Current ERCA reps approved to continue after amended motion passes

Amherstburg town council’s representatives on the Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) board of directors will be allowed to continue until the amalgamation of conservation authorities by the province.

It took an amended motion for the request to be granted as Councillor Don McArthur had concerns with the wording of the original motion that called for the continuation of Councillor Molly Allaire and Councillor Peter Courtney until Feb. 1 “subject to the current appointees continuing to be eligible to serve following the election.”

McArthur said his opposition to the original motion had nothing to do with how Allaire, the current ERCA chair, and Courtney have served the community.

“I think they have served us quite admirably, to be honest,” said McArthur. 

McArthur noted his original opposition was to term limits and extending them.

“It’s a slippery slope to create a crisis to extend a term,” he said. “Just in principle, I have to oppose it. The crisis is not so great that we can’t have the next council come in, assuming Councillors Allaire and Courtney get re-elected, simply rubber stamp them so they can keep on fighting the good fight.”

McArthur said it is clear in a letter from ERCA that if either Courtney or Allaire are not re-elected, the new council can just name new representation anyway.

“As I said, it’s nothing against them or the work they’ve done on ERCA. Just as a point of principle, I think it’s a slippery slope,” he said.

McArthur reiterated it should be the next council to decide who serves. Clerk Kevin Fox said the recommended motion contained a provision citing re-election so that issue had been covered off. McArthur later said it would “be the wrong thing democratically to do.”

Councillor Linden Crain asked if each municipality in Windsor-Essex County faced the same recommendation. Fox said he assumed all municipalities received such correspondence but wasn’t sure the outcome in other communities. 

Crain wanted to know timelines of what committees and board members are appointed, with Fox stating it generally occurs in the first three months of the new year.

Courtney said he understands McArthur’s point, but “this is literally for a few months to clean up the loose ends.” He said Allaire is the chair and part of the transition team but “this is literally to close it out permanently.” He didn’t believe there will be much representation from the county on the new Western Lake Erie Regional Conservation Authority. 

Allaire said she has no faith the amalgamation process will be completed by Feb. 1, 2027, adding the transition team is pushing back on how it is being done.

“It is not being done smoothly. They are asking for no input. It is just being pushed on us, basically,” said Allaire.

Allaire said her understanding is that if an elected official isn’t picked right now, it is not required to have an elected official as a representative. She said she understands where McArthur is coming from but voted in favour to have representation that understands and cares about the community are on the board. 

“The higher tiers of government have the right to kick us off our transition committee and off of our current board,” she added. “They have already threatened to do that.”

Allaire believed local representation is being polite but fighting for what they want but “I don’t think it really matters in the end because (the province) are going to pick who they want.”

Councillor Diane Pouget agreed Courtney and Allaire have done an excellent job and she understood McArthur’s point, but asked if there was “an escape clause” to allow for new representation chosen by the next council. Mayor Michael Prue said the next council has the authority to choose who they wish.

The motion was changed to read that the current representation continues to serve until their successors are chosen. McArthur said that addresses his concerns and that was the motion that passed, though McArthur noted he was in the minority anyway.

Current ERCA reps approved to continue after amended motion passes

By Ron Giofu