Port Hope council opts to appoint election runner-up to fill Ward 2 vacancy

After two defeated motions, Port Hope council opted to choose to appoint the first-runner up in Ward 2 from the 2022 municipal election, Darrell Toms, to fill its vacant seat at Tuesday night’s committee-of-the-whole meeting.

Chris Collins resigned last month after being appointed a justice of the peace by the province. He was one of council’s two Ward 2 rural representatives. 

Mayor Olena Hankivsky said Tuesday night in her discussions with council members, the unanimous opinion was that a Ward 2 constituent should fill the vacant seat, either by the by-election or different appointment options.

Councillor Adam Pearson put forward a motion calling for a by-election, calling it the most democratic process, but only garnered support from Councillor Vicki Mink, the other Ward 2 representative, as the motion was defeated.

Councillor Les Andrews favoured the appointment by application option, but only Mayor Hankivsky voted in agreement.

The mayor then put forward the motion to go with option appointment from the 2022 election, adding that staff approach the first runner-up in third place. Deputy Mayor Claire Holloway Wadhwani and councillors Todd Attridge and Pearson supported that motion with Andrews and Mink opposed.

Mayor Hankivsky said all the choices available were democratic as they were options available through the municipal act. 

Mink and Collins both received more than 600 votes in the last election and the next highest vote getter was Darrell Toms who received 374.

Toms will be approached by municipal staff to ensure he is still a qualified candidate and is interested in the position.

There was much debate during the meeting and Holloway Wadhwani reminded Ward 2 citizens that council was meeting in committee of the whole and if they think council made the wrong decision, to reach out to councillors. The decision won’t be formalized until the March 5 council meeting.