(County of Renfrew photo)
A massive shake-up could be made to the upcoming municipal election with one decision set to be considered this week.
The County of Renfrew will sit down this Wednesday, September 10th, to discuss a new bylaw that will allow voters in the 17 municipalities it oversees to directly elect someone for the position of Warden for a four-year term starting in 2026.
Currently, the warden’s role is elected annually by the members of County Council. However, a report from the county’s Corporate Services Committee suggests that constant turnover creates inconsistent leadership and weakens relationships with other governments.
It also notes that the county suspects that a provincial restructuring could happen without much notice and that demonstrating stable, accountable leadership is required in order to avoid being “indiscriminately lumped into some ill-fitting, sprawling entity.”
County staff are expected to send a draft bylaw out to each municipality in the near future, and it will be implemented if County Council, the majority of municipalities, and the majority of electors represented all support it by November 7th.
(written by Kasey Egan)
