Wollaston Township adjusts council

By Jim Eadie

Wollaston Township council had a special meeting on Feb. 8 in order to accept the resignation of Deputy-reeve Marilyn Brickles, and to select her replacement at the council table. In the end, council had to resort to flipping a coin.

The first resolution to appoint Councillor Bob Ireland to the position of deputy-reeve was not carried. A tie vote was recorded when councillors Michael Fuerth and Lynn Kruger voted against the resolution. Under the meeting rules, a tie vote means the resolution does not carry.

The second resolution to appoint Fuerth to the position of deputy-reeve was similarly not carried when Reeve Graham Blair and Ireland voted against it, creating a second tie vote.

Both Ireland and Fuerth were interested filling the position, so a way to break the deadlock had to be devised and agreed upon.

A third resolution was put forward to make the decision “by the toss of a coin by a member of the public in attendance.” The coin toss was won by Fuerth, who was then appointed as new Wollaston Township deputy-reeve.

“After some discussion, council resolved to fill the vacant council seat by appointing the candidate who ran for the position of councillor in the most recent election who received the most votes but was not elected,” said township clerk Jennifer Cohen. “The candidate is David Naulls, having received 273 votes in the 2014 municipal election.”

Naulls was sworn in at the next regular council meeting on Feb. 14.

“There was no question about doing it when I was asked,” Naulls told Bancroft This Week. “It is a big challenge, and I am up for it. I have a lot of experience working with people, and bringing people together. I would like to see what is broken, and help work on solutions. I plan to get out and talk to people in Wollaston so I can make educated decisions.”