SWOX council in lame duck position, Councillor George Way not seeking re-election

Debbie Kasman, Tillsonburg Post Correspondent

Ward 4 Councillor George Way has confirmed he will not be seeking re-election in October.

Three members of council have now announced they will not be seeking re-election including Mayor David Mayberry and Councillor Jim Pickard.

Therefore, as expected, council will be in a restricted or lame duck position after nomination day on Aug. 21.

A restricted or lame duck position is a temporary status where an outgoing municipal council loses the power to make major financial, property or staffing decisions.

A lame duck position can occur at two points during a municipal election process: after nomination day (on Aug. 21) and after election day (on Oct. 26) if fewer than 75 per cent of the members of the outgoing council are candidates for the new council and/or if fewer than 75 per cent of the members of the outgoing council are elected to the new council.

SWOX council has a seven-member council. Seventy-five percent of a seven-member council is 5.25 members. For the purposes of the Municipal Act, this number is rounded up to six members. If five or fewer members of the outgoing council are either running for or returning to the new council, council is considered to be in a restricted position.

Council will not be allowed to appoint or remove any officer of the municipality after the nomination period closes on Aug. 21, hire or dismiss any employee of the municipality, dispose of any real or personal property of the municipality which has a value exceeding $50,000 at the time or disposal, or make any expenditures or incur any other liability which exceeds $50,000.

Exceptions are allowed if the disposition or liability was included in the most recent budget adopted by council before Aug. 21.

The authority of a municipality for making any decisions associated with these matters can be delegated to a person or body prior to nomination day.

SWOX council adopted the Delegation of Powers and Duties Policy in May 2026, which provides delegated authority to the chief administrative officer (CAO) to make decisions associated with these provisions should the need arise.

Way has been a councillor for 12 years. First acclaimed in 2014, Way was acclaimed again in 2018 and 2022.

The township approved new ward boundaries last July, which will impact the upcoming election. These boundaries changes will take effect on the day the new council is organized after voting day on Oct. 26.

Running to represent the new Ward 4 are Isaiah Friend and John de Bruyn.