Collier wins mayor’s seat in Milton

Councilman John Collier will soon become Mayor John Collier after defeating two-term incumbent Ted Kanakos in Milton’s March 5 municipal election. 

Collier, and council members-elect Annette Babich and Larry Savage, will be sworn in for their terms of office at Milton Town Council’s Monday, April 4 meeting. Collier received 376 votes to Kanakos’ 239

Following the results being read out, Kanakos, who has been Milton’s mayor since 2016, congratulated Collier on his victory and the two shook hands. 

“It’s time to roll up my sleeves and get to work,” Collier said. 

In his campaign, Collier said one of the things he wanted to do as mayor was help council be more proactive and not delay decisions as much as it has been doing. He said he wants the town to do better planning for future growth, and update its sidewalk and pedestrian crossing network. Collier said his first order of business as mayor is to figure out how to prioritize action items. 

The election was one of the highest turnouts in Milton in years, with 56 percent, or 615 of 1,096 registered voters, casting a ballot. In 2021, only 35 percent of those registered voted, although that election did not have the mayor’s seat in play. Collier and Councilwoman Lee Revis-Plank won that election, which started Collier’s second stint on council. He had previously served from 2013-14 before leaving council to become the town’s project coordinator. 

Most people voted in person, with polls located at Milton fire hall on Front Street. Collier received 345 in-person votes and 31 via absentee ballot. Kanakos received 208 votes in person with 31 absentee.

The mayor’s race was the only contested seat this year, as the candidates for two open council seats ran unopposed. Savage will be serving his first full term on council, after being appointed in May to fill out the term of Councilman Michael Coté, who passed away in April 2020. 

This will be Babich’s first time holding political office in Milton; she will be taking the seat that had been held by Councilman Sam Garde, who declined to run for re-election.

“It was really wonderful to see a nice turnout for the election on Saturday,” she said. “Congratulations to John Collier on the win. I look forward to being sworn in, and working with John and council members for the benefit of the Milton community.”