Cambridge council set to examine options for vacant Ward 1 seat
Cambridge city council will be looking at the options available to fill the Ward 1 seat left vacant after Coun. Donna Reid died earlier this month.
On Tuesday, council will examine the two options to fill the seat – either through a byelection or through an appointment process.
On Aug. 13, the city announced Reid had died, and on Aug. 15 council made the declaration of vacancy of the Ward 1 councillor position, triggering the 60 day countdown for the municipality to choose an option to fill the seat.
According to the report by Cambridge City Clerk Danielle Manton, Ward 1 is made up of approximately 13,369 electors.
In the 2022 Municipal Election, Ward 1 had 3,158 voters cast ballots for the role of Ward 1 councillor. The election saw 2,076 votes cast via internet voting and 1,082 votes cast in person.
BYELECTION OPTION
If council chooses the byelection route, there are multiple options for methods of voting, including internet voting only, paper ballot with tabulator, internet voting and paper ballot with tabulator and paper ballot with a manual count.
Choosing to fill the vacancy through a byelection means that Ward 1 will be vacant for approximately three months from the date that council declared the vacancy.
The clerk is responsible for fixing the date of nomination day to be a day not less than 30 days and not more than 60 days after Council passes a bylaw to hold the byelection, the report reads.
The proposed timeline in the report indicated council would begin a nomination period on Sept. 5, with advance voting beginning Nov. 1.
The official results would occur on Nov. 14, and on Nov. 28 the new councillor would be sworn in.
BY APPOINTMENT OPTION
If city council choses to go with an appointment process, the city can appoint a Ward 1 candidate from the 2022 who received the most number of votes in the previous municipal election.
Data from the Association of Municipalities Ontario (AMO) shows the 2022 municipal election for Ward 1 runner up was Helen Shwery with 1,062 votes.
Another option is to appoint an eligible elector without a formal selection process, meaning council may choose to fill the vacancy by appointing any qualified individual.
Lastly, council can appoint an eligible elector through an established formal selection process, which would permit interested, eligible persons to submit an application for appointment to council.
FINANCIAL COST
If council chooses to fill the vacancy by byelection, it is estimated that the costs of conducting the byelection will be between $20,000 and $50,000, the report reads.
This estimate is based on cost estimates the City Clerk has obtained and on the number of eligible electors in Ward 1.
Following the 2020 by-election for Ward 7, the 2022 Municipal Election and the resumption of the Catholic District School Board Election, the balance in the Election Reserve is currently $61,970, the report says.
If a byelection is selected by council, staff recommend funding the additional costs from the rate stabilization reserve fund which is intended to be used to offset extraordinary one-time pressures.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
BREAKING 15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Nylander defends Leafs' core after playoff exit, Toronto again picks up the pieces
The Maple Leafs battled back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Boston Bruins with consecutive 2-1 victories - including one that required extra time - in their first-round playoff series to push the club's Original Six rival to the limit before suffering a devastating Game 7 overtime loss.
Amid climate change warnings, Canadians lukewarm on electric vehicles
Amid scientists' warnings that nations need to transition away from fossil fuels to limit climate change, Canadians are still lukewarm on electric vehicles, according to a study conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.
Three dead, two hospitalized, following collision in Fredericton: police
Three people have died and two have been hospitalized after a speeding car struck a tree and landed on another vehicle in Fredericton Sunday morning.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Madonna's biggest-ever concert transforms Rio's Copacabana beach into a massive dance floor
Madonna put on a free concert on Copacabana beach Saturday night, turning Rio de Janeiro's vast stretch of sand into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans.