Durham chair says province will appoint regional chairs instead of electing them

Durham Regional Chair John Henry said in an April 2 statement issued in Whitby that the province will appoint regional chairs instead of having them elected.

Henry said the change would mean residents of Durham Region would no longer elect the person who leads the upper-tier municipality if the province’s new approach is put in place. He also referenced a 2010 Durham referendum that he said supported electing the regional chair.

“Moving forward, Regional Chairs will be appointed by the Province, not elected by the residents of Durham Region as they voted for in the 2010 referendum,” Henry said.

Henry said he is “disappointed” by the decision and described the change as “a disservice,” adding that residents “deserve a direct voice in choosing their leadership.”

In the same statement, Henry said his role as the elected regional chair is ending. “I look forward to continuing to serve the people of Durham in a different capacity,” he said, without providing details.

The statement did not include a timeline for when the appointment process would take effect or how it would work.