Regional council appoints runner-up Matt Rodrigues to fill vacant seat

The vacant seat on Region of Waterloo council will be filled by the first runner-up in the 2022 municipal election.

Regional councillors voted to appoint Matt Rodrigues to the seat, learning through staff that he would accept the role. The seat is vacant after Rob Deutschmann resigned to run in the provincial election.

There are four Kitchener seats on council. Rodrigues came in fifth in the election.

Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic moved the motion during Tuesday's special council meeting to appoint Rodrigues because there wasn't much difference between the number of votes Deutschmann and Rodrigues received.

"There was really only a gap of 388 votes between the fourth and the fifth place person, which was very different than for example, the six place where there was actually a gap of almost 3,000 votes," Vrbanovic said.

"In that case, quite frankly, I think the circumstances and the discussion might be different because it's not clear that there was a very obvious next person in the list."

Matt Rodrigues appointed to fill vacant seat at regional council

5 hours ago

Duration 0:47

The vacant seat on Region of Waterloo council will be filled by the first runner-up in the 2022 municipal election: Matt Rodrigues. The seat became vacant after Rob Deutschmann resigned to run in the provincial election. Rodrigues spoke to CBC K-W about what regional issues he's most passionate about.

The decision to appoint Rodrigues means avoiding spending an estimated $800,000 on a byelection — something North Dumfries Mayor Sue Foxton didn't want to do knowing there's a municipal election next fall.

"I don't want to spend the money. I don't think it's a wise thing and I think the next in line was very close to the previous person that won," Foxton said.

Rodrigues isn't a councillor yet. His appointment is expected to be confirmed during a special council meeting on March 13.

It's not the first time regional council has appointed a person to a seat rather than hold a byelection. In August 2015, former councillor Elizabeth Clarke was appointed to her seat after the unexpected death of councillor Wayne Wettlaufer. Clarke had run for the seat in the 2014 municipal election and was the first runner-up in that case as well.

In the situation, then regional chair Ken Seiling also cited the high cost of a byelection — pegged at between $150,000 and $275,000 — and the close race as reasons to appoint Clarke. Clarke did not seek re-election in 2022.

Rodrigues did not speak at Tuesday's meeting.

Regional Chair Karen Redman offered her congratulations to Rodrigues after the vote on Tuesday.

"My reflection would be that none of these seats have seat belts in them, but you're joining regional council at a very crucial, interesting time in the history of the region," Redman said. "We look forward to having you around the horseshoe with all of us."