GODERICH — The waiting game for four Huron County municipal councillors will continue regarding whether or not they will be reinstated at Huron County council.
That’s because a judge in Toronto Jan. 5 allowed an appeal from Central Huron and Huron East to go forward concerning a recent ruling from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice that reduced the size of Huron County council from 20 members to 16 members. As previously reported, losing their seats on council were South Huron’s David Frayne, North Huron’s David Riach, Central Huron’s Brian Barnim and Huron East’s Bill Siemon.
Central Huron and Huron East appealed the ruling, which upheld Huron County’s Bylaw 28-1999 that states each municipality receives one seat on county council and additional seats based on increments of 4,000 electors. South Huron, North Huron, Central Huron and Huron East each lost a seat because their number of electors dropped after the 2010 election.
A judge in Toronto Jan. 5 agreed the appeal from Central Huron and Huron East could proceed. It will be heard Jan. 31, much quicker than a wait of several months expected by the county.
At the Jan. 4 Huron County council meeting in Goderich, councillors decided after a lengthy discussion that the county would defend its bylaw during the appeal.
The appeal postponed new Warden Bernie MacLellan’s plans for a strategic planning session, which was to take place Jan. 6.
Not all councillors agreed with postponing the session, including Coun. Joe Steffler of Huron East, who argued that the strategic planning session should go ahead as scheduled and councillors should look forward for the betterment of the county.
Steffler said he thinks it’s a mistake to wait until after the appeal for the strategic planning session. ...please read more in this weeks Wingham Advance Times