After hearing the displeasure of three local residents last night regarding the Jan. 14 municipal byelection, town council will consider the possibility of implementing a succession bylaw.
Allan T. Bedard, Bill Krukoski, and Larry Wood collectively blasted council for spending taxpayers’ money to hold a byelection when they simply could have appointed the candidate with the seventh-most votes in the 2006 municipal election.
That was Ken Perry, who ended up winning the byelection by a wide margin anyway.
“We just concluded an unnecessary byelection that ought not to have taken place,” Bedard told council. “The message served on council was one of resounding support for appointment to fill the council vacancy by succession.
“This council refused to listen,” he charged.
Bedard added he wants council to implement a succession bylaw because it would remove council prejudice against any candidate who was next in succession in the municipal polls.
It also would establish permanent rules requiring the next in line to be appointed into the vacant position for the remaining term of council.
“If there is a problem with any given candidate, the next municipal election would address this matter in a democratic way,” argued Bedard.
Thirdly, Bedard said a succession bylaw would prevent council “from spending tax dollars on an unnecessary byelection, simply to remove an unwanted candidate, in an effort to place their friends or a special interest candidate into this vacancy.”
“I believe this byelection served a strong message on this council. That message is loud and clear—the citizens wants a succession bylaw so this costly, needless embarrassment may never happen again,” he added.
For his part, Krukoski called on council to bring forward, in a public forum, a procedural bylaw that will direct all future vacancies for the position of councillor or mayor be filled by succession—and even submitted a draft of a bylaw for council to consider.
Wood, meanwhile, stressed council has never resorted to a byelection to fill a vacancy in the town’s history, and needs a succession bylaw to ensure it never happens again.
(Coun. John Albanese pointed out, however, that in 2005, when he replaced the late Struchan Gilson, he was not appointed outright as the next in line, but actually got the seat only after a vote taken by the mayor and council of that time).
Wood also scolded council for “dramatically reversing its decision” after first saying it would appoint a candidate to fill Coun. Tannis Drysdale’s vacancy in September and then deciding in October to hold a byelection instead.
Coun. Rick Wiedenhoeft noted he also felt council needed a succession bylaw. He previously had made the point after the death of Coun. Gilson in August, 2005, and again last September once Coun. Drysdale resigned.
By contrast, council received a letter from local resident Gordon McTaggart last night in which McTaggart said he supported council calling a byelection as it maintained “the people’s right to choose.”
Mayor Roy Avis told the speakers a succession bylaw would be further discussed by the Administration and Finance executive committee, which would make a recommendation to council in the next 30 days.
In other news last night, a presentation from Heather Cram, of consultants Hilderman Thomas Frank and Cram, regarding the final report for the active transportation plan did not take place as scheduled.
It was postponed to a future meeting.
Also at last night’s meeting, council:
•passed a resolution on the appointment of mayor and council to serve on various boards, committees, and commissions (this was done in the wake of Ken Perry being elected as the newest councillor on Jan. 14);
•authorized an appeal to the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp. regarding a grant application for the proposed Fort Frances Library and Technology Centre;
•passed a bylaw to authorize the submission of an application for funding from the Municipal Infrastructure Investment Initiative for rehabilitation of the town’s water tower (the grant amount being applied for is $435,000—75 percent of the $580,000 cost); and
•passed a bylaw to approve a renewal agreement with Frank Cowan Company as insurance provider for the town from Nov. 1, 2007-Oct. 31, 2008.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
