It’s officially a race.
Two candidates have now filed to be the next District of Muskoka Chair. Recently re-elected Bracebridge District councillor Don Smith, and outgoing Gravenhurst District councillor Terry Pilger have both filed their nomination papers to be District Chair.
Smith was first elected to Bracebridge Town and District council in 2014. He won re-election last month, securing the most votes of the five candidates running for the District councillor position in Bracebridge.
Terry Pilger has over 26 years of council experience with Gravenhurst, 17 of which were on the District of Muskoka council. He finished second of three candidates in his bid to become mayor of Gravenhurst during the latest election.
Nominations for District Chair close on November 15, 2022 at 4:00 p.m. and the District Chair will be appointed by the incoming council at its Inaugural meeting on Monday, December 5, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber at the District’s administration building at 70 Pine Street in Bracebridge.
The District Chair performs a number of duties at the upper-tier municipal level, most notably acting as the Chief Executive Officer of the District Municipality. The Chair is also tasked with providing overall leadership on the affairs of council and its committees and acting as a spokesperson for the District Municipality on major issues of policy and direction. The Chair si also responsible for the District’s external relationships with other organizations and levels of government.
Dopper will endeavour to speak with all of the candidates once the nomination period has officially closed.
A formal meet the candidates/debate event is scheduled for Monday, November 28 at 3:00 p.m. Jean Polak will moderate the event.
Members of the public, including councillors-elect are encouraged to submit questions that may be considered during the event. The Moderator for the event will be selecting the questions from those submitted. Proposed questions are due to be received by the Clerk by 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 24, 2022. You may submit your question(s) in writing by e-mailing the Clerk at [email protected] or by dropping written questions off (addressed to the Clerk) at 70 Pine Street, Bracebridge.
Don’t miss out on Doppler!
Sign up here to receive our email digest with links to our most recent stories.
Local news in your inbox three times per week!
Click here to support local news
Robin Rae says
Did we miss something? Didn’t Don Smith just get elected as District Councillor in Bracebridge? Now if he is elected as District Chair a by election will be required in Bracebridge. Lots of tax dollars to do this. This is just plain self serving. No wonder politicians are held in such low esteem.