The Government of Ontario plans to appoint a new Niagara Regional Chair following the death of former chair Jim Bradley rather than allow the position to continue to rotate among Regional Councillors until next year’s municipal elections.
In a letter to Anne-Marie Norio, Regional Clerk for the Regional Municipality of Niagara, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Rob Flack indicated the province plans to act within the coming weeks to name Bradley’s successor.
Flack began his letter by offering his condolences on the passing of Bradley.
“I offer my sincere condolences to Niagara Region on the passing of Jim Bradley, Niagara Regional Chair,” wrote Flack. “I would like to express my appreciation for Chair Bradley, and acknowledge his immense contributions and commitment to the Region, its residents, as well as the Province of Ontario.”
Flack then went on to outline his plans for a new appointment and the timeframe in which he intends to make the appointment.
“In light of the resulting vacancy, I am writing to advise Niagara Regional Council of my intention to make an order under section 218.3 of the Municipal Act, 2001, to appoint a new Chair of Niagara Region to serve for the duration of the current term of council,” Flack added.
“I will share details about the appointee in the coming weeks once the appointment process is underway.”
Bradley was first elected Regional Chair back in 2018 by his fellow members of Niagara Regional Council. Following the 2022 municipal elections, the province chose to reappoint Bradley to his position. Now that the role is vacant, Flack says he intends to use his powers to choose a new head of Regional Council rather than continue to allow the position to rotate among sitting Regional Councillors, as has been the case since Bradley was first hospitalized roughly two months ago.
The past number of Regional Chairs have been members of Regional Council, so it is quite likely that the Ford government will select someone who is currently a member.
Because municipalities do not have constitutional status and are “creatures of the province,” it is up to the Ford government to select a new head of Regional Council. The norm is to have Regional Council vote for a Chair, but that occurs at the beginning of a new Council following elections. A mid-term vacancy is a rarity and therefore the province has chosen to step in an appoint someone of its own choosing.
Jay Goldberg is the Canadian Affairs Manager at the Consumer Choice Center. He previously served as the Ontario Director at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and a policy fellow at the Munk School of Public Policy and Global Affairs. Jay holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Toronto.
