RED ROCK, Ont. – The town of Red Rock has appointed its next mayor. Councillor Darquise Robinson will soon take the reins from Gary Nelson, who resigned last month due to ongoing health concerns.
Robinson praised Nelson, with whom she worked on council for a decade, for his service to the community as she accepted the nomination from the town council earlier this week.
“Gary has done a great service for this community over many, many years [including] as a volunteer firefighter, councillor, and mayor,” she said. “So I have some big shoes to fill.”
Council will have several options to fill Robinson’s vacant council seat. Those include seating the first runner-up from the previous election, soliciting applications and interviewing candidates, or simply appointing a replacement, she said.
One priority for the incoming mayor will be the development of a proposed subdivision on the outskirts of the town.
The town council recently passed a site-specific amendment to its official plan, rezoning the area for development. An environmental assessment is required before the site could be developed, a process Robinson was hopeful could begin in 2021.
Robinson will be officially sworn in as mayor on Dec. 21.
With files from Adam Riley, TBT News.
