Skip to content

EDITORIAL: Vacancies figured out

Despite the protests of some, city council made the right decision on Monday night to set in place a permanent policy to deal will councillor vacancies.

Despite the protests of some, city council made the right decision on Monday night to set in place a permanent policy to deal will councillor vacancies.

In a nutshell, should a councillor leave office in the first three years after a municipal election, a byelection will be held.

Should it occur in the nine months following that, council has directed itself to appoint the replacement.

Anytime beyond that the seat would remain vacant, with three months or less to the next vote.

The more cynical among us suggest council was merely trying to prevent controversial candidate Tamara Johnson, the sixth-place finisher in last year’s at-large race, from taking office should a vacancy arise from among the five at-large councillors.

The bottom line in setting a policy means the decision is out of council’s hands. A byelection will cost money, but it’s also how the federal and provincial governments fill vacancies.

The runner-up, in many cases, especially in ward races, might not necessarily have been the second choice of the vast majority of voters.

And some potential candidates may have chosen not to run with a strong incumbent already in the hunt and unlikely to be ousted. The new policy means council can’t make their decision on how to replace based on personal feelings. It’s set in stone.


 





push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks