The runner-up in the 2016 municipal byelection in Hamilton’s central mountain is making his case to be appointed to city council.
The city must once again fill a Ward 7 vacancy, after Coun. Donna Skelly was elected to provincial parliament last week as the Progressive Conservative representative for Flamborough-Glanbrook.
Council must appoint a replacement since there will be a gap of more than 90 days between the seat being declared vacant and October’s municipal election.
John-Paul Danko finished just 92 votes short of Skelly in 2016, and believes appointing him to represent Ward 7 is the “most democratic option.”
A main argument against Danko’s case is that he is running in this fall’s municipal election in a reconfigured Ward 8, and council’s past preference has been to fill vacancies with a non-candidate who has previous city council experience.
Danko suggests this case is different, since he received “a fairly strong share of the votes” just two years ago.
He adds that “the fact that I’m running in Ward 8 in the upcoming municipal election in October, I don’t see that as any different than any other incumbent councillor who’s running for re-election.”
Councillors will discuss the issue at an upcoming meeting. They are required to appoint a replacement within 60 days of the seat being declared vacant.
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