Ajax Mayor Shaun Collier has announced he will not seek re-election after eight years as the town’s top elected official, saying he has accomplished everything he set out to do.
Collier made the announcement Wednesday, pointing to the recent news of a new police station as one of the final pieces of his agenda.
“With the announcement of the new police station last week, I’ve accomplished everything that I’ve set out to do, and I think I’m leaving the town in a very good place,” Collier said in an interview. “It’s time to call it quits and let somebody else take it from here.”
Collier was first elected to Ajax council in 2003 and has served as mayor since 2018. During his time in office, he has been a vocal advocate for increased housing density in the growing Durham Region municipality.
The former councillor has consistently pushed for more housing options in Ajax, a town that has seen significant population growth over the past two decades. His tenure as mayor coincided with a period of major development across Durham Region, including the ongoing expansion of transit infrastructure and the approval of large-scale residential projects.
Collier’s decision not to run again opens the door for what could be a competitive mayoral race in Ajax. The town has been grappling with the same challenges facing many GTA municipalities, including housing affordability, traffic congestion, and the need for improved public services to keep pace with growth.
Under Collier’s leadership, Ajax has also been involved in regional discussions about transit expansion, including the push for improved GO Train service along the Lakeshore East corridor, and the broader conversation about how Durham Region’s municipalities manage rapid development.
The announcement adds another layer of intrigue to the upcoming municipal election season in Durham Region. With several high-profile development decisions on the horizon, including the Northeast Pickering Secondary Plan and various infrastructure projects across the region, the next Ajax mayor will step into a role that carries significant influence over the area’s growth trajectory.
Collier’s departure marks the end of a lengthy career in Ajax municipal politics spanning more than two decades. His legacy will likely be defined by his advocacy for housing density and his role in steering the town through a period of transformative growth.
Candidates looking to replace Collier will need to file their nomination papers ahead of the fall municipal election. The race is expected to draw interest from current and former councillors as well as newcomers to municipal politics.
Collier’s decision also comes at a time when Durham Region municipalities are navigating the tension between provincial housing mandates and local opposition to sprawl. Ajax, situated between Pickering and Whitby along the Lake Ontario shoreline, has been at the centre of many of those debates, and the next mayor will inherit both the opportunities and the controversies that come with managing one of the fastest-growing areas in the Greater Toronto Area.
Ajax residents will head to the polls in October to elect a new mayor and council, with Collier’s departure ensuring a new chapter in the town’s political leadership.
