In the Council meeting on August 26, the elected body will be voting to change the term limit for deputy mayor from one year to two years.
This is a bad idea.
Locking in a deputy mayor for two years strips the Council of flexibility.
Leadership roles should be earned, tested, renewed through accountability, not guaranteed by default.
A one-year term forces regular scrutiny.
It allows councillors to reconsider, to rotate responsibility, to ensure the deputy reflects the Council’s current direction.
Stretching that to two years entrenches power.
It sidelines others who might serve, learn, contribute.
It locks the community into a decision that might sour as politics shift.
Worse, it dulls transparency.
Voters see less renewal, less openness, less energy.
Stability is no excuse for stagnation.
If a deputy mayor performs well, nothing stops the Council from re-electing each year.
If not, the one-year term provides an escape hatch.
Lengthening the tenure is unnecessary, undemocratic and unwise.
Email, Aug 21
Evan Schrei, Niagara Park
There is no reason to extend, this is just a pointless power grab.
What is the advantage to extending his term? why are they doing this now?
This is a bad precedent to set and won’t lead to any good. if the deputy is good at his job then they won’t have to worry.
How common is this with other councils? why is he wanting to extend?
hmmmm something seems fishy, I thought we didn’t play America style politics
sounds like a power grab.
The rest of the liberals on the council are teeny boppers who’d probably roll there own granny for a sliver of power
Do not change the one year term.
oh this will end well.
After passing that referendum to reduce our councillors from 15 to 9, the last thing we need is more consolidation of power. I’ll be emailing the councillors about this – I hope you all will do the same
Why are they doing this? is it more normal for councils to have 1 year or 2?
Why change when his side of the council politics will vote him in again anyway. There should be no parties in councils. Everyone should be an individual that represents their ward, it has nothing to do with labor, liberals, greens or otherwise.
The motion was thankfully withdrawn.
Leadership requires stability and continuity. A two year term is minimum. Revolving door leadership is destructive of any organisation.