Municipality of Trent Hills Mayor Bob Crate was sworn in today as 2021 Warden for Northumberland County. Warden Crate served as the County’s first Deputy Warden throughout 2020. County Council voted unanimously in favour of his nomination for the role of Warden at the November meeting of Council.
“It is an honor to accept the nomination of my Council colleagues for the position of Northumberland County Warden for 2021, and to join the ranks of community members who have stepped into public service and taken on this leadership role to make a difference in their community,” stated Warden Crate. “We have many priorities to tackle in the year ahead. At the centre of our work will be actions to support the well-being of our residents and to stimulate local economic recovery as we continue to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. I look forward to working closely with my fellow councillors, along with staff and with our community partners, to achieve progress and deliver value for the people of Northumberland County.”
Bob Crate is a lifelong resident of Hastings. Elected to council for the Municipality of Trent Hills as the Hastings Ward Councillor in 2010, he served as Deputy Mayor from 2012 until 2017, at which time he was appointed Mayor for the remainder of the term. In 2018, Bob was elected to continue serving as Mayor of the municipality.
As a sitting member of County Council since 2017, Warden Crate served as Deputy Warden throughout 2020. At today’s meeting of Council, Councillor Mandy Martin accepted the nomination to become 2021 Deputy Warden for Northumberland County. Councillor Martin will be sworn in at the January meeting of County Council.
The roles of both Warden and Deputy Warden are one-year terms, each filled by one of the seven members of County Council. The Warden and Deputy Warden are appointed based on a vote by Council or, in the case of a single candidate for each position, an acclamation.
Outgoing Warden Bob Sanderson thanked Council and staff for a productive year, reflecting on 2020 challenges and accomplishments. “It has been a true pleasure working with Council and staff on transformative initiatives that are making a difference to the residents and businesses of Northumberland. With the emergence of COVID-19 in our community, the County reacted swiftly to modify our operations and ensure the safety of staff and residents while continuing to deliver essential services. Despite this unprecedented situation, we were able to mark significant progress on affordable housing measures, community health and wellness initiatives, public engagement enhancements, infrastructure projects, and broadband and entrepreneurship strategies. I look forward to working with Warden Crate and County Council to advance key initiatives in 2021.”
Following the introduction of a Deputy Warden position in 2020, 2021 will mark a further change in County Council Governance with the launch of a committee structure. Council confirmed today the appointments to each committee. Chairs will include:
- Community Health: Councillor Gail Latchford
- Corporate Support: Deputy Warden Mandy Martin
- Economic Development, Tourism & Planning: Councillor Bob Sanderson
- Finance & Audit: Councillor Bill Cane
- Public Works: Councillor Brian Ostrander
- Social Services: Councillor John Henderson
Warden Crate as well as one additional member of Council will also serve as members of each committee. The first committee meetings will take place the week of January 11.
Release from Northumberland County
