The deadline has passed, and 27 Collingwood residents have put their names forward to fill the currently vacant council seat.
At the deadline of March 12 at 4 p.m., the following 27 individuals have formally applied to the town for the position:
- Kimberly Diamond
- Michael Bettam
- Michael Ormston-Holloway
- Jade Levitt
- Michelle White
- Stephen Hardwood
- Norman Sandberg
- Garion Allen
- Ian MacCulloch
- Stephen Johns
- David Hunt
- James Yott
- Lynne Patterson
- Robert Holroyd
- Doug MacLeod (Doug)
- Scott Mouti (Tobias Scott)
- Heather Kemp
- Doug Watt
- Sal Greco
- Stuart Lessels
- Lindsey Margaret Watson
- Allan Colquhoun
- Kyle Weston
- Wayne Schaper
- David Conning
- Kadri Munro
- John Chambers
Of those individuals, only Sandberg and Johns ran in the 2022 municipal election; Sandberg for mayor and Johns for councillor.
Coun. Brandon Houston formally stepped down from his council responsibilities on Jan. 23 which was then announced to the public via a late amendment to the Jan. 27 council agenda, leaving his council seat vacant. Houston had been on a leave of absence since Nov. 18, 2024.
A Collingwood councillor earns roughly $30,000 per year plus expenses.
The town’s clerk will now work through the list to formally certify and confirm applicants. A certified list of those still in the running, along with information from each applicant outlining their qualifications, will be posted on the town’s website here on March 18.
On March 20, council will hold a special meeting where all the eligible applicants will be given five minutes to make their case, after which time council will vote on who to appoint to the seat. The meeting will be open to the public, and will be livestreamed on the town’s YouTube channel here.