CENTRE WELLINGTON 2026 ELECTIONS – Kelly Linton has returned to the mayoral race after a four-year hiatus from a previous eight-year tenure as Centre Wellington’s mayor.
Linton spoke with The Grand @ 101 in a series where Centre Wellington’s mayoral candidates are interviewed about their platform and their vision for the Township.
After his time as mayor, County warden and Township councillor Linton returned to consulting full-time where he worked with various municipalities across the province, but he decided it was time to help out his hometown once again and right away wants to address the Township’s budget.
Growth
Another topic at the top of the conversation was growth; Centre Wellington is expected to house a population of just under 60,000 by the year 2051.
While steady growth does have its benefits, Linton said the projected figure is simply too much.
He said he specifically wants to make life more affordable and accessible for seniors wanting to downsize and young families.
Linton said growth is inevitable and should also be balanced; filling the business park vacancies is a priority.
However, he said not all kinds of business fits in Centre Wellington.
Linton is in support of Centre Wellington taking a calculated and close examination at AI data centres in Fergus and said any big business looking to set up shop in Centre Wellington must benefit the community.
Transit
In a June council meeting Centre Wellington endorsed a transit study which recognized a “growing case for transit in Centre Wellington,” and has projected a combined ridership figure of around 133,000 annual trips by 2027.
Linton said public transit does provide great access but does come at a cost so he would be looking to take a slower approach and possibly take advantage of Guelph’s established bus network.
Speaking on Guelph as a major regional partner, Linton is interested in leveraging and maintaining that relationship to benefit Centre Wellington but wants to keep the priority local and focused on the Township itself and its best interests.
Tourism
Linton said he has travelled all over Centre Wellington knocking on doors and speaking with local residents personally about what affects their lives.
Speaking on Elora particularly he said there is a strong local concern about tourism.
If elected, Linton said he would approve a “practical” short-term rental by-law.
He said Elora also needs more parking spaces within walking distance to the downtown and he wants to put-in stricter by-laws that ensure “main level commercial spaces are being used what they were designed to be used for.”
Ultimately he can’t stop free-thinking people from checking out local beauty but in the interest of safety and quality-of-life Linton wants to address tourism.
Linton does recognize tourism as an important part of the local economy and said “we need tourism in our downtowns,”; during his consultant work he noticed derelict downtowns are usually a result of low tourism.
Infrastructure and Expenses
Linton said he wants to cut down on the daily costs of municipal government and redirect that funding into local infrastructure enhancement and upkeep.
Communication and Transparency
Linton also reminisced about his previous term by mentioning his commitments to keeping Centre Wellington informed of municipal developments.
His information campaigns with local press, personal phone calls and regular community town halls would be back on the table for the next four years if elected.
Ultimately Linton loves Centre Wellington and said he just wants to ensure it’s a great place to live for years to come.
To ensure a fair and equitable publication process The Grand @ 101 has reached out to every candidate (Bronwynne Wilton, Kelly Linton, Neil Dunsmore, Shawn Watters and Stephen Kitras) and ensured all avenues have been opened for an opportunity to speak with reporting staff. Publications will be released and broadcasted on weekdays based on a first-come first-serve basis.
Stay tuned with The Grand @ 101 for coverage on the mayoral debate (Sept. 23, 2026) and the next candidate report, to be published Monday (Sept. 21, 2026).
