All councillors are created equal, but when it comes to the workload for committees at county council, it has been anything but that.
Warden Chris White told councillors on Nov. 24 he is offering a solution to the shortage of committee seats and hopes councillors will be willing to debate it at their Dec. 9 council meeting.
Last month, several councillors complained they have one committee while others who are committee chairmen have two.
Those with one felt they have less influence.
At that time, White offered them an opportunity to change the committees on which they were sitting, but announced on Nov. 24 nobody had asked for a switch.
He also said he might have found a solution – by creating an economic development committee. That has been an ad hoc group for over a year.
White said if everyone is agreeable to an economic development committee “it gives us four more seats” to distribute to councillors. “It allows us to deal with the shortage of seats.”
He added that, as promised, in January, council will deal with the issue of all committees, but this is something than can be done in the short term.
The warden’s suggestion elicited some joking in the council chamber.
Councillors Ray Tout called the warden “a very smart and intelligent man.”
That caused councillor Ken Chapman to ask, “So, what does [Tout] want?
White quipped. “Councillor Tout gets a committee.”
“Councillor Lou Maieron added in jest, “And a new bridge.”
Nothing further on the issue was discussed.
