Filling the vacant mayor position in the Township of North Shore is not going as smoothly as some people might have hoped.
Mayor Randi Condie resigned November 30th and the mayor’s seat was declared vacant at the December 18th council meeting.
Council did consult with constituents, but no clear choice was provided as to whether to fill the vacancy by appointment or to host a by-election.
Under the Ontario Municipal Act, within 60 days of declaring a seat vacant, the decision must be made as to how to fill it.
At this week’s meeting, council tabled two motions, one to fill the vacancy by appointment, the second by holding a by-election.
Both votes ended in a tie, effectively leaving council deadlocked.
The township will now seek legal advice to see whether the courts will have to make the final decision.