Nancy Grant Reoffers For Mayor In Rothesay

The mayor of Rothesay is looking to lead the town for a second term.

Nancy Grant has put her name forward for the May 10 municipal election.

Grant, who is one of two people running for the job, was first elected as mayor in 2016.

Before that, she served as deputy mayor of the town from 2012 to 2016.

“There are a few exciting things in the offing and exciting enough to make me want to stay for another term,” Grant said when asked why she decided to run again.

“I guess the other reason is I’ve just enjoyed so much engaging with the citizens of Rothesay.”

Grant said she thinks the town has made a lot of progress in several areas over the past few years.

She cited housing diversification, supporting seniors, development of the commercial corridor, and a new municipal plan as examples.

Grant said she has a number of priorities for the town if re-elected, with one of the big topics being public consultation on the future of the Rothesay Arena.

The issue, she said, has become a stalemate around the council table for some time.

“Every vote has been a split vote,” Grant said.

Grant said they believe it would cost around $10 million to replace the arena while renovating the current facility to modern standards would cost $6.5 million.

“We started the renovation and the first phase cost twice as much as the estimate,” she said. “When that happens, I think it’s just time that we go to the public and say ‘you’re paying the bucks here, you’re the taxpayers, what would you like to see done with this arena.'”

Grant said she would also focus on continuing to grow the town, noting they saw a 3.1 per cent growth in the assessment base in 2021 and have added about 400 residents since 2016.

She said the town now has condos and apartments it did not before with several more developments underway.

“The municipal plan has incentives for affordable housing, which we really need, not only for our own seniors who are crying for more affordable housing, but we’re trying to encourage newcomers to come to the region,” said Grant. “I’m really hoping some developers will grab those incentives.”

Other priorities for the current mayor include developing more initiatives for seniors and actively welcoming newcomers to the town.

“I’d like to devise a system where we could identify newcomers as they move to the town and personally welcome them, get them involved in town activities, and so on,” said Grant.

Residents will elect their next mayor and council on May 10.