County Council elects Gary McNamara as Essex County Warden

Tecumseh Mayor Gary McNamara was elected Warden Wednesday night at the inaugural meeting of Essex County Council.

“Essex County is in an excellent position thanks to the hard work of the previous council and I’m keen to keep the momentum going,” said McNamara. “I thank my colleagues for their support and I look forward to working with them over the next four years.”

McNamara was first elected to Tecumseh Council in 1991. He was elected deputy mayor in 1998. He was elected to his first of five mayoral terms in 2003. He was re-elected in 2006, acclaimed in 2010, elected in 2014 and acclaimed again in 2018.

This is his first term as Warden. He served as Deputy Warden from 2000 to 2003 and from 2010 to 2014.

McNamara is the former President of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario. In 2012, he received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of his public service.

A native of Cornwall who moved to Tecumseh in 1981, McNamara has been married to his wife, Heather, for more than 40 years. He is a father of two adult sons and a proud grandfather of three.

McNamara replaces outgoing Warden Tom Bain, who served two terms from 2010 to 2018. Bain will continue serving on County Council as the Mayor of Lakeshore.

“The incoming Warden has a great team to work with here at the County of Essex,” said Essex County CAO Robert Maisonville. “Our staff is committed to working diligently with him and the incoming council to offer quality services to the residents of Essex County.”

Kingsville Mayor Nelson Santos was acclaimed Deputy Warden, replacing outgoing Deputy Warden Ken Antaya.

The mayors and deputy mayors from each of Essex County’s local municipalities were also sworn in Wednesday night. Superior Court Justice George King officiated as a mix of veteran County Councillors and five new ones took their Declaration of Office.

The first regular meeting of council is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 19.