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Councillor appointed to deputy mayor’s chair
Tuesday August 26 2008
By RICHARD VIVIAN Banner Staff Writer
 
Melancthon council opted to appoint someone from within rather than hold a byelection to fill the deputy mayor’s chair. Bill Hill, who has been on council since 1998, was sworn-in Thursday.
He takes the place of D.C. Broderick, who passed away last month. The current term of council runs until November 2010.
“I think it’s going to be an interesting couple years. There’s a lot going on,” Hill tells The Banner. “I’m just going to try to work as part of the group to make sure we move forward.
“It’ll be a learning curve for me, but I’m sure I’m capable of learning, so that’s fine.”
It was Coun. John Crowe who nominated Hill for the position, a role he pondered going after himself.
“I decided I wasn’t going to do it,” Crowe says with a chuckle when asked why he nominated Hill.
“He was interested right from the get-go,” Crowe adds, saying Hill’s experience was an important factor. “I’m very, very sure he’ll do a good job.”
Council voted unanimously to appoint someone from within, Mayor Debbie Fawcett says. As a result, Hill’s councillor seat is vacant and must be filled.
“Instead of calling a byelection we’ll just advertise for somebody who might be interested. It’s worked before for us in the past, that’s how we initially got Bill Hill,” she says. “The people who are interested will apply. If they’re not interested, they’re not going to do it anyway, and that would be the same in a regular election.”
The last time someone was appointed to council — Hill in 1998, following the passing of Reeve Gord Olfield — an active effort was required to generate interest. Fawcett believes the same will be needed this time around.
“We had to go out and actually try to interest people to apply. We had to say ‘We think you’d be good, would you put your name in?’ so we had some competition,” the mayor says.
Applying to join council is a lot like applying for a new job, Fawcett suggests. Interested individuals should be prepared to submit a cover letter and resume, which council will review.
“Community involvement — that’s important. If they’re not involved in the arena, the cemetery, the hall or some of these local activities, they don’t seem to have a broad general knowledge of how things operate and the municipal boards that they might be on,” Fawcett says, adding, “That isn’t the deciding factor.
“The learning curve is there for whomever,” she continues. “I don’t know exactly what we’ll be looking for, but we’ll know it when we see it.”
Crowe also feels involvement and knowledge of local issues are important, especially with wind power issues drawing attention to Melancthon from across the province and beyond.
“I’m looking for the same kind of dedication level that the rest of us have been trying to show,” he says. “It’s not an easy job. People have got to be ready to take a stand on a lot of things, some things that may not be too popular, but you’ve got to make decisions and stick to it.”