On August 26, United Counties of Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry council elected its new warden for the 2025-26 term – Martin Lang. Twelve councillors, representing the lower-tier municipal mayors and deputy-mayors that comprise SDG were the sole voting representatives. They voted among themselves who would lead that council for the next year. It was municipal democracy in action, which was in fact democracy inaction.
Lang is the latest in a long line of recent wardens to come from the Glengarry end of the Counties. With exception of the one year term for North Dundas Mayor Tony Fraser, and the five month replacement term of former North Dundas Deputy Mayor Al Armstrong, five-and-a-half of the last seven years of SDG Counties leadership selected has been Glengarry County representatives. But there are two other counties that make up SDG – Stormont and Dundas. It begs the question: why are the other two counties more frequently left out of the top spot? While there have been candidates from the other two counties within SDG, but more often than not, Glengarry wins the day. Even when there is a tie and a name from a hat is used to choose the warden – as was the case in 2017 – someone from Glengarry was chosen.
Some upper tier counties have the role of warden rotate between different portions of that municipality. For example, Leeds-Grenville alternate electing a warden for two years from one half of that county, then the other. In the case of SDG Counties, three counties is not easily divisible into a four-year term.
The standing rhetoric, which was heard in 2022 when this issue was examined by the previous term of SDG Council, is that the public elected these 12 representatives to lead their municipalities, so by extension those officials are qualified to lead an upper tier government as well. We agree, but that does not mean they should get to pick who does the leading, or have a third job. Counties councillors in SDG are to represent their lower-tier municipality (South Dundas, North Stormont, etc) at the upper-tier council. That is their job as our duly-elected representatives. Adding leading that council is another hat to wear. When dealing with counties issues, who is that council head representing? The head of council, or their lower-tier constituency? And if council leadership is more often than not coming from only one side of SDG, is the rest of SDG being fairly looked after?
When you open your property tax bill, more money goes to SDG Counties than your local municipality. Should voters not have a more direct say in who sits at the chair of that council?
As the position of warden has evolved from a complete figurehead to an important part of municipal governance, the manner in which that position is elected should also evolve. We, the voters, should be the ones directly electing who serves as warden. Many would feel much better knowing it was an at-large vote amongst the entire County choosing the best person for the job, than a pool of 12 people picking among themselves.