MidlandToday welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected] or via the website. Please include your full name, daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication). The following letter is in response to an articles regarding county councillor pay hikes like this one published Oct. 23: 'A living wage': County councillors vote to give themselves raises.'
Springwater Township council approved a (recent) resolution objecting to the recent wage increases for Simcoe County councillors. This decision produced numerous comments on the wage increase.
Many writers objected to this substantial increase in these wages. I do not have any real objection to the increase. However, the comments revealed that many people are not clear on how county councillors obtain their job.
County councillors are not appointed. They are elected by all municipal voters in the 16 townships which make up the County. As a voter, you know or ought to know that when you vote for mayor or deputy mayor you automatically vote for the person to be a county councillor. The confusion arises as this is not shown on the ballot.
So if you, as a voter, do not like what is happening at the County, do not vote for the re-election of your incumbent mayor and deputy mayor.
In this legislated set-up the township councils do not have any say on what goes on at the County. Township councils can state their objections or support for County actions same as any municipal council can make comments on what the federal government or the provincial government do, but these are just comments like any organization can make.
Konrad Brenner
Ramara
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