug enforcement.
"As Barrie's mayor, I'll continue our daily focus on cleaning up our streets, protecting our young people and renewal in our downtown," he said. "In the next four years, we will witness a renewal downtown unlike any that we've ever seen."
He also referenced a broader goal of attracting investment, jobs and affordable housing, which has been a focus of his term.
"Our quality of life in Barrie is unmatched but only if you can actually live in this city and work in this city," he said. "Four years from now I see a Barrie that reduces its reliance on Toronto and builds our own sustainable job market."
Nuttall’s term as mayor has been defined in part by a state of emergency on encampments, in place since Sept. 9. He said there are no longer any encampments on city-owned land, though he noted some remain on provincial property under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transportation.
His time as mayor has also seen council start major projects like a waterfront performing arts centre, and plans to relocate the Barrie Baycats from Springwater into a new Queen's Park stadium.
He credited his family's support for helping him commit to what could be another four years in the city's highest political office.
"I often think that my most difficult days are actually pretty easy because I face them with an incredible family," Nuttall said.
Nuttall is currently the only declared candidate in the race, though nominations remain open until August 21.
Asked whether he expects a challenger in the race, Nuttall did not directly answer.
"It's really important that we have a robust process in this election where we get out in front of people and find out what their dreams and aspirations are for the next four years of council," he replied. "That's what I'm going to be focused on."
Nuttall won the 2022 municipal election by 787 votes over former councillor Barry Ward, and was sworn in as Barrie's 47th mayor in November of that year.
Previously, he served as Barrie Ward 10 councillor from 2006 to 2014 before leaving for federal politics, where he was MP for Barrie–Springwater–Oro–Medonte from 2015 to 2019.
Election day is October 26.
