David Mitchell was first drawn to municipal politics to provide a voice for young, active families that he felt was absent from municipal government.With the support of his wife Trina and their three children, he served two terms as a Bridgewater town councillor (2004 to 2012).After a four-year hiatus to pursue other opportunities, David was elected as the town’s 26th mayor in 2016. He was acclaimed in September 2020 to a second term as mayor and then again in 2024 for his third term.

Over the course of his tenure in municipal governance, David has been at the forefront of many key initiatives that have helped drive Bridgewater to become the strong centre of economic, social, and sustainable leadership that it is today. Known for his willingness to speak up and respected as one to never mince words, David has a reputation as one to get things done.

In his role as mayor, David has championed many important projects and fostered new relationships to take Bridgewater to the next level, as evidenced in the Smart Cities Challenge win, Bridgewater Transit, our participation in the C40 Cities and as one of only two permanent board members for the International Network of Michelin Cities.Mayor Mitchell also currently serves as Vice-President of the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities.

David believes strongly in empowering his community to feel a renewed sense of pride and has gained tremendous respect as an encourager of people.His refreshing approach to leadership brings people together at all levels of government and has helped to achieve unprecedented project cooperation and record provincial, federal and private sector investment in Bridgewater.He has been proud to helm a Council that places a premium value on Bridgewater's sustainable initiatives to work towards the elimination of energy poverty and sees a need for municipalities to take a leadership role when it comes to the environment and sustainability.