Sometimes the only thing we have to do to ensure a proper outcome is ask the correct question.
Councillors in Quinte West lost one of their own last month with the passing of Sally Freeman, a beloved long-serving Councillor in Ward One (Trenton).
Tonight, her seat will be declared vacant, and then I hope that everyone in Quinte West keeps what happened in Belleville in mind as they decide what to do next.
After another community champion (Pat Culhane) passed away in Belleville in 2020, Belleville Council first decided NOT to appoint the next in line from the previous election, setting off a public firestorm before later revisiting that decision and appointing Tyler Allsopp to the post.
The next election saw several sitting members of Council and the Mayor lose their seats, which many have attributed (in part) to the high-profile two-step involving Allsopp and Culhane’s former seat.
Quinte West chose a different route when they decided to fill the seat left vacant back in early 2023 when they lost Sidney Ward Councillor Terry Cassidy, and while I won’t provide a full recap, it didn’t include appointing the next in line, which would have been Al Dewitt.
Many I have spoken to weren’t pleased with how that went down, leaving questions in many people’s minds.
Still, the only relevant question today should be does Leslie Roseblade, who finished in 6th in Ward One in 2022, want the job. If that question isn’t asked, then the only other relevant issue is does what happened in Belleville in 2022 repeat itself in Quinte West next year?
I’m Paul Martin and that’s what I see looking Beyond the Headlines.
