Low advanced voter turnout catches Ward 6 challengers by surprise

Incumbent Jo-Anne Gignac has been a Windsor councillor for 15 years and believes residents in Ward 6 are going to vote for four more years on Monday.

"I think we've done very well in the 15 years that I've been on council," said Gignac, who points to an eight-year stretch during her tenure where council did not raise taxes.

"The idea is to make sure that you're running your city in the best possible way," she said.

Gignac's run will be put to the test by three challengers who said voters want change, but they were caught off-guard when they heardadvanced polling numbers in Windsor are lower than2014.

"That just really shocked me," said Josh Jacquot, who is running for council for the first time.

Jacquotsaid he's been hearing from people during his canvassing that they want better representation on council through a more accessible councillor.

"They want to be able to actually have communications with their city councillor," said Jacquot, while promising to hold town halls and community meetings if elected.

Business owner and candidate Terry Yaldoplaces a high value on the financial side of council promising to bring in an independentauditor general if elected.

He said his constituents "like what they see, they like what they hear" about that idea.

But Yaldodid not like what he heard about the lower voter turnout.

"I would have thought the other way."

Creative solutions to constant problem

All four candidates mentioned flooding as a major issue that needs to be fixed by whoever is elected as the councillor for Ward 6.

Jeff Denommesuggested that the current council isn't being creative enough in their solutions.

"In Holland they have creative ways of doing that," said Denomme, who has been inspired by his time living in Vancouver and wants to bring similar solutions to Windsor.

"They would build a basketball court 10feet down in the ground where you'd walkdownstairs to play basketball, but in the event of a flood you'd have the water go down there and once the sewers are open they'd release it."

He said getting more people out to vote would "definitely" help him unseat the incumbent with a 15-year reign.

"That's one thing I can do that the incumbent can't," said Denomme.