Strong Warden may trump Lame Duck, Deputy Warden warns

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By Cecilia Nasmith

In preparing for the Lame Duck period that precedes every municipal election, Northumberland County council got a warning this week from Deputy Warden Mandy Martin that it may all become meaningless.

Martin was referring to the news that the provincial government may create and confer Strong Warden powers to upper-tier municipalities in the near future.

These would be modelled on the Strong Mayor powers that the province gave four of Northumberland's seven municipalities last year, which allow the mayor in question sole discretion in setting a budget, near-unassailable veto powers, and certain hiring and firing privileges, among others.

“I just want you to know, if you have Strong Warden powers, they trump this,” Martin said - “just so everybody knows.”

Should the province not take this step prior to the municipal election, county council approved the report setting out how council will function in certain circumstances during the Lame Duck period.

This would be Aug. 21 (the deadline for prospective candidates to declare for office) through Election Day on Oct. 26. The period would be extended to the end of the current term of council (Nov. 14) in the event that election results determine that five or fewer incumbent councillors will be returning.

In that event, during the Lame Duck period and until the new county council is organized on Dec. 9, council cannot appoint or remove any officer of the municipality from office, cannot hire or dismiss any employee of the municipality, cannot make any expenditures or incur any liability exceeding $50,000, and cannot dispose of any municipal property with a value exceeding $50,000 at the time of disposal.

For that interim period, that authority belongs to the county's Chief Administrative Officer and Director of Finance.