Tuesday March 26: public meeting on extending the term of office of the county warden

By Kate Harries AWARE News Network March 18 2013

Simcoe County is soliciting public input on its plan to extend the term of office of the county warden from the current two years to a proposed four years. A  public meeting is set for Tuesday, March 26 at 10 a.m. in the Council Chambers at the Simcoe County Administration Centre, 1110 Highway 26, in Midhurst. 

Extending the warden’s term of office is an important change to the governance of Simcoe County, and should be the subject of full democratic discussion thoughout the county before any change is put in place. 

Proponents of the extension say it will provide stability and deepen relationships with other levels of government and stakeholders.

Opponents – and this includes the AWARE Simcoe board after discussion at our March 14 meeting – say a two-year term means county councillors (your mayors and deputy mayors) can hold the warden accountable halfway through the four-year term of council.

After all, they choose the warden from among themselves at the beginning of a four-year council term, when those who are newly elected have little idea of the record and ability of the candidates for the office. At the last election there was a 50 per cent changeover in the composition of county council.

We believe county councillors need to be able to take stock midway through their term. We believe accountability ensures responsibility, whereas leaving the same person in place for four years breeds complacency. 

Simcoe County also wants to change its committee system  – although this does not appear to be the subject of the public meeting next Tuesday. The county has to have a bylaw in place by December this year for any governance changes in time for the December 2014 municipal election.

This is an important meeting and we urge you to attend. Any member of the public can make written or verbal representation in support of or against the proposed term extension. Written comments can be sent to Brenda Clark, Clerk, County of Simcoe, Administration Centre, 1110 Highway 26, Midhurst, Ontario L0L 1X0.