King Township mayor likes small-town mayor Emmerson for regional chair

Yorkregion.com
Dec. 10, 2014
By Kim Champion

If King Township Mayor Steve Pellegrini winds up being the kingmaker in tonight’s regional council vote for York Regional Chair, former longtime Whitchurch-Stouffville mayor Wayne Emmerson will wind up with the top job.

Pellegrini confirmed yesterday that he would back his fellow smalltown mayor for the position, held for the past 17 years by the retiring Bill Fisch.

“Both (Newmarket Regional Councillor) John (Taylor) and Wayne (Emmerson) have advantages and disadvantages and both could serve the region well,” said Pellegrini.

But he indicated that when he heard from both candidates, only one of them asked what he could do for King Township and the citizens of King.

He also said he wasn’t keen on a politician running and winning one election and then turning around and seeking another position shortly thereafter.

Both Taylor and Markham Regional Councillor Jim Jones, who is also seeking the position, were elected in October. Should either be voted in as Regional Chair, they would most likely be replaced next year through a costly byelection. But the affected councils could also choose to appoint replacements.

So far, besides Pellegrini, Emmerson has the support of Richmond Hill Mayor Dave Barrow and Georgina Regional Councillor Danny Wheeler, who are nominating and seconding him, as well as Vaughan’s four-person contingent of Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua, Deputy Mayor Michael Di Biase and regional councillors Mario Ferri and Gino Rosati giving him seven of the 11 votes he needs to win.