Guelph-Eramosa Mayor Chris White has come out the victor of a closed-door, secret ballot to become Wellington County’s warden for the next two years.
Two weeks ago, White and Gord Tosh came forward as prospective candidates to lead Wellington for the next two years. However, at council on Dec. 10, only one name was nominated during the public meeting.
The same was true for the chairmanships of all the Wellington County committees. The public election was essentially a formality, with a secret ballot having taken place prior to the public meeting that morning.
No additional nominations were placed on the floor during the inaugural meeting.
The resolution before council to approve White’s appointment as warden for 2011-12 was quickly adopted. As the declaration of office was made Justice Cas Herold said the “clerk was so efficient, the name Chris White was already typed in.”
Following an eruption of laughter from the chamber, comments were made by clerk Donna Bryce clarifying the document was a ‘standby’.
“Whoops,” quipped Warden White before shaking the justice’s hand.
Following the public meeting on Dec. 10, former warden Joanne Ross-Zuj confirmed the decision regarding the head of council and committee chairmen were essentially made prior to the public meeting.
However, she believed the public elections remained an open process, since there was the potential that additional names could have been put on the table at that time.
She added the behind-closed-doors portion allowed new county councillors a chance to openly discuss and voice their opinions during the process.
However, despite being ratified later during open council, the decisions were made by a group which had not yet officially sworn in as county councillors for the coming term.
Other comments made by county councillors following the meeting suggested the behind-doors aspect allowed candidates to avoid embarrassment if not chosen as warden or as committee chairman.
The expression on Tosh’s face appeared to tell another tale, whether the decision was made behind closed doors or not, as he put forward White’s nomination during the public meeting.
County CAO Scott Wilson confirmed the county had gone back to the way it had previously selected the warden’s position, rather than holding the process in public. He stated the Municipal Act does not specifically state how the head of council is selected – only that it is a vote by secret ballot.
“Other types of vote are of no effect,” he said.
And while a paper ballot was cast during the closed-door session prior to the public council meeting, Wilson said no record was kept of what the actual vote for and against was.
He said the reason council moved back to the old process is “it is a more humane way of doing things,” especially if the person is there with family and friends.
Erin Mayor Lou Maieron, who in the past has advocated both openness and transparency at county council, was careful in a telephone interview about what he would state on the record regarding council reverting to the old way of doing business.
However, he did state the intent of the Municipal Act is to strive for openness and transparency, rather than find ways around them and, “To conduct it in such a manner, does not meet or eludes those goals.”
The decision to move back to the old way of doing things came prior to the new council being sworn in, even if the results of those decisions were later ratified by council.
Maieron said he would have been fine continuing an open vote for the committee chairmanships, even though the warden’s election would continue by secret ballot.
Maieron said what happened this year left him uncomfortable.
“Though not illegal, it went around the spirit of the Municipal Act (in terms of achieving openness and transparency,” he said.
