Council moving to hold byelection to fill vacant Osgoode seat

Ottawa metropolis assembly is moving to clasp a byelection to capable the spot for the agrarian ward of Osgoode, which volition beryllium near unfastened by outgoing Coun. George Darouze's triumph successful past week's provincial election.

The metropolis clerk, Caitlin Salter MacDonald, volition travel backmost aboriginal this period with a study laying retired a program for the byelection to regenerate Darouze, who was elected MPP for Carleton. She told reporters the astir apt day volition beryllium in June.

Provincial instrumentality gave assembly 2 options: clasp a by-election oregon name idiosyncratic to the spot until the adjacent wide predetermination successful October 2026.

Council antecedently chose the assignment enactment to regenerate Jenna Sudds after she won a national spot successful 2021. But Mayor Mark Sutcliffe argued that this clip around, a byelection was the much antiauthoritarian choice.

"I deliberation the default should ever beryllium a by-election, unless there's a bully crushed for determination to beryllium an appointment, if it's 3 months oregon six months earlier the adjacent election, thing similar that," helium said aft a peculiar assembly gathering connected Wednesday.

"In this lawsuit I deliberation it's acold capable from the adjacent predetermination that the voters of Osgoode, the residents of Osgoode, merit to person a dependable successful the decision."

Kitts, Brown to presume ward duties

Salter-MacDonald explained that assembly is expected to officially state the spot vacant astatine a gathering connected March 26 and walk a bylaw to necessitate the byelection.

"Once that has occurred, voting time would request to beryllium betwixt 75 and 105 days later, truthful we would expect if that bylaw would to beryllium passed astatine the adjacent regular assembly meeting, a byelection would instrumentality spot successful the period of June," she said.

Council besides formally tasked 2 neighbouring councillors, Catherine Kitts and David Brown, to instrumentality implicit work for the residents of Osgoode portion the spot remains vacant. That means they volition person to motion disconnected connected matters and reports that necessitate councillor approval.

Brown explained to reporters that residents of Osgoode won't spot immoderate existent alteration erstwhile accessing the ward office.

"The bureau unit is inactive there, truthful you're inactive going to link with the Ward 20 office," helium said. "They're inactive going to beryllium processing the casework and immoderate of your inquiries that you have. It's conscionable if there's a request for a councillor to go progressive that either Coun. Kitts oregon I would prosecute connected those matters."