Richmond Hill votes to eliminate 1 deputy mayor at 'ironic' special council meeting

Carmine Perrelli will no longer hold that title

Yorkregion.com
Sept. 13, 2021
Yoyo Yan

Richmond Hill council passed a member motion by Mayor Dave Barrow to downsize one of the city's two deputy mayors at a special council meeting Sept. 8.

It was the city's first council meeting after the summer break and it was the mayor's first meeting in more than six months since Feb. 25, when he took a medical leave.

The motion states: "There shall only be one Deputy Mayor appointed to act in place of the Mayor, including any vacancy in the Office of the Mayor, including for the remainder of the current 2018 to 2022 Term of Council."

Previously, regional councillors Joe DiPaola and Carmine Perrelli had both been serving as Richmond Hill's deputy mayors.

Consequently, DiPaola will be the only deputy mayor; Perrelli will no longer be a deputy mayor.

During the mayor's absence, DiPaola has been the acting mayor since Feb. 25.

In the event that both the mayor and acting mayor are absent, the motion includes an acting mayor roster in three-month increments starting with Ward 6 Coun. Godwin Chan and ending with Ward 2 Coun. Tom Muench.

Ward 1 Coun. Greg Beros is not included in the acting mayor roster.

The motion was approved by the majority of council as Barrow, DiPaola, Chan, Ward 4 Coun. David West and Ward 5 Coun. Karen Cilevitz voted in favour of it.

However, Perrelli, Beros, Muench and Ward 3 Coun. Castro Liu left the meeting before casting the final vote.

The contentious and disruptive meeting lasted almost three hours with Perrelli,  DiPaola, Beros and Muench bringing forth frequent "points of order."

"Ironically, today's topic is about city governance and council meeting efficiency, which I fail to see a tiny little bit of efficiency and governance," said Liu, who refused to vote on the motion and left the meeting in protest.