Applications close for the next Ward 1 councillor in Woolwich

Residents of Woolwich have less than a day to apply to the township if they are interested in representing Ward 1 until the next municipal election.

The council position was vacated earlier this year when former councillor Scott Hahn resigned, citing new job commitments.

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From that moment, Val Hummel said the township had 60 days to find a new councillor -- a deadline they intend to meet with time to spare.

"We will have it completed by March 6," said Hummel, who is the township's director of council and information services. "Well before the deadline."

Application rather than by-election

When Scott Hahn resigned, his position as a councillor could be filled in one of three ways.

Hummel said the township could hold a by-election, council could appoint the candidate who was the runner-up in the last municipal election, or council could appoint a new councillor through a public application process.

The cost would have been equal to doing ... two elections in one year almost.- Val Hummel

"They decided not to go with the by-election process, because we're relatively close to the 2018 municipal election and there's already a provincial scheduled for this year," she said.

"The cost would have been equal to doing ... two elections in one year almost, because we still have to mail out the voter notifications and pay for the internet voting system."

Hummel also noted that if Hahn had resigned six months later - after July 27th - his position would not have been filled at all, but would have remained vacant until the next municipal election in October.

Runner-up not appointed

Having decided against a by-election, council then had to decide whether it would appoint the runner-up from the last municipal election, or whether it would hold a public application process.

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On Jan. 24, Dan Holt wrote a letter to council, saying that if council decided "to select the fastest, least disruptive, and least expensive method of replacing Mr. Hahn my appointing the candidate with the next highest vote count I would be honored to accept that appointment."

According to the letter, Holt received 1036 votes in the 2014 election, putting him in third place behind Hahn and Patrick Merlihan, who were both elected to council.

But Hummel said council voted three to two in favour of a public application process to choose the new Ward 1 councillor.

That means anyone who lives in the township and is at least 18 years old can submit an application and be considered for the position.

As of noon Friday, 10 people - including Dan Holt -had applied for the position, and their names had been posted on the township's website. Applications will be accepted until 5:00 p.m.

Hummel said everyone who applies will be expected to make a presentation to council on Feb. 27, after which council will vote on which candidate they think should represent the ward.