In the community section of this website is dedicated to informing Pickering residents of the issues Councillor O’Connell supports and the legislation she is working to have implemented. Issues and legislation appear as threads (often accompanied with downloads and related links) organized from the most recent date of issue to least recent date of issue.
 

Pickering pushes for direct election of regional chairman
February 23, 2010
By Kristen Calis

PICKERING -- Pickering has officially added itself to the list of municipalities promoting the direct election of the regional chairman.


Currently, regional councillors vote on the Region's top job at the first meeting following a municipal election. Regional Chairman Roger Anderson has held the position since 1997.


In the 2006 municipal election, 89 per cent of Pickering residents voted in favour of direct election in a referendum on the topic that was held in Pickering, Ajax and Oshawa. Pickering council, however, didn't address the issue with the provincial government until now.


At its latest meeting, Pickering council passed two motions in support of direct election, and endorsed another one from the regional level.


Council approved a motion brought forward by Ward 3 City Councillor David Pickles that Pickering council officially request the Province to enact a regulation requiring the direct election of the regional chair.


"Tonight the passing of my motion made it formal and official Pickering supports the election of the Regional Chair," Coun. Pickles said after the meeting.

"Passing this motion addressed this important unfinished business of council."
Council also passed a motion introduced by Ward 1 City Councillor Jennifer O'Connell that Pickering officially reaffirm its position in support of direct election of the regional chairman.


Coun. Littley also brought forward a motion to council that she and Ajax Regional Councillor Colleen Jordan have filed with the Region. The motion asks Regional council to pass a bylaw that would put the question of direct election on all ballots throughout Durham's municipalities in the October municipal election.


Former Clarington Mayor John Mutton has been making rounds to various councils promoting direct election. He's made two stops at Pickering council. At his last visit he supported the first two motions, but was apprehensive of Coun. Littley's.


He found it would force municipalities to put the question on the ballot, rather than have individual councils do it themselves.


Coun. Littley disagreed, saying the motion is completely democratic as it will put the question out to all residents of Durham.

"You can't make this go forward without asking them," she said.

In the end, council supported Coun. Littley's motion. The earliest an election could be held for chairman would be 2014.