Tay Township Mayor Ted Walker expressed criticism toward the “immature” councillors who staged a walk-out at County of Simcoe council on Tuesday.
Earlier in the week, a member composition bylaw was debated at the county level, which would have seen either a 32-person council or a 16 council member plus full-time warden composition be voted upon.
The lengthy discussion took a turn for the theatrical following a failed vote on an amendment that requested the draft composition bylaw be sent back to staff to include an amendment to repeal the current weighted-vote bylaw.
As a result of that defeat, 17 councillors had walked out of the meeting. North Simcoe representatives involved with the walk-out included: Penetanguishene Mayor Doug Rawson and Deputy Mayor Dan La Rose; Midland Deputy Mayor Beth Prost; and Tiny Township Deputy Mayor Sean Miskimins as well as alternate councillor Steffen Walma.
A special meeting of council had to be held on Wednesday to deal with time-sensitive issues not achieved the day prior due to a lack of quorum, including an issue regarding $150 million for 2025 licensed child care and early years system funding.
During last night’s regular meeting of council for Tay Township, Walker said: “I want to make a comment on the county council debacle.”
Walker stated that since entering municipal government in 1975, he had “never seen a more shameful display of disrespect and council-business hijacking than I witnessed at county council yesterday by the 17 members who refused to carry on the business of council,” citing their claim to be acting in the best interests of the county, member municipalities and residents.
He further questioned if council had “degraded to the point” where county business would be put on hold by a non-participating group attempting to achieve an outcome, before adding that the cost of the walk-out placed extra expenses on the county as the special meeting paid members per diem.
“There's no excuse for such shameful actions, regardless how some of the participants of the walk out try to spin it – and I've heard a couple on the news and I just shake my head,” said Walker. “It was a shameful, disrespectful display of anti-governance.”
Also during the meeting, Coun. Paul Raymond mentioned that he had chosen that day to start watching the County of Simcoe council meetings, stating: “It was a doozy.”
Following the Tay Township council meeting, Walker spoke to MidlandToday on his statement.
“It just seemed quite immature to me,” said Walker. “If you can't get your own way you simply, don't participate anymore? A bad example.”
He added that for the public interested in watching like Raymond had: “Especially for the first time and to see that display – they must think, ‘Oh boy, what do they got going on down there?’ Very unfortunate.”
Tay council meets for committee of the whole meetings every second Wednesday of the month, and regular council meetings every fourth Wednesday of the month. Archives and livestreams of council meetings are available through the Tay Township YouTube channel.
