The Town of Petrolia officially has its first mayoral candidate in advance of the October 22 municipal election.
Former town councillor Bob Maniuk, who was born and raised in Petrolia, has filed his papers for the position.
Maniuk served on council from 1995 to 1997, and has been on the VPP, Finance, and Petrolia and North Enniskillen Fire Management committees.
He was also on the Charlotte Eleanor Englehart (CEE) hospital board from 1992 to 1995.
He says his priorities include open and transparent government, a level playing field for business, and financial accountability.
"Petrolia has been, generally speaking, a very happy town," says Maniuk. "It's a very positive town and has had great, positive outlooks. We've had some problems in the last couple of years. I think everybody is due for a change. Everybody I've talked to, I went around and got 25 people to nominate me, people are just eager for change."
Incumbent Mayor John McCharles has yet to say whether he'll be running again.
The town has been the subject of controversy over the past couple of years.
In March, former CAO and clerk Manny Baron was charged with breach of trust by a public officer following a police probe dating back to November 2017.
Baron was placed on administrative leave in October after The Independent reported that the town was being charged rent, and utilities in lieu of rent on facilities he allegedly owned through a numbered company.
Last March, town documents indicated that council agreed to commit $11,000 towards The Rec Room, and the Fiddick family became the major sponsor with its donation of $10,000.
An investigation was launched into allegations of conflict of interest by independent investigator John E. Fleming, and Baron resigned a month later.
