Make that two.
Ward 1 Coun. Clare Riepma has announced he will not seek a third term at Barrie City Hall, becoming the second councillor to make the decision ahead of the 2026 municipal election.
He joins Ward 3 Coun. Ann-Marie Kungl, who recently announced she would not run for re-election.
Riepma first ran for municipal office in Ward 1 in 2014 but was unsuccessful. He was elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022.
In a statement, Riepma said that while he enjoyed serving Ward 1 over the past eight years, he felt it was time to “pass the torch” to a new representative.
“The time has come to pass the torch on to someone else,” he said.
“I am thankful for all the Ward 1 residents who have supported me over the years and given me advice on a wide variety of topics.”
Riepma said he was proud of what council accomplished during his two terms in office.
“We have reconstructed roads in the ward, added bike lanes, improved pedestrian safety, calmed traffic and reconstructed playgrounds, to name a few,” he said.
“Of course, this work must continue because there are more roads and services that need attention.”
He also pointed to several citywide initiatives.
“I am also proud to have been part of Team Barrie and our progress on a new Performing Arts Centre, a new Sea Cadets building, improvements to our urban forest management, and the expansion of the city to accommodate more people and jobs, all with a zero increase in the operating budget,” he said.
“I will miss not seeing these projects through to completion, but I am certain the city will continue to be in good hands.”
Barrie council approved new ward boundaries in June 2025 ahead of the 2026 municipal election, bringing significant changes to the city’s electoral map. Under the new layout, Ward 4 will move to Barrie’s south end, while wards 1, 3 and 5 will grow to incorporate portions of the newly annexed lands in the north end.
The 2026 Barrie municipal election is scheduled for Oct. 26, 2026.