Quinte West City Council will be declaring the seat of late councillor Sally Freeman vacant at its meeting on Wednesday.
Freeman passed away on October 22, following a lengthy illness.
A councillor’s seat must be declared vacant if there is a resignation or a death, and council must make a decision in
regards to how to fill that vacancy.
Council will be presented with three options to fill the Ward 1 – Trenton seat.
Options include authorizing a by-election, appointing an individual that meets the eligibility requirements for holding municipal office in the City of Quinte West, or authorizing the City Clerk to accept applications from eligible applicants.
Whichever option council selects must be done within 60 days.
In this term, council had previously opted to go with the appointment process following the passing of Councillor Terry Cassidy.
In that decision, council decided to go against next in line for Ward 2 – Sidney, which would have been Allan Dewitt, and selected Karen Sharpe for the role.
Sharpe had lost her mayoral bid for the 2022 election following two terms in Sidney Ward as a councillor.
If council decides to go with the appointment process for the Ward 1 – Trenton seat, the next in line from the 2022 election would be Leslie Roseblade.
Whoever fills the seat would serve the remaining term of council through November 14, 2026.
