As London city councillors get set to debate how to fill two open seats around the horseshoe, two members have put forward their plan to replace their former colleagues.
Jesse Helmer and Maureen Cassidy have sent a letter to other councillors, explaining their preferred method for filling the seats vacated by Arielle Kayabaga in September and Phil Squire earlier this month.
Rather than appointing John Fyfe-Millar, the Ward 13 runner-up in 2018, as a city committee voted to do earlier this month, Helmer and Cassidy have asked that the process be extended.
https://twitter.com/jesse_helmer/status/1451190906615263235
"We believe it is important that this process be fair, open and transparent, especially if Municipal Council decides to fill these two vacancies by appointment rather than by holding byelections. We also believe it is important that the same process is used to fill both vacancies, and that we act promptly as a council to fill those vacancies at the same time, in the same way. Finally, we believe that incumbency is generally a significant advantage in a municipal election campaign, and that anyone who is appointed to fill one of these two vacancies should commit to not seeking election to the same council seat in the 2022 election," the two wrote in their letter.
Their letter expressed concern that the committee recommended a replacement for the Ward 13 vacancy and not the Ward 6 one.
"Because the report from Corporate Services Committee contains different recommendations for the two vacancies, we are seeking support for several related motions. Our intent is to fill both vacancies at the same time, in the same way, at or before our next council meeting on 16 November 2021," they said in the letter.
However, Squire's seat is yet to be declared vacant. That can't happen until there is a meeting of full council, and the meeting on October 26 will be the first since Squire's surprise resignation on October 12.
Mike Bloxam finished second to Squire in 2018. Some members of council have publicly expressed a desire to appoint second place finishers to the vacant seats. Others, like Helmer and Cassidy, want to take applications from the community to fill the role, with a promise that those who take on the job will not run for re-election.
However, nobody can be barred from running unless they have violated Ontario's Municipal Act in some way.
The two will also put forward a motion that could lead to Fyfe-Millar being ineligible, according to the letter.
"If the motion to refer is defeated, and the committee recommendation is defeated, that will be a decided matter of council. We would prefer to give Mr. Fyfe-Millar a fair chance alongside any other people who may apply to fill the vacancy in Ward 13," they wrote.
Squire left his seat to serve on the Consent and Capacity Board, a provincial body, which prevents him from holding municipal office.
Kayabaga was elected the MP for London West on September 20. Prior to her election win, she had been on leave since the start of the federal election campaign on August 15.