HALDIMAND—Council discussed its next round of committee and chair appointments on October 7, 2025, choosing to delay a decision until Councillor John Metcalfe could be present.
The report outlined who would serve as Deputy Mayor for the term running November 15, 2025 to November 14, 2026, and proposed updated chair and vice-chair designations for each of Council’s business divisions: Public Meeting for Planning Applications; Development Services; Engineering and Capital Works; Financial Services; Corporate Services; and Corporate Affairs.
Mayor Shelley Ann Bentley read the motion into the record, explaining that once approved, the appointments would take effect mid-November, and a confirming bylaw would come forward to a future Council meeting.
Ward 3 Councillor Dan Lawrence moved to defer consideration, noting that Ward 2 Councillor John Metcalfe was absent. “I just think that if there’s going to be change … we obviously haven’t discussed it or anything like that,” said Lawrence. “So I don’t know if this is the time … to defer until Councillor Metcalfe is back.”
Mayor Bentley confirmed that a motion to defer could be made and, with a seconder, would proceed directly to a vote.
Lawrence clarified that he sought only a short delay until the Tuesday night Council meeting, since Thanksgiving meant no Monday session.
Ward 5 Councillor Rob Shirton seconded the deferral and asked whether the delay would affect any statutory timelines. “I’m assuming … Tuesday wouldn’t really put any onus on this, because it’s not till November?” he asked.
Haldimand County Clerk Chad Curtis replied that appointments currently in place run through November 14, 2025.
“Traditionally around this time in October, this is when the report went out just to make sure that we got all our ducks in a row,” he said, confirming that the one-meeting delay would not cause a problem.
With discussion concluded, Bentley called the vote. The motion to defer carried 4-2.
Before moving on, Bentley raised a related housekeeping item concerning the County’s Court of Revision appointments – specifically, that the late Councillor Stewart Patterson was still listed as a member.
Curtis confirmed that corrections were required and read the proper composition into the record: Councillors Metcalfe, Shirton, and Brad Adams with one serving as alternate. Bentley instructed staff to update the County website accordingly.
The appointments report, prepared by Council Services Coordinator Tracey Cassidy and reviewed by Clerk Curtis, was set to return to the next regular Council meeting for final approval after publication.
Once adopted, it will confirm who leads each standing committee and which member serves as Deputy Mayor for the 2025–26 term.
