A council seat in Kincardine that had been vacant for roughly three months has now been filled.
At a special meeting Wednesday night, council appointed Stellina Williams as the new councillor for Ward 1.
She was one of nine people who applied to fill the vacancy left by the death of Councillor Doug Kennedy in August. The other candidates in the running were Christina Bandomir, Christopher Bianco, Kevin Fournier, Melville Scott McPherson, Jason Munro, Carole Robertson, Chandrashekhar Tripathi, and Scott D. Wilson.
Each was required to address council at the special meeting to make their pitch outlining their suitability for the role and were given up to ten minutes each to do so.
“Running for office, whether by election or appointment, is something challenging,” Mayor Kenneth Craig said in a statement following the appointment. “These individuals took the time to put their names forward and shared their interest in making a difference to the place they call home. It was not an easy decision for council to make, and we thank the candidates for their time and effort.”
After hearing from each candidate, council held open deliberations before ultimately selecting Williams. She then took the declaration of office and was formally appointed to the position effective immediately. She will remain in the position for the remainder of the current term.
“I thank council for their confidence in appointing me, and I look forward to getting started,” said Williams.
Her first official council meeting will be on November 13.