New details have been shared about the process for selecting the province’s regional chairs. The Ford government recently decided to change it from an elected position to an appointed one. The person taking over the region’s top job will be announced after the municipal election on Oct. 26. “We’re going to wait until after, or close to… to appoint them,” Rob Flack, Ontario’s minister of municipal affairs and housing, said earlier this week at a press conference. “There’s one appointment process for all eight [chair positions] at once.” Waterloo Region is of one of the eight communities with a two-tier system. The others are York, Peel, Durham, Halton, Niagara, Muskoka and Simcoe County, which has a warden instead of a chair. The new appointees will also get “Strong Chair Powers,” which will be similar to “Strong Mayor Powers.” Regional chairs will be permitted to pass bylaws with the support of just one-third of council members. According to Flack, the province is already accepting applications from qualified candidates. “People that are interested in serving as regional chairs are welcome to apply for the job,” he said. “There will be a criteria set out, such as having elected experience in the region that you’re going to serve, having leadership skills… an ability to facilitate. There’ll be a set of criteria and not too onerous.” “We have time to do our due diligence,” he continued. “Listen, learn, interview and choose the right candidate. The best candidate to help lead these regions.” Karen Redman, the chair for Waterloo Region, is nearing the end of her second term. She was first elected in 2018 and then again in 2022. “I had every intention of running again,” she told CTV News. “With [the province’s] announcement, now I don’t have to knock on doors. I’m going to concentrate on all the things that the region needs to accomplish between now and the election.” Redman did not want to say if she had – or will – throw her hat into the ring to remain regional chair. Or, if she would continue on in the role if it was offered to her. “I’m just going to show up every day and do the work that I was elected to do in 2022,” she said.
