Bruce County council is going to consider amending a by-law to extend the role of Warden and Deputy Warden to a two-year term.
This comes following a Striking Committee meeting on Aug. 1 which proposed extending the positions from one year to two.
While the committee did not recommend if the position should be extended, it is being brought to council for consideration.
A report from Clerk Linda White says, “the current governance structure provides for an annual election of the Warden and Deputy Warden positions, resulting in four elections being held during each term of council. This structure serves the county well and allows an annual opportunity for the members to be nominated for the position of Warden or Deputy Warden. An annual election also provides an opportunity for the workload of these positions to be shared over the term of council.”
The report adds since 2010, except for 2014, several members have served more than one year as Warden including Mitch Twolan, Janice Jackson, and the current Warden Chris Peabody.
By extending the term to two years, the report says it provides a continuity in leadership and government relations, benefits from greater experience, allows for longer-term goals to be accomplished, eliminates the annual transition period following the election, and reduces staff time putting together the election and orientation.
This change does also present a downside, as the report says there is a potential for reduced accountability or loss of interest, and reduce the chance for other council members to serve in the role.
Council will consider supporting this by-law change during its meeting on Sept. 5 at 9:30 a.m.