Online negativity, demands of council likely deterring Kenora candidates: Koch

With the nomination deadline for the 2026 municipal election approaching, Kenora has seen few candidates come forward for mayor and council.

As of Aug. 20, there is just one person running for Mayor and eight for Council. Koch, like her current colleagues Graham Chaze and Kelsie Van Belleghem, has made it clear she will not be running for re-election.

Speaking with the Miner and News, Koch said she believes some potential candidates may be reluctant to run because of the criticism elected officials can face both online and in public.

“I think there’s a fear of what happens in public, on the internet, in the grocery store,” she said. “I think there have been some really stark examples of people being really ripped apart in the comment sections.”

She said councillors have also been yelled at or had tense encounters with residents while going about their daily lives or attending public events.

“I think that’s one of the things that is leaving people reticent or reluctant to engage in this way,” Koch said.

Koch agreed with Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association (NOMA) president Rick Dumas, who has also pointed to online negativity as a reason fewer people may be interested in municipal politics.

She said social media can turn council into a faceless entity rather than a group of people making decisions, which can make personal attacks easier.

“It’s like they turn the blinders on to the human beings and the good intentions, imperfect as they may be because none of this is perfect,” Koch said.

She said criticism has at times extended beyond councillors themselves to their families.

“It just got really mean, and I don’t think anyone wants to carry that.”

Koch also pointed to the practical demands of serving on council, particularly for people balancing careers and young families.

While she is not currently seeking another term, she said she would like to return to council in the future.

“I love this work. I want to keep doing it, but I’m raising a tiny human, and he’s seven, and he has all the extracurriculars,” she said.

Koch said she cannot give her full-time job, council work and parenting the attention she wants to give each of them at the same time.

“Another term is probably in my future, but it’s not this term.”

The financial side of municipal politics can also be a barrier, she said. Koch said she has had to use vacation time from her full-time job to meet some council responsibilities.

“That’s a choice I made, and I’m happy that I did it. But it’s a barrier,” she said.

Koch said people who need to work full-time to support themselves and their families cannot simply make council their only job.

“$20,000 and change a year is not a living wage,” she said. “And so that is a real barrier for people to participate at this level.”

The small field of candidates also raises Koch’s concerns about representation at the council table.

She noted the current council has more women and younger councillors. By comparison, Koch said all but one of the candidates in the current field are men, and all are over 50.

“I’m concerned about the representation there, not because I don’t believe these people will do good work to make good, informed decisions,” she said.

Koch said different ages and life experiences bring perspectives that may otherwise be absent, including those of younger residents and women.

She also believes there is a broader lack of understanding about the role of municipal government.

“There is not a clear understanding of which order of government is responsible for what,” she said.

Koch said residents sometimes expect councillors to resolve issues outside municipal jurisdiction and may not understand the limits municipalities face when provincial regulations take precedence over local bylaws.

The workload can also be substantial. Koch said council meeting packages can run 500 to 700 pages, with councillors expected to absorb the information before making decisions.

She encouraged residents to bring their concerns directly to decision-makers rather than limiting those discussions to social media, saying information from residents can influence the discussion and even how a councillor votes.

Despite the challenges, Koch said she hopes people who are considering municipal politics will not assume they need a particular education or professional background before putting their name forward.

“You don’t have to fancy yourself as some kind of expert or anybody special,” she said. “You just have to want to show up.”

Koch said candidates do not need to have all the answers when they enter municipal politics.

“You just have to be for your community. You don’t have to be against anything,” she said. “You just have to want to say, here’s an opportunity for me to show up for my community.”

For Koch, the difficulties of the job have not changed how she feels about municipal service.

“I think it’s really meaningful, fulfilling work and I would hope that anyone who is even a little bit interested would explore it,” she said.

“Despite all the negativity around what’s happening on the internet, there’s so much good, meaningful work happening.”