Dysart et al has mapped out the process to make council whole again following the death of mayor Murray Fearrey.
Elected officials will gather for a special meeting July 7, where a new head of council will be appointed. Deputy mayor Walt McKechnie has thrown his hat into the ring, though Ward 1 coun. Pat Casey, who had declared for the role earlier this month, has changed his tune, instead vying to replace McKechnie as Dysart’s number two.
On July 28, council will choose between Casey, Ward 2 coun. Nancy Wood-Roberts and Ward 4 coun. Carm Sawyer to serve as deputy mayor until October, when this current term ends.
CAO Tamara Wilbee said any current council member who wishes to be nominated to fill the mayor’s seat is required to notify the clerk in writing by noon June 30. Council opted against opening nominations to the general public.
“On July 7, council will review any submitted correspondence regarding candidates and candidates will then be given five minutes to address council,” Wilbee said. “Council members may ask candidates one question, but candidates will not be permitted to ask each other questions. Votes are taken in public with a show of hands, in accordance with the Municipal Act.”
If nobody opposes McKechnie, he will be acclaimed to the position.
At Tuesday’s (June 16) meeting, council officially declared Fearrey’s old seat vacant, the first key step in finding a replacement. With County council meeting June 17, council voted among themselves to designate Casey as Dysart’s alternate at the upper tier, granting him voting powers.
Speaking to The Highlander, McKechnie said it would be an honour to follow in the footsteps of his friend, Fearrey.
“If that’s what council wants me to do, I’ll do it. I’m pretty sure my heart is there, in the right place. I’d have awful big shoes to fill,” said McKechnie, who chaired this week’s meeting.
It’s looking like being a three-way race to replace McKechnie as deputy mayor. Casey, coming to the end of his first term on council, has already declared for mayor in October’s election, and said he wanted to step up over the next few months. “Everyone knows the passion I have for the township and the County,” Casey said.
Wood-Roberts has spent 13 years on municipal council and said she’d be “more than willing and honoured” to serve as deputy for the final few months of the term. She confirmed on Tuesday she won’t be seeking re-election.
“It’s the end of my municipal career. I don’t think I have any sort of conflict.” she said.
Coun. Carm Sawyer said he thinks Casey or Wood-Roberts would be great fits but declared he’s seeking the role too. “I have no problem stepping up and doing it.”
Because of strict processes outlined in the Municipal Act, council cannot fill both the mayor and deputy positions at the same meeting. Once the mayor has been appointed, the seat of the councillor filling the role has to be declared vacant before it can be filled. It also has to be advertised to the public.
Because the deputy mayor position will be filled July 28 – 90 days from October’s election – council will not need to appoint a seventh member.
McKechnie will chair Dysart’s next regular meeting June 23, though will not be permitted to chair the July 7 meeting, per rules outlined in the Municipal Act. If appointed, McKechnie will run council meetings scheduled for July 28, Aug. 25, Sept. 22 and Oct. 13.
