New Tec Ward 5 vacancy draws 14 candidates, selection next Monday night

AWARE Simcoe board member Stephanie MacLellan is among those who have applied to represent Ward 5

New Tecumseth Free Press Online

New Tecumseth council will hold a special meeting on Mon., Nov. 20, beginning at 7 pm to fill the Ward 5 seat left vacant following the elevation of Donna Jebb to Deputy Mayor.

There were 14 people who submitted applications during the two week nomination period, which closed yesterday at 2 pm.

Below are the candidates in alphabetical order, along with the Ward they live in:

Peter W. Anderson, Ward 4
Peter Barbati, Ward 5
Zachery Giuliani, Ward 5
Doug Kowalinski, Ward 6
Stephanie MacLellan, Ward 5
Bob Marrs, Ward 3
Alan Masters, Ward 6
Terry Meginnis, Ward 6
Laurie Mortimer ,Ward 2
Kennard Pratt, Ward 2
Cam Simone Ward 3
Stuart Starbuck Ward 8
Erwin van Laar Ward 4
David Wood, Ward 8

The only voters are New Tecumseth’s nine members of council. Candidates’ names will be displayed on a projection screen.

Each candidate will be permitted up to ten minutes to address council, and councillors will be provided the opportunity to ask each candidate two questions.

Councillors will vote for one person, and each ballot will be read aloud by the Clerk. A candidate receiving at least one-half of the votes cast on the first ballot, will win.

If there are no spoiled ballots, the majority is five votes. If a voting card is not properly marked, it will be deemed to be spoiled and not counted. Examples of a spoiled voting card include, but are not limited to, writing the name of more than one (1) candidate on the card, where the voting intent is not clear (illegible writing) or writing the name of a person who is not a certified candidate.

Short of a majority, a second round of balloting will take place excluding the candidate or candidates who received the fewest number of votes. During the round(s) of voting, all candidates receiving zero votes shall be automatically eliminated and excluded from further consideration.

Where there is a tie for the fewest number of votes received, the Clerk will draw all but one candidate’s name to continue in the subsequent round of voting. The name of the candidate not drawn by the Clerk will be excluded from the next round of voting.

A process of elimination will be repeated until one candidate receives at least five votes.

Where the votes cast are equal for all the candidates and if there are three or more candidates remaining, the Clerk shall by Lot select one such candidate to be excluded from the subsequent voting by placing the candidates’ names into a container on equal sizes of paper and drawing the unsuccessful candidate; If only two candidates remain, the tie will be broken by selecting a candidate by Lot to fill the vacancy, as conducted by the Clerk. The Clerk shall place the two candidates’ names into a container on equal sizes of paper and draw the successful candidate.

Upon conclusion of the voting, the Clerk will declare the candidate receiving the votes of more than one-half of the number of the voting members of Council or the candidate selected through the tie-breaker, the winner, and will be sworn into office for the remainder of this term.

Ward councillors are paid a basic annual remuneration of $20,874, health/dental benefits (value of approximately $6,650) car allowance of $1,020, in addition to other expenses – phone, special meeting per diems.

Candidates seeking appointment