All Options Still On the Table for Replacing Port Hope Councillor

Pete Fisher
9 months ago
• Categories: City Hall, Local

The final decision for replacing former Port Hope Chris Collins will be decided tomorrow (Tuesday, March 5, 2024) at Port Hope Council.

But Port Hope Mayor Olena Hankivsky told Today’s Northumberland she encourages citizens to e-mail in to help with the decision.

Collins was appointed to a Justice of the Peace in January and as part of the Peace Act was no longer eligible to serve as a member of council for the Municipality of Port Hope.

Collins was first elected to council in October 2022. He was one of two members who represented residents in the rural area of the Municipality.

In accordance with the Municipal Act, when a member resigns, Council is required to declare that seat vacant at its next meeting. Council has 60 days after declaring a seat vacant to either appoint an individual to fill the vacancy or pass a by-law declaring a by-election.

Hankivsky said the decision will be made at tomorrow’s council.

The choices for council are a by-election, an appointment process or an application selection process that would allow Ward 2 to be very much engaged in shaping that process, shaping the content what applicants maybe asked to address as well as give feedback to the council on who their preferred candidate might be.

“All of the options have their strengths and their weaknesses,” said Hankivsky.

“As I understand it, there are still a number of people in Ward 2 that are unaware that we have this council seat to fill. And it’s very important to us to hear from as many people between now and tomorrow evening.”

Hankivsky invites people if they have a thought or comment to send it to clerk@porthope.ca.

“It’s very important to this council to hear from a broad range of the public in Ward 2.”