Editor's note: This article originally stated Richard Black placed second in the 2022 election in Ward 4. In fact, he placed third. OrilliaMatters apologizes for the error, which has been corrected.
The Township of Ramara will decide next week how to replace Gary Hetherington, who resigned his Ward 4 seat Dec. 1.
At a committee of the whole meeting Monday, council will weigh three options to fill the position.
Option 1 is to appoint a qualified person who has consented to fill the seat. That would typically be the second-place Ward 4 candidate in the 2022 election, notes a staff report to be considered at the meeting.
Option 2 is to invite applications from qualified individuals who would be asked to appear before council to talk about their candidacy. After hearing from them, council could appoint someone to fill the vacancy.
Option 3 is for council to fill the vacancy by holding a byelection. This is the option recommended by staff.
If council chooses a byelection, voting day would be May 13. A byelection would require the assistance of an "election management company," which would cost anywhere from $640 to $6,674 depending on the type of voting system used.
Richard Black, who finished third in the October 2022 election in Ward 4, is urging council to appoint him.
"They should put in the next person in line due to the fact that it can cost thousands to do a byelection," Black said.
He believes the community would support the decision to have him replace Hetherington.
"I ran to work for the people," he said. "I feel that I have the confidence of the people, not as much as the incumbent had, but I do have lots of support behind me that they want me to be the councillor."
Black, 54, says he knows what people want done and that he will work to get their issues resolved.
He believes the current council has done a good job through its first year.
"I just want to see stuff be done faster," he said. "We have to have stuff done yesterday, not next year."
Black, who was born and raised in Ramara, has concerns about roads and infrastructure.
"There are reasons that they have for why they aren't doing them, but it doesn't solve the problem," he said. "Saying we don't have the finances to do it doesn't mean that we can't do something."
Black, a Brechin resident, says he also wants to help make the process easier for new businesses to come to the area.
"If people or entrepreneurs want to bring a business to the township to start up, we have to be willing to say yes," he said. "I think I can help the people to do that and convince the other councillors and the mayor that this is what we have to be doing."
He believes more businesses in the area would make travellers who pass through stay to visit.
"We have lots of functions in both the summer and winter time, but we have to have something to make the people stop," he said.
Black, who lived in Belleville from 2003 to 2022 to support his wife's career path, says the Township of Ramara is his "heartbeat."
"The reason to get into politics is for the people who are the taxpayers," he said. "I want to work for them and not my own benefit."
He said the potential cost of a byelection isn't a good use of taxpayer money.
"As a taxpayer, we've really got to look at how much a byelection is going to cost," he said. "What is the reason for having a byelection when there is somebody who is willing to step into the position?"
He says he has followed all of the council meetings since before the election and is "totally up to date."
"That's why I think it would be more beneficial to put me in," he said.
The full agenda for Monday's meeting, which will start at 9:30 a.m., can be found here and the meeting can be watched here.
Committee of the whole decisions need to be ratified at the Jan. 29 council meeting.
