It may be the talk of the town, but Callander Deputy Mayor Jordy Carr was still saying very little about the resignations of now former mayor Robb Noon and councillor Irene Smit. The resignations were delivered Dec. 19 and made public later that afternoon. Carr chaired Tuesday evening’s meeting and said the resignations are being looked at by the community’s integrity commissioner. “I want to acknowledge the significant public interest following the recent resignations (and) I understand that people are looking for clarity,” she said. “An independent integrity commissioner process is underway and out of respect for that process and our legal obligations, council is not able to comment further.” Carr said council is acting on legal advice and “fulfilling its statutory responsibilities and prioritizing the stability of the municipality.” She also said that she and the two remaining councillors were provided with a report from staff on options to fill the vacancies under Ontario’s Municipal Act. Council can either appoint one of the candidates from the 2022 election, appoint someone known to council, create an open application process or hold a byelection. Carr had questions about how long it took last time for Callander to fill a vacancy following the passing of its mayor and a councillor. Staff was unable to answer and will provide her with those details at a later meeting. Following the resignation in December, Carr released a statement assuring the community that normal business would continue. “While we are not able to share additional details right now, council and administration continue to do their work and municipal operations remain steady and uninterrupted,” she wrote. Noon had been mayor of Callander since 2020 after the passing of his popular predecessor, Hec Lavigne. Following their resignations, the biographies of Noon and Smit were immediately removed from the municipality’s website.
