By Stephen Hawboldt
The Spectator
NovaNewsNow.com
At the first session of the new Annapolis County Council, councillors chose experience in electing Reg Ritchie as warden and Marilyn Wilkins as deputy warden. Ritchie and Wilkins, who each has served on council for 21 years defeated second-term councillors Paul McDonald and Martha Roberts.
This inaugural session of the new council was chaired by county clerk, Carolyn Young who administered the oath of office to the returning and new councillors. She maintained the chair to supervise the election of the warden who then assumed that role for the election of the deputy warden.
Councillor Brian (Fuzzy) Connell proposed that selection of a warden be tabled to the first regular session of council, scheduled for November 20. The clerk pointed out that the Municipal Services Act requires that the warden and deputy warden be elected at the first session of council. Since the previous council had set this date as the first session of the new council, the elections must go forward now.
Ritchie was nominated for warden by newcomer Alex Morrison and veteran Wayne Fowler. Councillors Martha Roberts and Fuzzy Connell nominated McDonald for warden. In the race for deputy warden, Marilyn Wilkins was nominated by newcomer Timothy Habinski and long-time Councillor Frank Chipman. Martha Roberts was nominated by Paul McDonald and Fuzzy Connell. In both elections, a secret ballot was conducted by the clerk but the vote count was not disclosed.
For the first time, councillors elected three of their members to sit on the nominations committee. This group assigns councillors to the dozens of committees, boards, and outside agencies on which council is represented. This group also recommends citizen appointments to council. In the past, the warden has named the members of the nomination committee.
The new council will hold its first regular committee of the whole meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 9 a.m. at the municipal administration building in Annapolis Royal. All council and committee of the whole meetings are open to the public.
