After a late change to his nomination papers last week, Pat Casey will now contest Walt McKechnie for Dysart et al’s deputy mayor position in October’s municipal election.
Casey, the current acting deputy mayor, filed for mayor May 19. He was expected to challenge Greg Bishop and Andrew Nowell for the township’s top seat. However, last Thursday (Aug. 20), he withdrew from the mayoral race. He immediately filed to oppose McKechnie, who submitted his papers for a second term as deputy May 15.
Asked about the switch on Monday (Aug. 24), Casey said it was made with Dysart’s best interests in mind, although he didn’t get into specifics.
“I’m working towards the mayoral position, but this would give me another term to get closer to it, learn more and get up to speed. I feel like it’s kind of a graduated system,” Casey said. “There wasn’t so much a turning point, or a piece of information that made me go ‘holy jumpings, I’d better switch horses here’. I was just progressively thinking things through and thought about the team we could have.”
Casey said he had been contemplating a switch for weeks but solidified his decision Aug. 18. He said his first call was to McKechnie to give him a heads up.
While McKechnie, Dysart’s acting mayor, said he wasn’t counting his chickens over a second-straight acclamation, he admitted he was surprised and disappointed by Casey’s late switch.
McKechnie disappointed by decision
The first-term official, initially elected as Ward 1 councillor in 2022, had until Aug. 21 to make changes to his nomination.
“We spent about an hour-and-a-half together the day before and he didn’t mention anything, so I was definitely caught off-guard,” McKechnie said.
“I never assumed I had a free ride. I was in a lot of hockey games leading going into the last minute and ended up losing, so I never wanted to think I was automatically in again,” the former National Hockey League player said. “I’ve already been talking to people and am ready to hit the ground running with my campaign.”
Casey said his decision had nothing to do with Bishop and Nowell, or trying to project how the mayoral vote would land.
“I didn’t decide to do this because [I thought I was going to lose] – it would have been a good race between Greg and I. I think we’re equally capable of filling the position… but I feel, for Dysart and myself, it’s a better position for me to switch to deputy,” Casey said.
Key issues
Wrapping his fourth term, McKechnie said he’s proud of his service to the community, noting he wants one final run. If elected, the 2026-30 term will be his last.
After seeing the township make major progress with the sewage treatment plant expansion and future development of the 92-acre County Road 21 property, McKechnie wants to see those two projects through to completion.
“(They) are absolutely vital if this community is going to grow,” McKechnie said. With his council experience, McKechnie felt he would be a good support for the future mayor.
Casey wants a seat at the table next term when County council has some major decisions to make – such as the Eastern Ontario Regional Network’s affordability and governance review. It’s being recommended the County’s four lower-tiers amalgamate in some way, with a decision expected early in 2027.
Neither Casey nor McKechnie are convinced amalgamation is the answer, though. Casey said it’s too much, too fast. With such a big decision, he said they need to get it right as it cannot be reversed.
McKechnie is calling for some form of public vote or referendum before councils make a final decision. He said Haliburton County has a unique make-up and lacks industry. He thinks one-tier will lead to the loss of jobs, traditions and identity.
Advanced voting begins in Dysart Oct. 10, with voting day Oct. 26.
