A small business owner in Chatham is hoping to earn a spot on Chatham-Kent's (CK) next municipal council.
Steve Adkins is running to be one of two Ward 7 councillors, representing the northeast part of Chatham.
He told CK News Today his desire to run stems from his frustration with the lack of effort he believes the current council has put into Chatham's downtown core.
"I essentially had enough of the problems happening downtown. The safety problems and the lack of consumers coming into the downtown core," explained Adkins.
A top priority would be ensuring that people working and living in the area feel safe, while also giving everyone a reason to visit.
Another key issue Adkins would like to tackle is improving the municipality's infrastructure.
"I personally live on a street that is in complete disrepair," he added.
Other concerns he believes the next council needs to address are overspending, tax hikes, and a lack of economic investment.
Despite having no political experience, Adkins believes he has extensive expertise in other fields that would be a great asset.
"I think you really have to think of [me] as someone who has private sector experience, who has put their own investment and their own capital back into the community, has taken that risk themselves, has employed other people," he said.
As for people who want to vote for someone with political experience, Adkins explained that he studied political science for four years.
CK's election will be on October 26, 2026.
