BLACK RIVER-MATHESON - Matheson council is supposed to meet tonight (April 9).
The last time that council publicly met was Jan. 23.
Its Feb. 13 meeting was cancelled due to a CUPE rally that day. Short of quorum, the Feb. 27, March 12 and March 26 meetings were cancelled. They did meet in-camera on Feb. 20.
Quarum hasn't been met because councillors Dave Dyment, Louise Gadoury and Steven Campsall are boycotting meetings and are trying to have the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing step in. If a municipal council can’t hold a meeting for 60 days because of a lack of quorum, the Municipal Act says that the Minister of Municipal Affairs may declare all of the seats vacant, triggering a byelection.
SEE: Three Matheson councillors boycotting meetings to try and force byelection
RELATED: Scheme to force Matheson byelection 'just not going to happen' predicts CAO
Here’s a look at what’s on the agenda:
- Ward 2 Coun. Keith Neal’s resignation from Feb. 20 as well as a Ward 2 replacement application process. Neal’s resignation was initially on the town’s Feb. 27 council meeting agenda.
- A report from CAO Chris Wray with a request for the Ministry of Municipal Affairs to conduct a review. f the township’s financial and administrative practices, policies and procedures. The request, according to the report, is in light of the township being the “subject of unfair and inappropriate criticism from some ratepayers through community Facebook pages.” Wray believes the “critics should come under the scrutiny of the” ministry. Wray’s report can be found here.
- A budget guideline report that will be used to adopt the 2024 operating and capital budgets along with a four-year forecasted budget. According to the report, the final report presentation of the budget and impact on tax rates is supposed to take place in June.
- A bylaw to appoint deputy chief building officials and the appointment of a new chief building official James Lefebvre.
- Correspondence from the solicitor general regarding Matheson’s OPP detachment building. In the town’s letter to Michael Kerzner in October, they said they’re deeply concerned about the implications of the closure and requested a meeting to further discuss the situation.
- Correspondence from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs dated March 18, 2024, discussing the duty of councillors to attend meetings and fill vacancies on council to “support the municipality and its operations.” The letter notes that cancelling meetings can “impact municipal services provided to the community and ultimately risk the municipality’s administrative and financial obligations,” like passing an annual budget.
Tonight’s meeting can be watched on the town’s YouTube channel here.
