Written By Jan Sims
MIDDLESEX CENTRE - Middlesex Centre council voted unanimously to approach the runner-up in the 2022 municipal election to fill the vacancy in Ward 1; the area of the municipality that takes in Ilderton.
The position was left open following the resignation of Debbie Heffernan last month. Heffernan stepped down from the post, citing personal reasons.
The council vote paves the way for Municipal Clerk James Hutson, to approach the runner up in the race. Heffernan won the election with 615 votes compared to Jean Coles who got 494 votes.
Council voted in favor of taking the next step in appointing a successor, which also involves determining whether the person would meet the qualifications for sitting on council. That includes someone who’s at least 18-years-old, a Canadian citizen, and meets the residency requirements of Middlesex Centre.
The vote was taken following the presentation of a staff report by Hutson, which outlined the options open to council for filling the vacancy. The report notes that appointing a qualified person was the decision taken by previous councils in 2016 and 2020 when vacancies arose. “When compared with other methods, appointment of the next-place finisher would be the most cost effective and time efficient means of filling the seat,” according to the staff report. The report notes that the appointment would go before council for confirmation at the end of October.
The costs of the different options were also outlined in the staff report. Appointing someone to the position is the least costly, involving $250 for the publication of the appointment. The most expensive option involves holding a by-election. The cost of that was estimated at more than $35,000. A by-election would have involved a nomination period that would last until early December with voters going to the polls in January 2025.
