Jerry Acchione elected mayor in Woodstock

By CTVNewsLondon.ca

Published: October 21, 2022 at 1:40PM EDT

New mayor elected in Woodstock Jerry Acchione has been elected as the next Mayor of Woodstock.

Woodstock residents elected a new mayor on Monday night, with Jerry Acchione defeating incumbent mayor Trevor Birtch.

Speaking with CTV News, Acchione said, “That was absolutely incredible. The win, too close for comfort, but still on cloud nine.”

On his predecessor Trevor Birtch, Acchione continued with, “I’ve said it from the beginning, leadership has been the biggest part lacking in my opinion, being part of that council for the last year. So I’m going to be the leader that council needs and wants, and the city of Woodstock wants.”

When it comes to what’s on his agenda, Acchione said downtown revitalization tops the list.

“There’s a lot of people talking about it. A lot of concerned citizens, dollar amounts and everything else. And of course I’m going to work with the new council, we’re going to look at priorities, and be very fiscally responsible,” he said.

Finishing in second place, David Hilderly called the Trevor Birtch campaign “strange.”

“Unfortunately that dark cloud has hung over the head of Woodstock for four years and we would like to see that erased and move forward in a positive way that the city of Woodstock really is. We have a great community, we have so many positives here, and I hope the new council can bring that forward,” said Hilderly.

Birtch is facing several criminal charges including assault and sexual assault and was seeking a third term in office.

He kept a low profile during the campaign but did appear in some debates two weeks ago.

Birtch was first elected in 2014 and on Monday night, received just 3.3 per cent of the votes.

According to the city clerk's office, 2,380 people voted in advanced polls- up 29 per cent from 2018.

— With files from CTV News London's Bryan Bicknell