Natalie Harris is running for Barrie mayor.
The Ward 6 councillor made it public during Monday night’s city council meeting.
“I just wanted to share a quick announcement that after some long conversations with my family and friends, and considering whether or not I feel like my role on city council is done, and I had mentioned that I was not going to be running again, I just want to share that I will be running for mayor in the next term, and I’ll leave it at that,” she said.
Harris was asked for further comment.
“I am not done contributing to our community and I feel my voice for our city would have more strength in the role of mayor,” she said.
BarrieToday is unaware of anyone else who has formally announced intentions to run for Barrie mayor in this year’s municipal election, including Mayor Jeff Lehman.
Asked by BarrieToday last fall if she was running for re-election in 2022, why or why not, Harris said no.
“I will not be running again,” Harris said in November. "I hoped that being a city councillor would have allowed me the opportunity to change policy and improve our city on a grand scale, but politics is slow... too slow for me.
“I have found that the connections I have made, and already had, will allow me to do the same over the years, without being part of city council,” she said at the time. "It has been a difficult few years learning how to deal with online harassment and bullying, but I am such a stronger person now, and thrive in these complicated situations thanks to the ‘practice’ a small group of individuals have provided to me.
“I have learned so much, and truly cherish the opportunity I was given to represent Ward 6 and the City of Barrie, but it's time for this Grammy to have more time with her grandson.”
Harris was first elected to Barrie city council in 2018.
Nominations open May 2, 2022 for the Oct. 24 municipal election, which elects councillors in each of Barrie’s 10 wards and school board trustees.
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