2025 Mayor of the Year: Marianne Meed Ward

I am deeply honoured to share that I have been named “Mayor of the Year” by Municipal World—an award that highlights the commitment, passion, and conviction behind local leadership.

I share this honour with the women who form H.E.R. (the Halton Elected Representatives group) who together created the Elect Respect pledge, and also with everyone who has signed and supported it. This recognition is a testament to what we can accomplish when we stand together in support of fairness, civility, and respect in public life.

When we launched Elect Respect earlier this year, it began as a small conversation among a few women in public office in Halton. What none of us anticipated was how quickly it would grow into a movement embraced by elected leaders, council members, community boards, and citizens alike across the country.

Elect Respect asks us all to recommit to respectful discourse, to reject harassment and intimidation, and to demand that our public institutions reflect the values of equity, inclusion, and safety.

To date, we have had 205 elected leaders and 10 candidates take the pledge, including 466 members of the public, as well as 44 municipalities and 8 boards adopt the resolution.

I want to express my deepest gratitude to:

• The editors and team at Municipal World for this tremendous honour;
• Every single person who has signed the Elect Respect pledge—your support sends a powerful message that toxic discourse has no place in our democracy;
• The individuals, councils and boards who brought the Elect Respect resolution forward in their communities;
• My staff working behind the scenes; and
• All those who believe that public service should be anchored in respect, dignity, and community.

This award belongs to all of you—because Elect Respect isn’t about one person or one city. It’s about cultivating a culture where every resident, every candidate, every elected official feels safe, welcomed, and valued.

My hope is that this recognition sparks renewed interest and energy for the campaign: that more municipalities and community boards consider adopting the resolution; that more people sign the pledge; and that together we continue to build a kinder, more inclusive public square.

If you haven’t already, I encourage you to take the Pledge and to bring the Elect Respect Resolution to your local council or board. Standing up for civility doesn’t require power or position… it only requires commitment, compassion, and action.

From the bottom of my heart: thank you. Let’s keep going.

You can read the full article by Municipal World HERE.