Race for North Glengarry mayor tightens with only two candidates, both on council

Voters in North Glengarry Township will have to choose between two of their current members of council when they head to the voting booth on Monday, January 16.

Deputy Mayor Chris McDonell and Councillor Jamie MacDonald are the two remaining candidates, after a third candidate, Robert Proulx, withdrew his nomination on the deadline date of Monday, December 5.

Proulx had also filed his nomination only 40 minutes before the deadline on December 2. Though he ran against Grant Crack in the December 2010 election and initially told The Review he would have liked to see an election, he now believes the nomination of McDonell as mayor would be a better use of the township's funds.

McDonell was nominated to replace Crack, but that decision was reversed by a majority of council during a second vote on November 7. It sparked a series of intense debates at the council table.

Though rare, there is now the possibility of three by-elections in the township. For example, should McDonell become the next mayor in the by-election, the deputy mayor's seat would need to be filled. If that post goes to a by-election, and is filled by a member of council, then a third by-election could be held to replace that councillor.

It all depends on the wishes of individual council members, according to chief administrative officer Daniel Gagnon. "If they are any vacancies in the future, only council can make the call if they will be filled by appointment or a by-election," he said.

This vote is for the next three years, ending in December 2014. The current council will meet one last time before the election, on Monday, January 9.