Run-off vote needed to decide council nominating committee

BY KIRK STARRATT

kstarratt@kentvilleadvertiser.ca

NovaNewsNow.com

The appointment of Kings County council’s nominating committee wasn’t without its twists and turns. Councillors decided who would serve on the committee following the swearing-in of the new council and the elections of warden and deputy warden at the November session.

Under Bylaw 54, the Nominating Committee Bylaw, council may elect or authorize the warden to appoint a nominating committee. The committee is made up of the warden and three councillors and it will file its report with council at the December monthly session.

Deputy Warden Diana Brothers nominated councillor Janet Newton for the committee. Councillor Wayne Atwater nominated councillor Jim Taylor. Councillor John Fuller nominated Atwater. Councillor Eric Smith nominated Fuller.

Newton withdrew her name from the list of committee nominees. Fuller, Taylor and Atwater said they were willing to let their names stand.

Brothers nominated councillor Dick Killam, who accepted the nomination. Since the committee is made up of three councillors and the warden, a vote was needed to decide which councillors would serve. Killam said he would withdraw his name to prevent the need for a vote.

Brothers asked if the deputy warden didn’t serve on the nominating committee as of right. Warden Fred Whalen said this was not the case. However, Newton nominated Brothers, who accepted. It was pointed out to Killam that a vote would therefore still be required so Killam allowed his nomination to stand.

Three-way tie for second

Councillors voted from the pool of nominees and municipal solicitor Don Urquhart and Corporate Services director Bill McKennan served as scrutineers, tallying the results. They reappeared moments later and Urquhart announced that a majority had elected Killam, but there was a three-way tie for second place among Brothers, Atwater and Taylor. Fuller’s name was dropped from the pool of nominees and a run-off was held to determine who would serve in the two remaining spots.

Taylor and Brothers were chosen in the run-off vote. The nominating committee will be made up of Whalen, Killam, Brothers and Taylor. A motion carried to destroy the ballots and tally sheets.

It has been the practice of council that, in an election year, newly elected councillors serve on the committees on which their predecessors served during November and until the report of the nominating committee is presented.

Staff requested that former councillor Barry Peterson continue to serve on the regional sewer committee until the end of the year, but Brothers asked if it wasn’t policy that the representative must be a current councillor. She said Newton had expressed an interest in serving on the committee.

Time constraints and complexity

Whalen referred the matter to Chief Administrative Officer Brian Smith. Smith said the reason for the request is the committee is involved in rather technical subject matter at this time and it would be good for continuity if Peterson continued to serve. He said Peterson was willing to do it as a favour to the municipality.

Newton said she learned while campaigning that there was outrage with the sewer rate.

“I realized I should be taking a greater interest in the regional sewer,” she said.

Councillor Basil Hall, who replaces Peterson, said he has time constraints relating to his business at this time of year. He said he is willing to help out if he can, but he wouldn’t mind if Newton wanted to serve.

It was decided Newton will serve on the regional sewer committee and be coached by Peterson until she is brought up to speed on the committee’s work.

Council approved a resolution to appoint Killam, new District 3 councillor; Dale Lloyd, new District 8 councillor; and Hall, new District 9 councillor, to the committees that former councillors Madonna Spinazola, Ted Palmer and Peterson had served on until the report of the nominating committee is presented in December.