Even though Graydon Smith is the MPP-elect for Parry Sound-Muskoka, he still remains mayor of Bracebridge.
Lori McDonald, Bracebridge’s Director of Corporate Services and Clerk, says Smith is still on an unpaid leave of absence. He took a leave of absence from his duties as the mayor and as a councillor with the District of Muskoka ahead of the provincial election campaign starting.
Smith will remain as mayor until he resigns from office in writing and filed to the town’s clerk or the return of the provincial election is published in The Ontario Gazette. A specific date of when that will happen isn’t known yet, but McDonald notes that the gazette was published 16 days after the 2018 provincial election.
Once either of those scenarios happens, McDonald says she will bring a report to council to have them declare the mayor’s seat vacant.
She expects that her report will be presented at the June 21st General Committee meeting and ratified at the town’s council meeting on the 29th.
“When declared vacant, the seat will need to be filled as the Municipal Act requires municipalities to do so anytime there is a vacancy, except within 90 days of the regular municipal election,” McDonald explains.
The municipal election will happen on October 24 so McDonald says the “magic date” for council to not have to declare the seat vacant would be July 24th.
“As part of the report declaring the seat vacant, in accordance with the Council Vacancy Policy, council will decide if they wish to fill the seat from within the current council, or through an open call for applications from qualified electors in Bracebridge,” she goes on to explain.
Deputy Mayor Rick Maloney has been acting in Smith’s place while the latter was campaigning during the provincial election. Maloney announced in January he will be running for mayor in October’s election. He is currently the only candidate that has submitted their nomination papers.