Suzanne Gammon
Tribune
West Nipissing town council has another vacancy to fill, as ward 6 councillor Anne Tessier has decided to step down. The resignation was announced by the municipality in a release August 6.
“In a letter to her fellow members of Council, Ms. Tessier indicates that she and her family will be relocating for another opportunity. She will no longer be a resident or property owner in West Nipissing and is therefore renouncing her eligibility to sit on Council,” reads the release. Tessier herself was quoted as saying, “I am grateful to everyone I met from the date I submitted my candidacy until now. This experience, as a member of Council, has helped me in developing new skills and knowledge for my new adventures.”
Tessier had some well publicized hiccups during her short tenure, notably when she was removed from the board of Au Château over a controversial comment she had posted on social media. However, she was much appreciated by many, as hundreds of residents signed a petition and lobbied to have her reinstated as chair of Au Château. Council did not reverse its position.
This led to some speculation, online, that somehow Tessier had been pressured to resign. However, Tessier addressed these rumours, quickly shutting down the conjecture by reiterating that it was a voluntary decision on her part to step down. Many thanked her for her service, particularly her advocacy on behalf of the homeless and her eagerness to hear and address her constituents’ concerns.
Council will now follow the same process used to replace former ward 8 councillor Jerome Courchesne after his resignation earlier this year. Tessier’s seat was officially declared vacant at the August 13 meeting of council, a call for nominations has been put out and candidates have until September 5 to apply. Certified applicants will be invited to address Council at a special meeting to be held September 12, then members will deliberate and select a new representative for ward 6.
As per provincial regulations and municipal bylaw, vacant positions must be filled within 60 days, and the appointment process was set as the means to fill mid-term vacancies early in the current council’s term, after the last council suffered through more than two years of stalemate in trying to fill a position. The newly appointed ward 6 representative will serve the rest of the current mandate until the October 2026 municipal election.
