Municipality of Chatham-Kent Council is set to decide on how to fill the vacancy left behind after veteran Councilor Steve Pinsonneault was elected as the MPP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex.
In a staff report, Judy Smith, director of municipal governance, is recommending to approve the method of asking the candidate having the next highest number of votes from the 2022 municipal election, being Moréna McDonald, to fill the vacancy.
Smith said if the recommendation is supported, McDonald should be sworn in as soon as possible.
The recommendations also before Council are to declare the office of Councillor – Ward 3 East Kent be declared vacant and also, should McDonald not be interested, administration be directed to prepare a by-law, for Council approval, ordering a by-election for Ward 3.
“There is approximately two and a half years remaining for the 2022 – 2026 term of office,” Smith said in her report.
“Time is of the essence in filling the vacancy in order to allow Ward 3 appropriate representation. There are two different methods for filling a vacancy, appointment or byelection.”
McDonald finished third in the 2022 election, gathering 1,161 votes, or 21.23%.
Pinsonneault topped the polls in 2022, with 2,049 votes, or 37.47%, while John Wright finished second with 1,727 votes, or 31.58%.
Smith said a by-election would cost approximately $75,000 and would take an estimated 75 and 90 days to complete.
Read the full report, here.
The recommendations are to be voted on at the Monday, May 13, 2024 Council meeting, which begins at 6 p.m. at the Civic Centre in Chatham.
