Rob Burton has officially announced his plan to seek a fifth term as Oakville’s mayor.
Surrounded by family, supporters and members of council, Burton declared his intention at Downtown Oakville’s Seasons restaurant.
He said he’s running again because he’s still excited about doing the job.
“Every time you solve a problem, there’s a hit of satisfaction,” he said. “A lifetime of doing that inclines me to keep doing it.”
With Burton’s announcement, the town is headed for a rematch of 2018’s electoral battle for mayor.
Earlier this week, Oakville restaurant owner and former chamber of commerce chair Julia Hanna declared her plan to run for the mayor’s job in October’s municipal election.
In 2018, Burton beat Hanna by 3,487 votes. He captured 49.6 per cent of the vote, while Hanna received 42 per cent.
Third-place finisher John McLaughlin, who has indicated he doesn’t intend to run again, earned the remaining 8.4 per cent.
A prepared speech to kick off Burton’s campaign leaned heavily on his accomplishments since he first won the job from Ann Mulvale in 2006.
“We hear overwhelmingly from our constituents that Oakville is on the right track,” he said.
Tax increases have stayed at or below inflation, the Glen Abbey golf course was protected from development, and the town has kept up with the growth that has arrived, Burton said.
“My proudest boast is how well we’ve kept up with our need for new community centres, arenas, fields, parks, roads, transit, and there’s more to come,” he said.
He added that Oakville weathered the pandemic “better than almost any other community you can think of” because it kept moving forward on its priorities.
Burton promised the campaign would see him share his vision for a made-in-Oakville strategy to increase affordable and attainable housing for everyone.
“You can count on me to keep enthusiastically creating the inclusive, sustainable future we all want for everyone,” he said.
“You can count on me because of my proven track record of delivering what I’ve promised.”