The swearing in Tuesday of Mayor-elect Matthew Shoemaker and the new City Council will end months of “lame duck” restrictions on the city’s top decision makers. So far, few details have been released about the opening council meeting, but we do know it will be held at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday at the Ronald A. Irwin Civic Center. In recent years, the city clerk has presided over the four-year swearing-in. The local event is traditionally held with much fanfare, including bagpipes, drums, native and choral singers, prayers and increasingly, the most beautiful babies of the Northern Ontario Council. Since nominations for the election closed in mid-August, Sault Ste. Marie City Council has balked at what are commonly referred to as “lame-duck” restrictions. This term never appears in the Ontario Municipal Act, but with Mayor Christian Provenzano, Ward 1 Coun. Paul Christian and Ward 4 Coun. Rick Niro resigning from city politics, our council found itself bound by prohibitions on:
the appointment or removal from office of any officer of the municipality the hiring or firing of any employee of the municipality the disposition of any real or personal property of the municipality the value of which exceeds $50,000 at the time of the disposition incur any expenses or incur any other liability in excess of $50,000
The province imposes these restrictions on outgoing term-limited politicians to ensure that decisions are made by councils that are still accountable to the community, preventing politicians not seeking re-election from making unwise decisions that bind the incoming council.
But the bonds will be lifted the moment our new board is sworn in, leaving them free to hire, fire or spend as they please. Although city council meetings are usually held every third Monday in Sault Ste. Marie, next week’s opening meeting will be on Tuesday because the new term officially starts that day. Here is the agenda: Meanwhile, city staff are working out which offices will go to which aldermen.
This is the rule they must follow on Tuesday: Since members are elected by sections and the room is divided into two sides or rows, one member from each section shall sit in each row or side. The member with the longest continuous service shall sit at the end of the row or on the side nearest the head of the council. Where seniority is equal, positions are designated alphabetically by last name. The order of positions is valid for the entire duration of the term. The inaugural city council meeting will be broadcast live on SooToday from 4.30pm. of Tuesday. The following will be sworn in:
Mayor: Matthew Shoemaker Ward 1: Sandra Hollingsworth Section 1: Sonny Spina Division 2: Luke Dufour Section 2: Lisa Vezeau-Allen Section 3: Angela Caputo Section 3: Ron Zagordo Section 4: Marchy Bruni Section 4: Stephan Kinach Ward 5: Corey Gardy Ward 5: Matthew Scott
