Ward 6 Councillor Phil Squire is resigning from London City Council.
The news came as a surprise during Tuesday’s meeting of the Corporate Services Committee, where committee members were set to debate how to proceed with filling former Councillor Arielle Kayabaga’s Ward 13 seat after she was elected as the Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for the London West riding in the 2021 federal election.
Now, council will be tasked with determining how to fill two vacancies.
“On Friday, October 8, I was advised by the chair of the Consent and Capacity Board that by Order in Council, I have been appointed as a member of that board, which I’m extremely proud of, that I’m being given that opportunity. The difficulty with that opportunity is it disentitles me from sitting as a member of council, effective the date of the Order in Council,” he explained.
He added that the city clerk was informed on Friday but he waited to tell his council colleagues until he received documentation from the board, which is a provincial tribunal that deals with issues of health-care consent in Ontario.
“On a personal note, this is a decision that’s been made for my family, myself, my profession, the things I stand for and the things that I value. It’s a difficult choice, but it’s a choice that makes sense for me, and I’m extremely honoured to be assuming this position and continue to work in the area that I’m most passionate about, which is adjudication in matters of people with mental disabilities.”
While Squire has announced his resignation effective Oct. 7, council must still formally declare the seat vacant. City council officially declared the seat of Ward 13 vacant on Oct. 5.
Tuesday’s meeting also touched on ways to fill Squire’s seat, but the committee ultimately decided to refer the matter to full council’s next meeting on Oct. 26.