Markham council replacement by appointment could come late June

Municipality has to give Ward 7 appointee since there are more than 90 days until Oct. 22 municipal election day

Yorkregion.com
June 12, 2017
Tim Kelly

While the future of former Markham councillor Logan Kanapathi is clear -- he will serve as the member of provincial parliament as the Progressive Conservative member for Markham-Thornhill when he gets sworn in at Queen’s Park later this month -- who will replace him is not.

Markham’s general services committee met Tuesday morning where councillors received a report providing them with the choices they have to replace Kanapathi, who was elected in the June 7 provincial election.

Under the Municipal Elections Act, since the vacancy happened after March 31 of an election year but more than 90 days before the election, council has to either appoint the person who finished as runner-up in the previous election or appoint another person to fill the vacancy.

The Ward 7 vacancy exists for just a few months until the Oct. 22 election and given a decision on filling the vacancy must be made soon, council is expected to consider whether to appoint the runner-up to Kanapathi in the 2014 municipal election, Khalid Usman, or choose from any other eligible Markham resident who puts his or her name forward to fill the seat.

Markham council will meet June 26, its last meeting before it meets again in September, to consider the issue of what to do. It could make a decision June 26 but is expected to make a final decision at its first meeting in September.

Nominations for the October municipal election for all municipal candidates close on July 27.