A local farmer is putting his name on the ballot for Chatham-Kent's (CK) upcoming municipal election.
Emery Huszka is the first to announce his campaign to be the Ward 3 Councillor on CK's council. The Ward currently has two Councillors, but changes to the Ward boundaries and overall size of CK's council are now limiting it to just one representative.
Huszka currently lives in around Bothwell and has a history in municipal politics, previously serving as a Councillor for Dawn-Euphemia Township.
He told CK News Today that he's running to ensure communities like Bothwell and Thamesville have proper representation.
"At the end of the day, you need to have a strong voice sitting around the table at least mentioning, 'Hey, have you thought about this? Have you thought about that?" said Huszka.
It's no secret that Huszka has concerns with CK's current council. Back in January 2025, he helped start a petition calling for Bothwell to leave CK and rejoin Lambton County.
Some of the bigger issues were discussions about potentially cutting rural services and reducing the number of rural representatives. The one issue that really frustrated Huszka was the elimination of dust-suppressant services, a decision that was later reversed.
"Something that was so simple and matter of fact turned into a much bigger debate than what it needed to be," he explained.
If elected, Huszka said he'll be a Councilor who echoes the concerns of rural residents and one who'll be smart with taxpayers' money.
"If we're going to spend money, I don't mind spending on things, but I want good value, and I want to see something that matters at the end of the day," he added.
Huszka is the first candidate for Ward 3. John Wright, a current Ward 3 Councillor on CK council, has announced that he won't seek re-election.
CK's election will be on October 26, 2026.
