NORTHWEST ONTARIO -- Now the official candidate lists are in, most councils in Northwestern Ontario are entering a lame duck period until the new councils are sworn in on Nov. 15.
Kenora, Sioux Lookout, Fort Frances and Dryden are municipalities currently in this situation.
Allyson Euler, the city clerk for Dryden, said their council entered the phase on Aug. 19, the deadline for nominations for the municipal elections.
She said the Municipal Act requires 75 per cent of council to run again in order to avoid a lame duck phase, meaning in Dryden, six of seven members from the current council would need to run as 75 per cent of seven is 5.25 and is rounded up to the next whole number.
Euler said with only three current councillors running again, city administration anticipated a lame duck period and made a presentation to council about it in July.
“What that means is the council is precluded on making decisions on some items during the lame duck period so that means, they can’t appoint or remove any officers of the city, they can’t hire or dismiss any employees of the city, they aren’t able to dispose of real or personal property of the city with a value over $50,000 and they can’t take on any expenditures or liabilities exceeding $50,000,” she said.
Euler said administration recommended council delegate the authority to do the four items to the chief administrative officer, so business can still get done if required.
However, she added there are some items that council cannot delegate. This includes the power to appoint or remove an officer of the municipality that requires an appointment for council. The clerk, treasurer, fire chief and chief building official falls under this. They also can’t delegate adopting an official plan or amendment, passing a zoning bylaw under planning act or delegating the power to adopt or amend the budget.
While most councils are in a lame duck period. At least one is not. The township of Morley had its entire council acclaimed on Monday.
