Communiqué to the population on behalf of Baie-D’Urfé Council members

Published on October 22, 2020

The Baie-D’Urfé Council and Administration were surprised and dismayed to receive the resignation of long-standing Mayor, Maria Tutino on October 19, 2020. Mayor Tutino’s last day will be November 9, 2020. Mayor Tutino has made the difficult decision to resign due to family considerations. Ms.Tutino has been Mayor since 2006 where she was an instrumental force in demerging Baie-D’Urfé from Montréal.

During her tenure, she has had many accomplishments, of which, only a few of the major ones are cited in this message:

·       Completed rebuilding of the Town after the demerger including establishment of new volunteering organizations such as the Rescue Squad, Citizens on Patrol (vCOPS), Coast Guard Auxiliary, to name a few of many others;

·       Baie-D’Urfé has had the lowest tax and mill rates on the island of Montreal over many years;

·       The Town has consistently had a surplus, an enviable position for any municipality;

·       Led Baie-D’Urfé to be one of the top performers with regards to the environment on the island of Montréal (development of a tree program, recycling, composting and organic waste programs, percentage of canopy etc);

·       Ensured that Baie-D’Urfé’s needs were heard at the Agglomeration table including changing policies such as the water meter installation program   which resulted in savings of over $800,000;

·       Instituted many programs in Baie-D’Urfé including the Junior Council and Lunch & Learn programs;

·       Represented Baie-D’Urfé on many Committees and Commissions over the years at various levels of government;

·       And most recently, led the COVID-19 task force, which took a great deal of time and energy and included the many initiatives for seniors and citizens during the pandemic for Baie-D’Urfé citizens. Some initiatives were the first to be implemented on the island of Montreal.

 

“Mayor Tutino is a dedicated Mayor who spent tireless hours serving the citizens of Baie-D’Urfé over the last 15 years,” commented Councillor Kevin Doherty, Pro-Mayor for Baie-D’Urfé. “She made sure that Baie-D’Urfé had a strong voice around the Agglomeration table, led the Town with fiscal prudence and had made a significant contribution to make Baie-D’Urfé the community it is today.” Councillor Doherty concluded, “On behalf of Council and the Administration, we sincerely thank Mayor Tutino for her commitment and dedication over the years and we wish her all the best in the future.”

The Act respecting Elections and Referendums in Municipalities states that a by-election is not required when a vacancy occurs in the office of mayor 12 months or less before the day fixed for the next general election and the Council has not ordered a by-election to fill it. Within 30 days after notice of the vacancy, the new Mayor shall be elected amongst the Councillors in accordance to section 336 of the aforementioned Act. In the case at hand, the Town Council has decided not to trigger a by-election.

Council is in the process of determining the best working format moving forward to ensure continuity for residents & staff alike and expects to be in a position to share this plan within the next few weeks.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Councillors Andrea Gilpin, Heidi Ektvedt, Janet Ryan, Kevin Doherty, Lynda Phelps and Wanda Lowensteyn 

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