By Chad Ingram
Published Sept. 14 2017
Minden Hills councillors will discusschanging the title of the head of council from “reeve” to “mayor”at a meeting later this month.
Councillor Jeanne Anthon put a noticeof motion on the floor during a Sept. 14 committee-of-the-wholemeeting that councillors have a discussion about the title change.
“I wanted to introduce this notice ofmotion because I feel the time has come” Anthon said. “It'sbeen discussed for decades and . . . I think we'll have a fullerconversation on that on the 28 th .
“Certainly through the years somepeople have said 'what's your position?' and if you say “reeve”they'll say 'so who's the mayor?'”
Anthon a councillor for Ward 1 waspreviously the reeve of the Anson Hindon and Minden now part of theamalgamated township of Minden Hills.
In July Algonquin Highlands councilpassed a motion changing the name of its head of council from “reeve”to “mayor” and its deputy-reeve to “deputy-mayor.”
It was the first of Haliburton County'sfour lower-tier municipalities to do so.
"Now especially that we do have a mayor and a deputy-mayor at county council . . . and reeves and deputy-reeves that confusion should be eliminated" Anthon said.
The term “reeve” dates backcenturies and initially referred to the leaders of rural communitiesin England.
A number of townships in the vicinityof the county have adopted the “mayor” title including Lake ofBays the Town of Bancroft and the Municipality of HastingsHighlands.
“The reeve and deputy-reeve have beenconsidered people in waiting to be a mayor and a deputy-mayor”said Deputy-reeve Cheryl Murdoch.
Reeve Brent Devolin at a conferencewas absent from Thursday's meeting.