Yorkregion.com - Aurora - No byelection for council seat
No byelection for council seat
Aurora
May 08, 2008 09:56 PM
By: Simone Joseph
It is official: former councillor Grace Marsh will not be replaced through a byelection.
Aurora council voted 5-3 Tuesday night against a byelection, meaning a replacement will likely be appointed.
Following Mrs. Marsh’s resignation late last month, council had two choices to fill the seat: appoint a successor or hold a byelection.
Since this resignation comes so early into the four-year term, most municipalities would consider a byelection rather than an appointment, town clerk Bob Panizza said.
But a byelection could cost up to $40,000, he added.
The option to consider a byelection was defeated one week ago.
But, the motion was put back on the table this week.
Councillor Alison Collins-Mrakas, who voted in favour, was disappointed by the results.
“I am a strong proponent of open and accountable government,” she said.
Ms Collins-Mrakas is concerned about what she called ‘the silent majority’, people who assume there will be a byelection.
“We got a huge influx of e-mail demanding a byelection,” Ms Collins-Mrakas said.
“There are a constant stream.”
Mayor Phyllis Morris said she has received about 20 petition-type e-mail messages from people on both sides of the debate.
The anti-byelection messages argued the cost of a byelection would be closer to $100,000 than $40,000.
Many messages were against appointing a replacement and, instead, urged council to ‘do the democratic thing’ and have a byelection, Ms Morris said.
Mrs Morris said she is concerned people are misinterpreting the idea of appointing a replacement.
“When they hear ‘appointment’, it makes it seem like we are appointing someone off the street,” Ms Morris said.
Council will decide who is appointed as a replacement and how that person is appointed.
One option is to appoint John Gallo, who placed ninth in the last municipal election, just missing a spot on the eight-person council, according to Mr. Panizza.
The appointment options will be discussed at the next council meeting May 13.