The Bay of Quinte region is seeing three new mayors following the 2026 municipal election.
In Belleville, Paul Fleming is the new mayor.
He defeated incumbent Neil Ellis as well as candidates Kyle Woolven and Don Metzger.
He spoke on the Quinte Votes Election Special on 800 CJBQ following the election win.
“It was something that we felt was needed, and we had just had an incredible support team that, you know, really believed that change was needed, and it was time for change,” Fleming said on 800 CJBQ following the victory.
Neil Ellis congratulating Belleville mayor-elect Paul Fleming on victory in 2026 municipal election. (Photo: Alana Cameron/Quinte News)
Speaking in a scrum following his election victory, Fleming says he will be working hard for voters.
“I don’t want to disappoint a single one of them. I want to deliver that change, and work with council to deliver that kind of change that they’re looking for, and they want to see,” Fleming told reporters.
In Quinte West, it was not a matter of whether there would be a new mayor, but rather who would be the new mayor.
Zack Card was able to answer that question, securing the mayor seat.
He defeated Shelley Stedall and David Thomson.
Card told the Quinte Votes Election Special on 800 CJBQ that he didn’t want to just win by a vote, he wanted to get a mandate from the public.
“I wanted to win solidly. I wanted to have a unified council, come in, understanding the assignment, affordability, more accessible healthcare, ward reform, renovation by-law, and I was very specific in my platform so that we can be very specific in the places that we act over this next term of council,” Card said on the show.
Card was asked about his first priority as mayor.
“Well, I would say by force of circumstance that the 2027 budget will be priority one. I will say that there is some unfinished business on data centres that will be handed off to the next council as well. So I believe that those two issues will take up a lot of the oxygen,” he said.
In Prince Edward County, Ernie Margetson was able to get the victory, defeating his opponents Brad Nieman and Terry Shortt.
Margetson described his emotions.
“This was only part of the journey, and now I’m on to another part,” Margetson explained to Quinte News following his victory.
“This will be a four-year stint. So, yeah, it’ll be a good go, and I want to get into it now.”
He explained what he is looking forward to in his term.
“I’m looking forward to working with a new council, getting them together, starting working on team building right from the outset,” Margetson said.
“I want to try and build us together so that we work effectively and efficiently, and I think that’s an important first step when we start our orientation. That we start coalescing as a group and feel that we’re team members. We have each other’s back. We’re not always going to agree, but we want to be respectful of each other and start off with that mentality.”
You can see the full results from each municipality in our listening region right here on Quinte News.
