WCDSB vacant trustee seat remains empty, WRDSB going ahead with two appointments
While Waterloo region's catholic school board still doesn't know how it will fill its empty trustee seat, the region's public school board is going ahead with an appointment process for its two empty seats.
It was a night of indecision at the Waterloo Catholic District School Board (WCSDB) trustee meeting, as trustees went back and forth trying to find the best approach to fill a vacant seat.
The board is looking to fill the seat of former trustee Wendy Ashby, who resigned last week following several calls for her to vacate the publicly elected position after a series of controversial now-deleted tweets were shared online.
On Monday night, trustees decided not to have a by-election to fill the seat, but still haven't figured out how to appoint someone.
“I do think choosing a candidate that Kitchener-Wilmot voters had voted for, as the next in line, is the most democratic for me,” chair Tracy Weiler said.
Some trustees expressed confusion over how to proceed with filling the seat for the remaining three years of the term, and whether runners-up from the actual election last fall could be automatically considered.
After voting down the idea of a by-election, trustees discussed a number of appointment options, but never made a decision.
"We shouldn't be trying to say, what were the Kitchener electorate trying to get out of their candidate? Or the Cambridge electorate, or anyone else?," trustee Linda Cuff asked the room. "This is, simply put, who do we feel will be the best for this job, and who do we feel will actually provide the commitment for it.”
Trustees have opted to delay the process and get a legal opinion on what the next steps should be.
WRDSB going ahead with appointment process for two vacant seats
Meanwhile, at the Waterloo Region District School Board trustee meeting, a long debate led to them going ahead with their appointment process to fill their two vacant seats.
Back on May 16, trustees voted in favour of filling their vacant seats by appointment following the passing of Fred Meissner and the resignation of Marie Snyder.
An ad hoc committee formed to create the appointment process, which trustees debated at their Monday night meeting.
"There's not one place in this process where we are actually including the people of Wellesley and Woolwich or Waterloo and Wilmot," said trustee Cindy Watson.
The reccomended process has people applying online for the positions, trustees hearing from a short list of candidates, and then deciding on two.
"We could potentially appoint someone who got zero votes because they were not on the ballot," said trustee Mike Ramsay.
Some trustees argued at the meeting tha tthey would like to see runners-up from the election last fall appointed instead.
"The candidates who did not win, did not win for many reasons, the people spoke," said trustee Carla Johnson. "To simply give them the job would simply undo and undermine the voices of the many people who turned out and voted in the fall."
The appointment proccess reccomended by the committee suggests a posting for the position will go live Wednesday, with trustees set to vote on the candidates June 28.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
WHO likely to issue wider alert on contaminated cough syrup
The World Health Organization is likely to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made children's cough syrup found in Nigeria last week, it said in an email.
WATCH Video shows dramatic police takedown of carjacking suspects chased through parking lot north of Toronto
Police have released video footage of a dramatic takedown of a group of teens wanted in connection with an attempted carjacking in Markham earlier this month.
Canada, G7 urge 'all parties' to de-escalate in growing Mideast conflict
Canada called for 'all parties' to de-escalate rising tensions in the Mideast following an apparent Israeli drone attack against Iran overnight.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.