Michael Ankenmann announced today that he is running for Town Councillor in Brunel Ward, launching his campaign with a message aimed squarely at residents who feel local government has drifted from what it is actually responsible for. In an announcement video filmed on the Huntsville waterfront, Ankenmann pledged to take Council back to basics: holding the line on taxes and spending, doing the essentials exceptionally well, and protecting the character of the town.
The campaign follows a term in which Huntsville property taxes have risen close to 30%. Ankenmann, a professional engineer, is the former Executive Director of Camp Mini-Yo-We, a wilderness canoe guide, and the head of Huntsville's local CAP Debt Centre, where he works with Huntsville residents navigating financial hardship.
"Huntsville is beautiful, it's historic, and it's the kind of place where people still wave at their neighbours," said Ankenmann. "But lately local government has gotten sidetracked — raising taxes, pursuing distractions, and not reflecting the concerns residents are actually raising. That's not okay. So here's what I'm running on: Back to the basics."
Ankenmann's campaign is built on four commitments:
- Back to basics. Tie property tax growth to below inflation rather than Council's appetite for new spending, and push for a full public review of Town spending and governance within the first 100 days.
- Real value for your tax dollar. Published, enforced turnaround times for permits and service requests, and a simplified, plain-language, and transparent path through a planning and building process that has become too complicated, expensive, and slow for everyday residents.
- Small, open government. Measure every new initiative against whether it meets a core municipal responsibility, and trust residents and local organizations — The Table Soup Kitchen, the Corner Lighthouse, the Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul Society, Rotary, and local churches, to name a few — to do what they already do better than government programs can.
- Preserve the character of Huntsville. Growth on the town's own terms, with the historic downtown, the small-town feel, and the lakes, rivers, and forests treated as core to Huntsville's identity.
Ankenmann points to a career spent outside politics: engineering, running a youth camp, guiding in the backcountry, and sitting across the table from families in debt. "I've spent my career leading teams and solving hard problems," Ankenmann said. "Technical rigour, hands-on leadership, and community service — that's what I'll bring to the council table."
He was direct about the philosophy underneath the platform. "Local government is here to help our community thrive, not to micromanage it. It should empower our exceptional residents, protect what makes this town special, and let people solve problems — not step in and spend your money on every idea that sounds good at the time."
"I'm not running for a title," he added. "I'm running because government should serve residents, not the other way around."
Ankenmann's full platform, his announcement video, and information on how residents can endorse the campaign or volunteer are available at michaelankenmann.ca. Brunel Ward residents go to the polls in Huntsville's municipal election on Monday, October 26, 2026.