/MH council to discuss 'mayor' title change later this month 

MH council to discuss 'mayor' title change later this month 

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.