GORE BAY—Gore Bay resident and long-time businessman Rob Dearing has been voted in by council as the newest Gore Bay councillor.
By a written ballot vote of 4-2 among council members and Mayor Ron Lane at a meeting last week, Mr. Dearing was selected to be appointed as the new councillor. He was one of two residents who had put their name forward to fill the vacant seat on council, along with Maureen Armstrong.
Mr. Dearing said he is looking forward to serving on council. He has been a member of the town public works committee for the past year. “I feel I can make a positive contribution to council,” he told The Expositor. “I decided to run because there is a vacant seat on council and someone needed to fill this position.”
Being a member of the public works committee, “opened my eyes to how much money it takes to run a town. And serving on a committee, you get to see some of the good side and more difficult points of what is taking place in town.”
Town clerk Stasia Carr informed council at the start of the meeting that the two local residents had put their names forward for the vacant council seat position. The seat on council had been vacant since the recent resignation of former councillor Paulie Nodecker.
At the conclusion of the vote, and the results being announced, Councillor Kelly Chaytor said, “can we send a letter to the second person who had shown interest and put their name forward? I don’t want them to just be pushed aside.”
Mayor Ron Lane pointed out, “we are always looking for volunteers for our committees. Our recreation committee has a vacancy. Maybe Maureen would be interested in being a member of this committee. I know people are not pounding on doors to be on committees.”
The appointment declaration bylaw for Mr. Dearing as the new councillor will be brought forward at the next regular council meeting.
