EcDev Committee Change Raises Questions About Process
Community members were recommended for appointment to the Economic Development Committee at the May 22 ,2025 EcDev meeting, and affirmed by a motion of council at the June 4, 2025 Regular Council Meeting.
One particular member advocated at several meetings to explain why support for businesses was important, and specifically, why it made sense to consider working collaboratively with the South Algonquin Business Alliance on the distribution of a flyer.
On March 12, 2026, staff removed a community member of the South Algonquin’s Economic Development Committee (EDC). The change has prompted questions about how committee rules are being applied. The situation centers on the removal of a community member following a determination that the individual was no longer residing within the Township.
What was communicated
In written correspondence to the member on March 12, the Township stated:
- that the individual was “no longer residing within the township,” and
- that, under Section 6 of the Terms of Reference (“Composition of Members”),
citizen-appointed members are required to be residents
The letter concluded that the individual’s membership would end immediately. The letter did not ask if the committee member met a residency requirement.
The Council Conversation
During the council meeting, a question was asked about why the member was removed. The clerk responded as follows:
Clerk: “So, [member name redacted], it was brought to my attention last week that one of the members is no longer a resident of South Algonquin. So therefore, that person did not meet the criteria, unfortunately.”
Member: “I’m just curious where that criteria lies, because in the terms of reference, it doesn’t say you need to live in South Algonquin.”
Councillor Pigeon: “I believe it does.”
Clerk: It does. It says you need to be a citizen.”
Member: “Sorry, I didn’t, there were a couple of people talking and I couldn’t hear.”
Clerk: “Section 6 specifically states that you must be a citizen. And by not being a citizen, you’re no longer, you invalidate your eligibility. And in accordance with all policies established by council, it’s my responsibility to enact any policy. And therefore there was a letter sent out. And that’s all that will be said on that matter, [member name redacted].”
During a separate part of the conversation where the member pushed for information about how the policy documents define “citizen”, Councillor Florent commented as follows:
Councillor Florent: “If I can answer again without being interrupted again, committees of council operate under the same rules and regulations as councils operate. In order to run for council, you have to either own property in the township or reside within the township. When somebody ceases to become an owner or a resident, the usual procedure is for them to send a letter of resignation saying that they’re no longer eligible to be on the committee. We’ve done that previously for different council members three or four times on the term of this township. And we didn’t get a letter of resignation from the member who ceased to be eligible to be a member. So therefore, the CEO had to intervene and send a letter. It’s pretty simple.”
The member requested noted that community members of the committee ought to receive the same information as council members of the committee. At which point Councillor Florent added:
Councillor Florent: “I would think like when I decided to run for council, I read the rules and regulations on what the requirements are and people that are appointed to committees should do exactly the same.”
You’ll recall that two Integrity Commissioner reports note the clerk as a source of misinformation relied on by council. Three Integrity Commissioner reports substantiate conflict of interest and code of conduct breach complaints against Councillor Florent. Council twice chose not to sanction Councillor Florent for the breaches.
What the Terms of Reference say
The Economic Development Committee Terms of Reference outline how the committee is structured and how members are selected.
Section 6 describes the composition of the committee, including members of Council, one business association representative, up to four citizen members.
Section 5 states that members are selected based on expertise, experience, dedication and commitment. The impacted member had been selected due to their extensive expertise and experience with local trails and their dedicated and committed community volunteer activities.
The document does not include language requiring citizen members to be residents, nor does it define “citizen” in that way.
How removal is addressed in policy
The Terms of Reference outline a specific process for removal: the committee may recommend expulsion, and Council may remove a member. Examples of grounds for removal include legislative breaches, conflict of interest, disruption of committee work.
The document does not reference residency as a condition for removal.
Where the gap appears
The explanation provided in the correspondence relies on an interpretation that is not explicitly set out in the Terms of Reference. At the same time, the Terms of Reference assign authority over membership to Council. There is no provision that delegates that authority to staff.
This creates a situation where the stated reason for removal (residency) is not clearly reflected in the written policy, and the process described in the policy (committee recommendation and/or Council decision) is not referenced in the correspondence
What remains unclear
Based on available documents, several questions remain open:
- Was a Council resolution passed to remove the member?
- Did the committee recommend removal?
- Has the Terms of Reference been interpreted or applied differently than written?
These are process questions rather than conclusions. At the March 18, 2026 meeting, the clerk confirmed that removal was an administrative decision that did not require council’s approval and was taken as such under the discretion of the Clerk/CAO.
Another committee member asked why the whole committee had not been informed of the expulsion, only council members. They pointed out that more transparency with the communication would be helpful. They did not receive an acknowledgement or a reply.
Why this matters
Advisory committees play an important role in shaping local policy and economic development priorities. Public membership on these committees broadens the knowledge and skills available at the table. When membership changes occur, consistency between written policy, and administrative action helps ensure transparency and public confidence in how decisions are made. Inconsistency sends a different message. Further, community membership on council committees are voluntary commitments. All members of committee have an expectation that the rules will apply equally and transparently to every one on the committee.
Bottom line
The Economic Development Committee Terms of Reference:
- define how members are appointed and removed
- do not explicitly require residency
- place authority for membership decisions with Council
The recent membership change highlights the importance of aligning decisions with those written rules—or clearly explaining when and why a different interpretation is being applied.
