Owen Sound residents will get their first chance to hear from all six mayoral candidates at an all-candidates meeting on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at the Bayshore Community Centre.
The Owen Sound & District Chamber of Commerce is hosting the meeting from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. It is one of three all-candidates meetings the Chamber has organized ahead of the October 26 municipal election.
This year’s mayoral race is wide open because incumbent Ian Boddy is not seeking re-election after 12 years as mayor and 16 years on council. Six candidates have registered: Ray Botten, Jodi King, Carol Merton, Mike Seiler, Richard Thomas, and Andrii Zvorygin.
Carol Merton is the only sitting councillor in the race, currently serving her second term. Richard Thomas ran against Boddy in 2022, finishing as the lone challenger and losing by about 405 votes. Ray Botten previously ran for mayor in 2018.
The mayoral-focused meeting is a change from past cycles, when mayoral candidates were part of a larger council meeting. This time, the Chamber added a dedicated session just for the mayor’s race.
“By adding a dedicated mayoral candidates meeting, we are creating another opportunity for voters to hear directly from those seeking to lead our city,” said Tiffany James, the Chamber’s CEO.
The other meetings are a full Owen Sound all-candidates meeting on October 6 and a Georgian Bluffs meeting on October 8. All meetings take place before internet and telephone voting opens on October 16. Owen Sound is not using paper ballots this election.
