Essex council to consider filling mayoral vacancy as election looms this fall

Essex town council is weighing options to fill its mayoral seat as Larry Snively resigns from his post after pleading guilty to violating Ontario's Election Act this month.

Councillors are left to work out a path forward for the seat, deciding between calling a byelection or appointing someone to the position.

The vacant seat comes less than a year before a municipal election will take place, potentially complicating the process.

"It's very political now, right. With an election right around the corner everybody is jockeying for a position," said Ward 4 Coun. Sherry Bondy. 

Bondy has put forward the name of Ron Rogers, who was the 2018 runner up for the mayoral seat. She calls his appointment the "most logical option." She said choosing someone who didn't run for the position would be "ethically wrong."

"He is more than competent and capable of chairing the meetings for the next nine months and then it doesn't really give anyone an unfair advantage going into the fall election," said Bondy.

Last week Snively pleaded guilty to "procuring" ineligible voters to cast ballots during the Ontario town's October 2018 municipal election.

Bondy said while she is planning to run for mayor in the fall 2022 election, she does not want to be appointed to the position.

The councillor said she hopes the solution can be decided upon in the "most fair and least disruptive way," something Coun. Morley Bowman agrees with.

"There's so many things happening in the community. Development is moving forward very quickly and we certainly don't want to inhibit that in any way," he said.

Rogers told CBC News he would 'absolutely' be interested in taking the seat, but wouldn't say if he intends to run in the 2022 election.

"I would like to lead council best I could," said Rogers, who has served on various municipal councils in the past.

"Certainly there must be some issues that are looking for solutions quickly, and I would just jump in with both feet and certainly look at council and administration for guidance and background on a lot of the issues," he continued.

University of Windsor political science professor Lydia Miljan said that when it comes to situation the council finds itself in, "there's no clear path forward."