County Warden John Green announced near the end of the Oct. 30 county council meeting that he will not be a candidate for a third consecutive year in the chair.
Prior to the 1999 amalgamation, wardens held the position for only one year, and there was a certain amount of lobbying, but, generally, long serving members received “a turn” in the chair.
But amalgamation in 1999 brought numerous changes. One key recommendation made in the amalgamation report was to elect a warden directly, by all citizens, rather than by county council alone.
While that recommendation was never adopted, there were some changes made. Puslinch Mayor Brad Whitcombe managed to win a second term in the chair, and then won a third term the following year. Green has now served two terms.
Green acknowledged there is now a fair amount of politics involved in the selection of a warden, whose salary is $76,492 this year, and it will rise by three per cent for each of the next three years.
Green stated, after his announcement, “Let the games [politics] begin.”
Green also acknowledged that there are likely to be bids by councillors to change the way the county has run. For example, there has been a bid every term by at least one councillor to change the rules and follow the top recommendation from the amalgamation report, so the warden gets chosen by the people instead of county council.
Green also suggested councillors give some thought to if they like the current committee setup, or if they want changes. He noted that any changes to governance of county council must be completed in 2009 to take effect for the 2010 municipal elections.
As for the warden’s job, Wellington North Mayor Mike Broomhead, has already announced that he is planning to run for the job. Last week, Centre Wellington Mayor Joanne Ross-Zuj also tossed her hat into the ring for warden. There is also talk that there is at least one other councillor considering a run at the top job on council.
