Owen Sound: Ruth Lovell Stanners announced her intent to register and run for the position of Mayor of Owen Sound in October's municipal election. Having served previously as Mayor for two terms, she cited her relentless passion and commitment to the City as motivating factors in deciding to stand for election again.

"Over the past four years I have continued to stay active in making Owen Sound a better place to live, building on the same principles I brought to my role as Mayor," said Lovell Stanners. "I have always acted according to the belief that we are a better community when we work respectfully with each other and are responsive to our changing needs. I am running for Mayor because Owen Sound has my attention and I think together we need do better, and we need do more."

Lovell Stanners intends to highlight through the campaign specific areas where she believes Owen Sound will once more benefit from her leadership including fostering a stronger climate of respect at City Hall, being more responsive to business needs, having more inclusive discussion before decisions are made, working with City Council and improving the way the City communicates with its residents.

"I think that collectively as a City we've all been frustrated by decisions made, delayed, re-visited or ultimately changed that should have been better managed and quite frankly wasted a lot of time," said Lovell Stanners. "The Owen Sound Marine and Rail Museum and the decision on the bus terminal and routes stand out as examples of leadership and the community colliding. We're not well served when the relationship between the community and the City is confrontational and this needs to change. My record is clear and reflects proven experience when it comes to community engagement both as Mayor and as a citizen."

As a part of an improved climate of respect Ruth Lovell Stanners intends to work more collaboratively with neighbouring municipalities, municipal partners, City Hall staff and residents. Lovell Stanners emphasised the fact that nurturing the relationship with the city's County partners and provincial and federal leaders will be a priority. She also commits to empowering city councillors as they support Owen Sound's interests.

"I believe that there has been a deterioration in the relationship between Owen Sound and some of the partners and allies that make Owen Sound a better place to live and work," said Lovell Stanners. "I want to once more be the full-time advocate the City can count on, working with a strong council to engage business and industry leaders, local ratepayers and others to ensure we're meeting their needs in a faster, more aggressive manner. Our slogan may have changed, but Owen Sound still means business to me. We shouldn't be able to look back and measure progress lost on initiatives that ought to be further along."

Looking to the future, Lovell Stanners hopes to lead the City through a number of important decisions that will affect Owen Sound in the longer term including the development of the harbour and waterfront.

"We are at a pivotal point on the future of a shared space that is as important to our commercial needs as it is to residents who also enjoy the waterfront," noted Lovell Stanners. "I am less certain that if the current approach to decision making continues we will arrive at the right and most progressive solution. I believe we need to change the way we engage the community and harness the best, most innovative ideas through meaningful dialogue, listening to advice and getting it right the first, and quite frankly the only time, we get to make this decision."

Not brushing aside outcome of the last campaign, Lovell Stanners knows that focusing on her past record as Mayor is not enough.

"At the time I reflected on the potential for a different style of leadership at City Hall and how we may benefit from it," said Lovell Stanners. "However since that outcome I have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with other leaders in this community and I feel like we had to struggle for change that was better for Owen Sound. I don't have the same outlook I did back then and if I did I wouldn't be running. Yes, I have a proud record as councillor and Mayor, but I will be asking residents to look forward as well to the potential of having a full-time Mayor back at City Hall committed to improving the way we work together so that we can do better. I'm asking residents of Owen Sound to support a change not just in leadership, but towards a style of leadership that works for our City."

The municipal election will be held on October 27, 2014.